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CULTIVATION PRACTICES

OF PEA

CHAPTER - 4

CULTIVATION PRACTICES OF PEA

4.1 CLIMATE :

The pea crop grows best in areas having coolgrowing

season of at least five months' duration. These

conditions are met with in the plains of Punjab, Western

Uttar Pradesh, parts of Rajasthan, Delhi and in the hills

of Kashmir, Punjab, Himachal Pradedsh, Uttar Pradesh and

West Bengal. In other pea growing areas, as the states of

Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Andra Pradesh,

Eastern Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal, the growing season

is comparatively short and the winter mild. As such, just

as in the case of other winter crops like wheat, the

yields of peas in these two zones are significantly

different, being higher in the northern parts. Although

pea is not susceptible to cold, yet severe frost injures

considerably the freshly opened flowers and the young

developing pods.

4.2 SOIL :

Peas can be grown on a variety of soils - light

sandy to heavy clays. Light soils should preferably be

used for growing early crops for vegetable purposes but

for the harvest of dry peas for which main season

varieties are grown, heavier types of soils such as silt

loams and dry loams are prefered. Thus best crops are

grown on deep loamy soils of the Indo-Gangetic alluvial

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region. Heavy clay soils are not used. Soils able to

retain sufficient moisture to carry the crop to the stage

of maturity with the minimum number of irrigations are

ideal because frequent irrigations often tend to increase

vegetative growth at the expense of pod formation. The

plant thrives also under alkaline conditions but does not

do well if the pH falls below 5.5. The most favourable

range of pH is between 6.0 and 7.5 and when it is below

6.0, the land should receive a dressing of lime.

li.3 MANURING :

Peas have generally a low nitrogen requirement but

in other respects, the fertilizer requirements are normal.

It has been observed that except in soils of very low

fertility, peas in general do not benefit from an

application of farm-yard manure. The manuring of peas

would depend mainly 6n fertility and type of soil. On rich

or moderately fertile soils, neither organic manure nor

nitrogen from inorganic sources is necessary. A balance

between potash and nitrogen is important and potash

deficiency must be made good. The Indian soils are,

however, reported to have generally satisfactory potash

content, but potash may be lacking in light sandy soils.

It has been the experience in U.K. that even in potash

deficient soils, it is the application of a complete

fertilizer which gives the best response rather than the

application of potash alone. Similarly, if the phosphate

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content is low, the application of phosphate also gives

better results in a compound fertilizer. When nitrogen is

also considered necessary, the compound fertilizer should

contain 3-5 percent nitrogen.

In India, peas for the harvest of green pods are

grown more commonly near cities and towns and the white or

grey smooth peas are grown for dry peas wherever it is

possible to fit in the crop in the cropping pattern. The

vegetable growers usually grow this crop either in the

field cleared of summer vegetables or in some cases of

maize, sorghum or pearl millet (bajra). The white, smooth

peas and to some extent the grey-seeded peas are commonly

grown as a pure crop in parts of Western Uttar Pradesh,

under irrigation. Under these conditions, there is hardly

any existing practice of applying organic or inorganic

manures to the pea crop.

4.4 APPLICATION OF FERTILIZER :

There are usually two methods of applying

fertilizer ie, by broadcasting and by placement at a

particular depth in a particular direction. Fertilizers

are often broadcast before sowing of seeds. In this

practice better results are obtained when fertilizer is

broadcast in the early stages of field preparation so that

it is thoroughly mixed as deeply as possible in the soil

during the subsequent cultivations. Various experiments

have shown usefulness of placement of fertilizer in giving

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increased yields as compared to broadcasting. Thisimakes

the fertilizer more easily available to the plant roots.

In this method of application the manure is placed or

drilled about 5 cm. to one side and 2.5 cm deeper than the

seed. Another practice which is rather unreliable is that

of combined drilling of seeds and manure. Especially under

drier conditions, fertilizers particularly potash applied

in contact with the seeds may severely affect their

germination. The placement method is undoubtedly the

really satisfactory method of applying fertilizer to the

pea crop.

4.5 PREPARATION OF LAND :

Although peas do not grow well on poorly prepared

soils, a very fine tilth is not quite necessary. What is

required is a reasonably crumbly deeply worked soil.

