Developing Food Quality Autumn-Sown Legumes

Aragorn

Banner

X09MP012-0-3-3-1

LC1260W0022

Pardina Morena

Introduction The rationale for autumn-sown vs spring-sown pulses is similar to that of winter wheat vs spring wheat. Planting winter peas in the autumn will shift some field work to autumn and capture higher yield potential. Additionally, autumn-sown pulses will provide an alternative rotational crop, especially needed in the low rainfall areas where the winter wheat-fallow rotation predominates. Including pulse crops in a cereal-based cropping system is beneficial at least in part due to weed and disease cycles that are broken and all pulse crops, in symbiosis with rhizobium bacteria, are able to fix atmospheric nitrogen then available to the following cereal crops. There are a number of issues that must be addressed for the successful cultivation of autumn-sown pulse crops. These include attaining adequate levels of cold tolerance, effective and efficient weed control methods, and determining optimal planting methods.

Current Status In 2009, revisions to the U.S. Standards for Whole Dry Peas and Split Peas were made that allow new and future winter dry pea releases to be marketed as smooth green or smooth yellow dry peas and preserves purity of class by grouping colored or distinctively mottled peas (e.g., traditional winter dry and maple peas), regardless of planting date. Due to these changes, we are emphasizing the development of food quality, autumn-sown peas – peas with clear seed coats, large seeds, white flowers and semi-dwarf, erect growth habit. We are also developing lentils which will conform to the small-to-medium green market classes and small kabuli chickpeas that can be planted in the autumn.

In order to develop varieties of autumn-sown peas and lentils that are adapted to areas other than those that we can easily test in, we have started sending segregating populations for evaluation and identification of types that are uniquely suited to given regions. We send bulks of F4’s, to be planted in plots and then selected, to western Whitman County and Lincoln County Washington and to central Montana. Ultimately, this model will also be used for development of varieties of spring legumes.

The main segregating nurseries and preliminary yield trials are grown at the Spillman Farm. The advanced yield trials are typically planted at four locations: Spillman Farm, Dayton, WA, Garfield, WA and Genesee, ID. In 2013-2014, there are approximately 1200 entries in the winter pea nursery, 450 entries in the winter lentil nursery and 200 entries in the winter chickpea nursery. There are 30 entries in the advanced winter pea and 15 entries in the winter lentil yield trials. The WSU and MSU Variety Testing Programs each have yield trials with elite pea and lentil varieties planted at Dusty, WA and Moccasin, MT, respectively.

Spring Pea Entry

Days to Mat

Canopy Ht (cm)

Plant Ht

Index HSW (g)

Yield (kg/ha)

Pullman 2012

Pullman 2013

2012-2013 Avg

Hampton 89 57.5 .96 22.2 2806 2989 2897

PS08100133 89 56.7 .75 19.6 2654 2944 2799

PS03101445 83 55.7 .85 22.1 2438 3012 2725

Banner 82 59.7 .83 19.1 2360 2550 2455

Aragorn 82 60.4 .91 20.2 2134 2611 2375

PS08100218 89 56.0 .89 23.4 2691 2021 2356

Ariel 83 58.0 .90 17.8 2026 2475 2250

Columbian 82 35.9 .41 19.0 1829 2075 1952

Trial Mean 86 57.0 .85 20.9 2359 2504 2431

LSD (0.05) 1.7 5.6 .10 0.7 173 483

Winter Pea Entry

Days to

Mat Canopy Ht (cm)

Plant Ht

Index HSW (g)

Yield (kg/ha)

Pullman 2012

Pullman 2013

2012-2013 Avg

PS06300024W 291 56.2 .65 17.6 6446 2194 3669

PS09300104W 298 59.0 .85 16.9 6227 1765 3996

PS06300125W 300 37.1 .36 16.0 5726 2205 3965

Specter 295 57.7 .36 12.4 5804 1855 3829

Windham 293 46.9 .67 13.7 5339 2000 3669

PS07300136W 299 41.4 .52 16.3 5598 1455 2871

PS09300107W 296 34.5 .37 13.5 6313

Trial Mean 296 52.0 .47 14.5 5526 2134 3830

LSD (0.05) 5.9 0.8 .10 0.10 894 804

Comparison of the Performance of Spring versus Winter Peas 2012-2013

Spring Peas

Winter Peas

Rebecca McGee1, Jarrod Pfaff1, Stephen Guy2 and Chengci Chen3

1USDA-ARS Grain Legume Genetics and Physiology Research Unit, Pullman, Washington 2Department of Crop and Soil Sciences, Washington State University, Pullman, Washington

3Central Agricultural Research Center, Montana State University, Moccasin, Montana

Food Quality Winter Green Pea (X09MP012-0-3-3-1) Compared to Spring Green Peas (Aragorn and Banner)

Spanish Brown Lentil, autumn sown (LC1260W0022) Compared to Spring Lentils (Pardina and Morena)

Acknowledgements

The authors acknowledge the funding and support they have received for much of this work from the USA Dry Pea and Lentil Council.

Winter Peas Dayton, WA - 18 November 2013

Autumn-Sown Peas and Faba Beans Spillman Farm - 30 January 2013

Advanced Winter Yield Trial Advanced Spring Yield Trial

Advanced Winter and Spring Pea Yield Trials Spillman Farm - 18 April 2013

Advanced Winter and Spring Pea Yield Trials Spillman Farm - 8 June 2012

Advanced Winter Yield Trial Advanced Spring Yield Trial