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ARS Home » Plains Area » Sidney, Montana » Northern Plains Agricultural Research Laboratory » Agricultural Systems Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #358366
Research Project: Ecologically-Sound Pest, Water and Soil Management Practices for Northern Great Plains Cropping Systems

Location: Agricultural Systems Research

Title: Pea growth, yield, and quality in different crop rotations and cultural practices

Author
item Sainju, Upendra
item LENSSEN, ANDREW - Iowa State University
item Allen, Brett
item Jabro, Jalal - Jay
item Stevens, William - Bart

Submitted to: Agrosystems, Geosciences & Environment
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 3/19/2019
Publication Date: 4/25/2019
Citation: Sainju, U.M., Lenssen, A.W., Allen, B.L., Jabro, J.D., Stevens, W.B. 2019. Pea growth, yield, and quality in different crop rotations and cultural practices. Agrosystems, Geosciences & Environment. 2:180041. https://doi.org/10.2134/age2018.10.0041.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.2134/age2018.10.0041

Interpretive Summary: Management strategies are needed to enhance dryland pea growth, yield, and quality. Scientists from ARS, Sidney, MT in collaboration with Iowa State University reported that alternate-year crop rotation enhanced pea pod number, plant height, and grain yield and N uptake by 4 to 18% compared to stacked rotation. Improved cultural practice that included no-till, increased seed rate, banded N fertilization, and increased stubble height increased pea stand count by 29% compared to traditional practice that included conventional till, recommended seed rate, broadcast N fertilization, and reduced stubble height. Producers can enhance dryland pea growth, yield, and quality by using alternate-year crop rotation and the improved cultural practice.

Technical Abstract: Management practices are lacking to enhance yield and quality of dryland pea (Pisum sativum L.), an important pulse crop grown to replace fallow or in rotation with other crops and sustain crop yields in arid and semiarid regions. The objective of this study was to evaluate dryland pea growth, yield, and quality in various crop rotations and cultural practices from 2006 to 2011 in the northern Great Plains, USA. Crop rotations were stacked [durum (Triticum turgidum L.)-durum-canola (Brassica napus L.)-pea (DDCP) and durum-durum-flax (Linum usitatissimum L.)-pea (DDFP)] and alternate-year [durum-canola-durum-pea (DCDP) and durum-flax-durum-pea (DFDP)] rotations. Cultural practices were traditional (conventional till, recommended seed rate, broadcast N fertilization, and reduced stubble height) and improved (no-till, increased seed rate, banded N fertilization, and increased stubble height) practices. Pea pod number, plant height, and grain yield and N uptake were 4 to 18% greater with DCDP and DDCP than other rotations. Stand count was 29% greater with the improved than the traditional cultural practice. Biomass yield, N uptake, and grain protein concentration varied with crop rotations and cultural practices in various years. Seed number, seed weight, harvest index, and N harvest index were not influenced by treatments, but varied with years. Pea yield and N uptake increased with alternate-year rotation due to increased pod number and plant height. Stand count increased with no-tillage practice, increased seeding rate, banded N fertilization, and increased stubble height. Dryland pea growth, yield, and quality can be enhanced by using alternate-year crop rotation and the improved cultural practice.