There should be moisture in the bed at the time of

sowing to facilitate germination. Application of

irrigation at this stage adversely affects the germination

and subsequent growth. However, in case of deficiency of

moisture, it is preferable to irrigate the field before

sowing. This may not be required in the case of rice lands

if timely preparation of land is taken up. In the case of

garden peas, some of the farmers prefer to grow the crop

by using bed and furrow method. In such a case sowing can

be done even in moisture-deficient soil for the required

moisture can be made available by furrow irrigation, after

sowing.

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4.6 SOWING AND SEED-RATE :

Sowing is done by two methods.

4.6.1 Hand dibbling :

This is followed in the case of early sowing of

smooth, green seeded peas. It consists in dibbling the

seeds by hand on the edges of the furrows on both the

sides of the bed which is usually 60 cm. wide. This width

gives sufficient space for the spread of two rows of

plants of early dwarf varieties.

4.6.2 Drilling :

In the case of garden peas, the main sowing is

usually done by dropping the seeds in the furrows opened

by a 'desi' plough and the furrows are covered by the

usual planking. Some farmers drill the seed through the

'pora' attached to the plough; the furrows in this case

are not covered.

The depth of sowing the seed varies from 5 to 7.5

cm. according to soil moisture. Although wet seed bed is

to be avoided, peas need adequate moisture; in dry

seedbeds germination is delayed and is irregular, sowing of

overnight soaked seeds improves germination. Inoculation

of pea seeds with pea nodule bacterium culture is

recommended when peas are planted for the first time and

also when the crop is to be grown on a poor soil. The

culture material is emulsified in a small quantity of 10

per cent sugar or 'gur' solution sufficient to moisten the

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seed. The seed is then heaped on a clean floor and

moistened and mixed thoroughly with the solution. The

moistened seed is then spread in a thin layer in shade to

dry and sown in the field in the evening or a cloudy day.

in the dibbling method which is practised in the case of

rather costly seeds of early varieties, about 125 kg. are

required to sow one hectare. In the case of main season

vegetable varieties which are usually wrinkled and

bold-seeded, when sown in the furrows about 37.5 cm.

apart, a seed-rate of 50-62.25 kg. is used. In the case of

smooth, white-seeded varieties, grown for the harvest of

dry peas, about 75 kg. per hectare is the usual seed-rate.

4.7 TIME OF SOWING :

The sowing of garden peas commences during the

first fortnight of October and continues till November in

the plains of Northern India. If weather permits, some

growers make first sowing of hardy round-seeded varieties

during the second fortnight of September. On the other

side a late sowing is made up to about the middle of

December. In the hills of Northern India, the spring

sowing commences in February and another sowing is made

for autumn harvest during the rainy season. For the

over-wintering crop, sowing is made during

October-November.

In some parts of peninsular India, besides the main

sowing, an additional sowing is made during June-July. In

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the southern states, peas are cultivated mainly in the

hills where as in north India, three sowings are made

during March-April, August-September and November-December.

For field peas, there is normally one main sowing

and the sowing period extends from mid-October to end of

November.

4.8 SPACING :

The spacing to be followed varies with the variety,

the taller being given wider spacing; the early crop is

sown more thickly to allow for losses caused by rather

unfavourable conditions. In India, hardly any tall-growing

garden pea varieties are commercially cultivated. The

early sown dwarf varieties are spaced about 22.5 cm. to 30

cm. between rows and 3.75 cm. to 5 cm. between plants. The

self-stalking medium tall varieties with the usual furrow

sowing method are given a row spacing of about 30 to 37.5

cm. under non-irrigated conditions and from 45 to 60 cm.

under irrigated conditions.

4.9 IRRIGATION :

In the case of garden peas, if furrows and bed

system is used, watering will have to be done more

frequently than in case of flat bed system. In the former

case, irrigation may have to be given soon after sowing

for germination and subsequently irrigation would be

required every fortnight or so depending upon the type of

soil. The common practice, however is to sow in flat beds

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in optimum moisture and irrigate the crop only at the

commencement of flowering. Some farmers however, do not

irrigate the crop so that surface does not form a crust

and proper aeration is possible.

