Paddock selection
- Well-drained loamy sands to clay loams with a pH >5.0 (CaCl2).
- A soil structure or slope that allows good drainage.
- Relatively flat with few rocks and roots.
- No Sulfonyl urea herbicide residues.
- A low frost risk.
- A low broad-leaf weed burden.
- Minimise disease risk; choose paddocks that have not grown field pea for at least three years and go no closer than 500 metres (m) to paddocks that grew field pea in the previous year. It is preferable to be at least 50m downwind of 2-3 year old stubbles, but no separation is necessary upwind.
Varieties
Recently released varieties: Kaspa, PBA Twilight, PBA Gunyah, PBA Wharton.
Sowing window
| Rainfall | Date window | Target date |
|---|---|---|
| Low | 7 May - 15 June | 25 May |
| Medium | 15 May - 30 June | 1 June |
| High | 15 May - 30 June | 1 June |
| Rainfall | Date window | Target date |
|---|---|---|
| Low | 7 May - 30 June | 4 June |
| Medium | 15 May - 30 June | 4 June |
| High | 30 May - 30 June | 10 June |
Sowing rate
On average, the optimum plant density is 55 plants per square metre for semi-leafless Kaspa type peas. Actual sowing rates will depend on seed size, germination percentage and field pea type.
Suggested 100–120 kilograms per hectare (kg/ha).
Sowing depth
5-8 centimetres (cm).
Inoculum
Seed should be inoculated with group E inoculum every year.
Fertiliser
A maintenance application of 50-100kg/ha superphosphate is recommended. It is useful to apply nitrogen (N) at 10-15kg N/ha in soils with marginal pH (<5.0) and clay content.
Rolling
Field pea paddocks should be rolled immediately after sowing as long as the soil surface is not too moist. If rolling is delayed until after emergence, wait until plants are between the 3-10 node stage and roll in the afternoon. It should not be done immediately after the application of post-emergent herbicides.
Herbicide options
- Pre-emergent herbicides: Trifluralin 1.0-2.0 litres/hectare (L/ha), Diuron 50% flow 2.0L/ha, Spinnaker® 35-70 grams/hectare (g/ha), Bladex® 2.0L/ha, Metribuzin 75% 100-180g/ha.
- Post-emergent herbicides: Brodal® 100-200 millilitres/hectare (mL/ha), Brodal® 60mL + Metribuzin 60g/ha, RaptorWG® 45g/ha, MCPA Na 25% 0.7-1.0L/ha.
- Various grass selectives.
- Croptopping: field peas are well suited to croptopping to reduce ryegrass seed set 1-2 weeks before harvest.
Insect control
- Budworm can reduce grain quality considerably. Spray if there are one or more grubs per 20 sweeps.
- Control of pea weevil is needed when there are more than one weevil per 100 sweeps.
Harvesting
Kaspa type field peas should be harvested in warm conditions. Concave clearances should be opened and the drum speed reduced. Alternate wires and blanking plates on the concave may need to be removed.
Reel speed 1.1 x ground speed. Table auger clearance 7-12 millimetres (mm). Drum speed 300-600 revolutions per minute (standard). Concave clearance 10-25mm start at 10mm. Fan speed 60-75% start at 75% high.
Top sieve 20-25mm start at 25mm and bottom sieve 10-15mm start at 15mm.