Timely advice for pea growers

Press, 19 December 1986, Page 24

Timely advice for pea growers

C anterbury arable fanners turned out in the ir hundreds for a pea fiel d day near Ashburton rec ently, showing a desire for good information about a potentially profitable crop. A n excellent panel of speakers had been organised by the Pulse Liaison Cor nmittee, which contains growers’ representative is and agricultural merchants. More than 100,000 ton nes of peas are forecas t from this season’s hai -vest, compared with about 50,000 tonnes in recent years. ()ne speaker, Dr Bill

Jermyn, of the Crop Research Division of the D.5.1.R., said the field day was a long overdue recognition for an important arable crop for Canterbury. The first half of the programme concentrated on what Dr Jermyn called the planning that is necessary before the intending pea farmer even enters the paddock. While valuable, the time for such topics has passed for this season and it will be necessary for the M.A.F. and others to rev up the information machine again next winter. The M.A.F.’s “Arable Management Recommendations” was promoted several times at the field day and it should be reviewed annually to include any new information on this evolving and expanding crop. Timely advice on harvesting from Mr Brian Wilson, of Peter Cates, Ltd, grain and seed merchant of Ashburton, laid out the alternatives which were dependent on the weather and the machinery available. The cheapest and perhaps the best method of bringing in the precious peas was direct harvesting when the moisture was 15 per cent or lower. “When everything has been done well up to harvesting and the weather is kind then this is probably the best method,” said Mr Wilson. “But last year we had a lot of late pods which stained up to 30 per cent of dry peas when they were harvested together.

“Rain at harvest can lead to bleaching and if the paddocks have not been rolled before or after sowing then a lot of dirt might be picked up by the header.” The most popular alternative to direct heading was cutting and windrowing before heading.

This method was useful for uneven ripening and

weed-infested crops. The pea plants were cut about three days before normal direct heading, usually at around 16 to 18 per cent moisture. The main risks were rain and strong winds while in the windrow although these could be minimised by working at night and lining the rows up south-east to northwest. The windrowing added extra cost but Mr Wilson pointed out that peas may be the farmers’ highest value crops this season and worth the extra bother. Peas could also be dessicated before direct heading and the two main chemicals used were Reglone and Roundup. Reglone was applied at about three to five litres in 300 litres of water per hectare at three to five days before heading in hot, dry weather. Rain might necessitate a respraying. Roundup takes longer to work because it kills the crop and must be applied seven to 10 days before harvest at three to four litres in 175 to 200 litres of water per hectare. Perhaps the safest method of harvesting, but one not open to many grain growers in Canterbury, was premature harvesting and drying. Peas could be taken off at 17 per cent moisture and the remaining water driven off in the grain dryer and silos. Mr Wilson warned that peas should not be harvested above 15 per cent moisture if grain drying facilities were not available. “I have seen crops go into the silo at 16 per cent and come out at the same level months later,” he said. One of the best questions asked from the audience put the local "plant person,” Dr lan Harvey from the M.A.F., on a spot by seeking his advice for the remaining part of the growing period in the light of last year’s dismal harvest, plagued by diseases in peas. Perhaps with newspaper headlines prediet-

ing frequent rain in his mind, the questioner asked: “What would you recommend at this stage if you knew that what we had last season in the way of weather was going to repeat?” Dr Harvey said farmers needed good fine days from now on but in the event that couldn’t be arranged he said to ask the M.A.F. for suggestions for minimising the effects of the fungal diseases Ascochyta, Sclerotinia and Septoria, which caused the problems last year. No fungicide has been registered for foliar applications to peas for control of such diseases.

So, in essence, if the weather does repeat there are going to be a lot of disillusioned pea growers about.