In the case of field peas, it is mainly tall

varieties which are grown for pure crop of peas. These are

sown either in paddy lands after harvest of paddy or in

lands which get inundated during the rainy season but

which become available after water recedes. Such crops are

usually not irrigated. The crop grown in canal irrigated

lands, especially in western Uttar Pradesh, is given 2-3

irrigations during the growing season. The small grey or

white-seeded field peas are usually sown as companion crop

with wheat, especially in parts of Bihar and Madhya

Pradesh in the 'barani' (rainfed) lands.

4.10 HARVESTING :

The green pods for the market are hand picked.

Therefore, it is necessary that adequate labour should be

available in commercial pea-growing areas. Most commercial

pea growers in Punjab, Delhi and Uttar Pradesh dispose off

the standing crops to the contractors who engage their own

pickers. Usually female pickers are employed who pick

about 37 kg. per head per day. In India, the usual

practice is to make periodical pickings from the same crop

although in some of the European countries harvesting is

also done by pulling out the plant and then stripping the

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marketable pods. In the former method it is possible to

harvest well graded pods. For purpose of canning and

dehydration which are more commonly done in some other

countries, the harvesting is usually done by a pea viner.

In India, however, it is the hand-picked pods which are

supplied to the small factories handling peas for canning

and dehydration. Green peas are usually packed in gunny

bags and the:use of crates and special baskets is not in

vogue. Ordinary baskets of bamboo or sticks of 'arhar'

and mulberry are also used in some of the areas. The

usual experience is that for transporting peas to distant

markets, especially during the summer months, baskets are

more suitable than gunny bags.

4.11 YIELD :

The yield of green pods varies with the variety,

climatic condition, soil, manuring and irrigation.

However, individual plots in the case of early varieties

would yield 27.75 to 37 quintals and main season varieties

74 to 92.5 quintals per hectare. The main season

wrinkled-seeded garden pea varieties may yield from 23.12

to 27.75 quintals per hectare for dry peas. Amongst the

smooth-seeded field peas, varieties such as T-163 are

expected to yield about 27.75 quintals of dry peas per

hectare where as the drawf grey-seeded varieties may yield

only 462.8 kg to 647 kg. per hectare.

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4.12 USES :

Peas are consumed both in the fresh form as

vegetable and in the dried form as a pulse.

The shelled green peas are also utilized for

preparation of canned peas, frozen peas and dehydrated

peas.

The tall-growing peas chiefly of the round, white

or grey-seeded types, are grown as a companion crop with

oats fbr green fodder. Field peas are grown along with

oatsfor making silage or hay and also for pasturage. The

pea vine is also used for making silage which contains on

an average 7.1% digestible protein and 57.8% total

digestible nutrients on dry matter basis.

Hie active principle of pea oil, m-xylohydroqui

none diminishes spermatogenesis in males. It has no toxic

effects and has no abortifacient action whatsoever. It's

use as an oral contraceptive was indicated.

A potent hyperglycaemic extract from the testa of

pea seeds; an extract from the whole pea when fed to

rabbit was effective in lowering the blood-sugar level and

in reducing alimentary hyperglycaemia.

4.13 PROCESSING :

Green peas are processed in various ways; these may

be sun-dried, mechanically dehydrated, canned or frozen.

Sun-drying is reported to be done on a small scale in

Uttar Pradesh. This product is generally sold to the

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canners. Dehydration of green peas has also been

undertaken in India on a small scale in Uttar Pradesh.

Canning is also mostly done in Uttar Pradesh, which is the

biggest producer of green peas in India. Canned peas are

mostly used by the army and are also gaining popularity

with the civilians..

In foreign countries, canning of green peas has

been developed to a considerable extent and it is almost a

fully automatic process from the field to the final

packing. In India, however, the picking of green pods is

done by hands. In the factory also the pods are shelled

manually. A few factories have set up pea hullers for

shelling the pods. The shelled peas are blanched (by

putting in hot water for a short time) to inactivate

enzymes and reduce microbes.. The blanched peas are filled

into cans and covered with hot brine solution with 2.5%

salt and 2-4% sugar, depending upon the stage of maturity

of peas. If green peas are to be canned as curried peas

the usual spices in the form of curry and hydrogenated oil

are mixed and added with suitable amount of brine to cover

the inter-spaces in the cans.

