Discuss the production technologies of peas in relation to varieties, climate requirement, sowing time, seed rate and plant protection.

Pea cultivation involves a delicate balance of various technological inputs to achieve optimal yields and quality. These technologies are continually refined to adapt to changing environmental conditions, pest pressures, and market demands.

Varieties

Pea varieties are broadly classified based on their maturity period, plant habit, and seed characteristics. The choice of variety significantly impacts yield, disease resistance, and suitability for specific climatic zones and market segments (fresh consumption, processing, or dry pulse).

• Early Maturing Varieties: These are popular for fetching early market prices. Examples include:
  • Arkel: A dwarf variety, ready for first harvesting in 60-65 days, yielding around 16-18 qtl/acre of green pods. It is susceptible to collar rot at high temperatures but has good processing qualities.
  • Pusa Pragati: Known for good yield and quality.
  • Matar Ageta 6/7: Early season dwarf varieties developed by PAU, Ludhiana, with good yield potential (e.g., Ageta-7 gives an average yield of 32 qtl/acre in 65-70 days).
  • Kashi Nandini (VRP 3): An early-maturing, erect, and dwarf variety tolerant to leaf miner and pod borer, yielding around 6.5 t/ha.
  • Pant Sabji Matar 3: Early season variety with picking starting 60-75 days after sowing.
• Mid-Season to Late Maturing Varieties: These varieties typically offer higher yields and often possess resistance to common diseases. Examples include:
  • Bonneville: A medium-tall, double-podded variety from USA, yielding around 36-60 qtl/acre.
  • Jawahar Matar 1/2/3/4/15/54: These varieties, developed at JNKV, Jabalpur, offer varying yields and disease resistance (e.g., JM 15 is resistant to powdery mildew and Fusarium wilt).
  • Punjab 89: A mid-season variety ready for first harvest in 90 days, known for sweet seeds and yield of 60 qtl/acre.
  • Rachna: A mid to late maturing smooth-seeded variety.
  • Arka Ajit: Resistant to powdery mildew and rust, yielding 10 t/ha in 90 days.
• Specialized Varieties:
  • Edible Podded (Snow Peas): Varieties like Aparna and Mithi Phali are consumed with their pods.
  • Canning Varieties: Early Badger, Lincoln.
  • Varieties for Freezing: Alderman, Taichung-12.

Climate Requirement

Pea is primarily a cool-season crop, thriving in moderate temperatures. Its climate requirements are critical for successful cultivation and yield.

• Temperature:
  • Germination: Seeds can germinate at a minimum temperature of 5°C, with an optimum range of 18-22°C.
  • Growth: Ideal growth occurs between 13-18°C.
  • Flowering and Pod Set: A temperature range of 12-15°C is ideal for these critical stages.
  • High Temperatures: Temperatures approaching or exceeding 30°C, especially during flowering and pod formation, can adversely affect pod quality and yield. Wrinkled-seeded cultivars are particularly sensitive.
• Rainfall: An annual rainfall of 400-500 mm during the growing season is generally sufficient. Pea is sensitive to drought, and adequate soil moisture is essential, particularly during germination, flowering, and pod development.
• Soil: Well-drained loamy or sandy loam soils with a pH range of 6.0 to 7.5 are considered best. Peas do not thrive in highly acidic soils (pH below 5) or waterlogged conditions. Proper drainage is crucial to prevent root rot.

Sowing Time

The optimal sowing time for peas varies significantly with agro-climatic zones to align the crop's growth cycle with favorable weather conditions and avoid peak pest and disease incidence.

• Northern Plains of India: The ideal sowing period is from mid-October to mid-November.
  • Early sowing (e.g., late September) can lead to higher incidence of wilt disease and stem fly, while delayed sowing (e.g., after early December) can drastically reduce yield due to exposure to rising temperatures during critical stages.
  • Studies at IIVR, Varanasi, suggest that October 30th sowing yields significantly higher, followed by November 9th.
• Hills: May for autumn crop.
• Southern India: November-December.
• Temperate Regions: Sowing can extend from October to March.

Seed Rate and Plant Spacing

Appropriate seed rate and spacing are crucial for achieving optimal plant density, light interception, and nutrient utilization, thereby maximizing yield.

