[FarmerCA]

The last two years we have had major problems with weather causing Meadow peas to shell during harvest. In 2013 we had one tenth of rain one evening followed by 30 degrees the next afternoon. Lost 5 - 10 by/acre due to shelling.

In 2014 the Meadows seemed to survive the first 4" of rain, but after the 3rd rain event again 5+ bu/acre shelling. We had one quarter of Golden peas 2 miles away because we ran short on seed, no shelling problems and outyielded the Meadows by 6 bu/acre. Goldens went through combine much tougher though. In previous trials on our farm Meadows outyielded Goldens by 2-4 bu.

Is there a newer yellow pea variety that yields well and doesn't have shelling issues?

 

[bud]

If your peas get a rain when they first start to mature it causes the peas to swell and split the drying pods open. This usually happens when the field is totally green in color.

As the plants turn ripe these pods are now partially open. Add a bunch of harvest rain and/or wind and these pods lose their seeds on the ground.

Cracked seed coats also happen from this moisture event when your peas first start to dry (when pods turn from dark green to the lighter green leathery look). Miss this rain event and peas seem to go through multiple harvest rains and only get flatter.

The longer a pea crop takes to mature the more susceptible it is to a rain event, so perhaps plants with shorter pods would shed rain better, higher seeding rates would maybe have less pods per plant and mature quicker.

I think it has more to do with mother nature than variety. This year I got early Aug rain at the wrong time and lots of split green pods.

 

[Jason Hildebrand]

Ever tried Polsteads? Crommas? Alfettas? I don't think their has been much development into peas in the last decade but we've never had shelling problems.