Field pea seeding management

Abstract

The impact of seed placement and seeding rate on crop yield is not clearly understood for field pea (Pisum sativum L.). A field experiment was conducted at Melfort, SK, and Lacombe, AB, in 1998 and 1999, to evaluate the effect of three seed placements (distinct row: 23 cm and 30 cm with a hoe opener; and spread band: a 20-cm spread using a 28-cm sweep on a 23-cm row spacing) and three seeding rates (50, 100, and, 150 seeds m-2) on pea seedling density, seed yield and seed weight of a leafy prostrate and semi-leafless upright cultivar. A follow-up experiment was conducted at seven sites across Saskatchewan in 2001 to further examine the influence of a wider range of seeding rates (20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80, 90, 100, and 120 target plants m-2). Pea productivity for both cultivars was not affected by the different seed placements, despite a 4 mg greater seed weight for distinct row seed placements compared with spread band placement across all 1998-1999 sites. Moreover, the absence of a seed placement by seeding rate interaction indicated that greater spacing between plants was not associated with improved pea yield when seeding rate was increased, regardless of the cultivar. Yield component compensation occurred where increased plant density from higher seeding rates reduced seed weight. In the 2001 study, seed yield benefits were small at seeding rates greater than 50 target plants m-2. There was a tendency for lower yields with seeding rates less than 50, especially at sites with higher yield potential. Yields of field peas grown under relatively weed-free conditions should be optimized with a seeding rate of 50 to 75 seeds m-2.