• Seed Rate:
  • Early Varieties: Typically require a higher seed rate, ranging from 100-120 kg/ha (or 35-40 kg/acre).
  • Mid-Season/Late Varieties: Generally require 80-90 kg/ha.
  • Bold-seeded Varieties: May require up to 100 kg/ha.
• Seed Treatment:
  • Treat seeds with fungicides like Thiram or Carbendazim (2-3 g/kg of seed) to prevent seed-borne diseases and collar rot.
  • Inoculation with Rhizobium and Phosphobacteria cultures is highly recommended to enhance nitrogen fixation and phosphorus availability, respectively.
• Sowing Depth: Seeds should be sown at a depth of 4-5 cm (or 2-3 cm according to some sources).
• Plant Spacing:
  • Row to Row: 30-45 cm (for early varieties: 30 cm; for late varieties: 45-60 cm).
  • Plant to Plant: 5-10 cm.
  • Method: Line sowing using a seed drill or by opening furrows is common. Ridge-furrow or bed methods can be adopted based on irrigation facilities.

Plant Protection

Integrated Pest Management (IPM) is essential for sustainable pea cultivation, minimizing economic losses due to pests, diseases, and weeds while reducing reliance on chemical pesticides.

1. Disease Management:

Pea crops are susceptible to various fungal, bacterial, and viral diseases.

• Wilt (Fusarium wilt):
  • Symptoms: Premature yellowing and wilting of young leaves, especially in seedlings.
  • Control: Seed treatment with Thiram (2g/kg) + Carbendazim (1g/kg), crop rotation with non-leguminous crops, avoiding early sowing in infested areas, and using resistant varieties (e.g., Jawahar Matar 15).
• Powdery Mildew:
  • Symptoms: White powdery growth on leaves, stems, and pods.
  • Control: Spraying wettable sulphur (2 g/L) or Dinocap (1 ml/L), or dusting sulphur (25 kg/ha). Resistant varieties include VL Matar-42, Pant P-14, and Kashi Ageti. Late planting should be avoided.
• Rust:
  • Symptoms: Yellowish-brown spherical pustules on stems, leaves, and pods.
  • Control: Spraying Mancozeb (25g/L) or Indofil (400g/100L of water). Burning affected plant trash after harvest helps prevent recurrence.
• Root Rot:
  • Control: Seed treatment with Trichoderma (4 g/kg) or Captan (2 g/kg). Ensure proper drainage and avoid waterlogging.

2. Pest Management:

Common insect pests include aphids, pod borers, and leaf miners.

• Aphids:
  • Symptoms: Suck sap from tender parts, leading to yellowing and stunted growth.
  • Control: Spraying Dimethoate 30EC (1ml/L or 400ml in 80-100 L water per acre) or Methyl demeton 25 EC. Growing tall border crops like maize or sorghum can act as a barrier. Biological control using predators like Coccinella septempunctata (ladybird beetles) is also effective.
• Pod Borer:
  • Symptoms: Larvae bore into flowers and pods, damaging seeds.
  • Control: Spraying Azadirachtin 0.03% (300ppm) at fortnightly intervals. For severe infestation, insecticides like Indoxacarb 14.5 SC or Emamectin Benzoate 5 SG can be used judiciously. Tolerant varieties like Kashi Nandini are available.
• Leaf Miner:
  • Symptoms: Larvae create serpentine tunnels in leaves.
  • Control: Spraying Dimethoate 30EC (300ml in 80-100 L water per acre). Growing trap crops like tomato or marigold around field bunds can help.

3. Weed Management:

Weeds compete with pea plants for nutrients, light, and water, significantly reducing yields.

• Cultural Control:
  • First weeding 20-25 days after sowing, followed by a second before flowering. Manual weeding or hoeing between rows.
  • Deep ploughing in summer to destroy weed seeds.
• Chemical Control:
  • Pre-emergence application of Pendimethalin 30 EC (0.75-1 kg a.i./ha or 1 litre/acre) within 48 hours of sowing.
  • For post-emergence control, Metribuzin 70% WP (0.25 kg a.i./ha) at 15-20 days after sowing can be used.

Adopting these production technologies, coupled with precise management practices, can lead to sustainable and profitable pea cultivation.