I have being doing pod and pea counts per plant and after doing the math, yield estimates appear to be 15 - 25 bushels per acre. I am finding anywhere from 5 to 15 peas per plant with a density of 5 - 6 scraggly plants per square foot. Doesn't sound like or look like much, but we have to remember when we seed at 3 bushels an acre we end up with 7 plants per square foot with one dud seed per acre. That makes 8 seeds on each square foot. If you have 5 plants averaging 10 peas per plant, that square foot now has 50 seeds translating to potentially an 18 - 20 bushel crop. There are forumlas to calculate yield based on 1000 kernal wt., plant density and number of seeds per plant which will bring in the same kind of yield estimate.
So given that peas may not be a total writeoff as first thought, this presents some interesting decisions to make. A 20 bushel pea crop should be worth anywhere from $90 - $130 per acre depending on grade. However there is so little plant material this year that silage and greenfeed yields will be very low. Can anyone out there afford to pay $60 - $90 per tonne for in the field for silage? Where would that put a 1000 lb greenfeed bale? It appears that at these yield thresholds the greatest value in a pea crop is still in the seed.
Now, after the rain, the bigger question revolves around regrowth of the peas and pod splitting. I am noticing pod spitting on plants that were nearly shut down but not quite. Moisture is being pumped back into the seed causing it to swell but the pod is not swelling with the seed so it splits. Still green plants are now starting to flower again. If we wait for the new flowers to produce pods we run the risk of losing quality along with more pod shattering but there is a chance yield could be increased. Dessication is a costly operation and there is no gaurentee it will ensure qaulity or early harvest. Anyone have thoughts on dessicating now versus waiting for this new growth to produce? This is a challenging year to say the least!
So given that peas may not be a total writeoff as first thought, this presents some interesting decisions to make. A 20 bushel pea crop should be worth anywhere from $90 - $130 per acre depending on grade. However there is so little plant material this year that silage and greenfeed yields will be very low. Can anyone out there afford to pay $60 - $90 per tonne for in the field for silage? Where would that put a 1000 lb greenfeed bale? It appears that at these yield thresholds the greatest value in a pea crop is still in the seed.
Now, after the rain, the bigger question revolves around regrowth of the peas and pod splitting. I am noticing pod spitting on plants that were nearly shut down but not quite. Moisture is being pumped back into the seed causing it to swell but the pod is not swelling with the seed so it splits. Still green plants are now starting to flower again. If we wait for the new flowers to produce pods we run the risk of losing quality along with more pod shattering but there is a chance yield could be increased. Dessication is a costly operation and there is no gaurentee it will ensure qaulity or early harvest. Anyone have thoughts on dessicating now versus waiting for this new growth to produce? This is a challenging year to say the least!