The pods of some varieties called edible podded or

sugar-podded, are chopped like those of French bean or the

garden 'lablab' so that the entire pod is utilized. The

edible-podded peas are hardly known in India; but in view

of their nutritive value these deserve to be grown on a

commercial basis in India.

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The round smooth-seeded field peas of various

colours are used as pulse mostly in the split form. Dry

peas are also used for making 'besan' (flour) as a

substitute for gram 'besan'. In northern India, the smooth

white dry peas are also used like gram for the savoury

dish, popularly known as 'chat'.

4.14 DISEASES AND CONTROLS :

Several diseases of pea plants caused by fungus and

pests are reported.

4.14.1 Fungus diseases and control :

Amongst the diseases of peas in India, the more

important are fusarium foot rot (Fusarium orthoceras Var.

pisi), which is distinct from wilt disease (Fusarium

oxysporum f. pisi) and affects the stem below the surface

of the soil, the fungus persists in the infected vines and

the soil. The wilt disease causes considerable damage when

the crop is sown early and on light soils. The fungus

lives in the soil and it may also be carried by the seed.

The only effective way to prevent the disease is to grow

wilt resistant varieties, such as 'Delwiche commando',

'Bonneville', 'Early perfection* etc.

The powdery mildew (Erysiphe polygoni) usually

appears at the late stage of crop when the temperature

starts increasing. Dusting the crop with fine sulphur dust

at the rate of 16.9 kg per hectare is cheap and effective

method of controlling the disease.

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Rust (Uromyces fobae) is common in Indo-Gangetic

plains. The pustules appears on the leaves, stem and pods

during February-March. The disease developed quickly

undelr high humidity and moderate temperature. Crop

rotation, destruction of diseased plant debris and

treatment of seeds with organomercurials have been

recommended for the control of this disease-

4.14.2 Pests and controls :

The leaf-eating caterpillar (Lapphygma exigua H.)

feeds on the leaves, generally during morning and evening

and in serious cases of attack defoliates the plants.

Dusting the crop with 5 per cent BHC at 15-20 kg. per

hectare controls the pests.

The larvae of the pod borer (Heliothis obselata

P.), eat away the leaves and bore in to the pods eating up

the seeds. It can be controlled by spraying endosulfan

(0.07%) once or twice at the fruiting stage.

The pea aphids (Microsiphum pisum K.) suck the

cell sap which results in yellowing and subsequent drying

of leaves. It can be controlled by,

i) Periodical spraying with 40 per cent nicotine

sulphate (1 part in 800 parts of water) and 1.35 to

1.80 kg. of soap per 416 litres of spray at an

interval of 10-15 days,

ii) Spray with tobacco decoction.

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The pea thrips (Thrips indicus H.) cause damage to

flowers and pods. The control measures are the same as

those of pea aphids.

The larvae of the leaf miner (Phytomyza

articopnis), mine the leaves and make silvery lines on

them. These can be controlled by spraying the crop with

0.05 per cent nicotine sulphate (40 per cent).

Besides the above pests, there are also pests of

the stored grains, viz. the bruchids. The eggs are laid on

the surface of the seed and the newly hatched grubs bore

through the setds in which a circular hole appears near

the surface of the grain, leaving only a thin outer

membrane as covering. It pupates inside the grain. For use

as seed, the seeds may be chemically treated with

insecticidal dusts, such as , Disulfotone. For storing

grains for human consumption, fumigation with

methylebromide is usually recommended.

4.15 SOME PROMISING VARIETIES :

Several good varieties of garden peas as well as

field peas are already in cultivation in India. Important

varieties are early smooth-seeded Asauji, Lucknow Boniya,

Alaska, Early Superb, Early Badger, Yates Early Crop,

Little Marvel, Kelvedon Wonder, Early December, Kanawari,

Bonneville, T.19, Lincoln or Green feast, Delwiche

Commando, Khapar Kheda, N.P.29, Duke of Albony, T.163,

Mahandorfer (Early Yellow Victoria), Victoria, B.R.118,

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B.R.2, Rimpus, B.R. 178, Aureol, Hala, Maple pea, Vinco,

Zelka, Emigrant, Big Ben, Harrison Glory, Sylvia, Arkel,

Aparna, PM-5, Pant Pea-5, Rachna etc.