Ah Peas! Why we need better Crop Reporting!

[TASFarms]

Peas and lentils should be high priced for years to come. This year proved we can't grow a big crop of them unless there is new way of fighting root rot

[bucket]

Tasfarms

Very good point as the only cure for these rots currently is longer rations.

Sure hope the end users know this and bid accordingly.

[SASKFARMER3]

Funny thing a few years back the rains were very bad in may and June then July was nice and then again they hit in august. Best pea crop ever. I think it has a lot to do with rain. Over abundance like last year all year you have shitty peas.

[furrowtickler]

I will challenge that longer rotation theory. There are many more factors than just cool wet soil or short rotations. But they were two of the bigger factors in most cases but not all.
One local farmer grows just peas/wheat. Root rot was evident in many fields around here but not in their peas. But they seed peas later - end of May/early June and use very light rates of herbicides.

Root rot fungus - all of them - love cool/wet but there were peas on short rotations around here that were just fine in very wet and cool soil conditions for the critical two weeks after germination, they were pre tilled and/or had seed placed fertility.
-Pre tillage and higher available soil fertility were huge factors in reducing root rot severity.
-Root rot was far worse on heavy wheat stubble than anything else.
-In crop herbicide injury due to low overnight temps increased root rot incidence significantly in fields with low available nutrients and heavy straw.
- Peas in pre worked and higher fertility areas within fields with short rotations were fine even with root rot fungus present in tissue samples. These areas also did not exhibit herbicide injury. The rest of the peas were dead within a week after herbicide application.
- Herbicide spray misses also exhibited less root rot issues in some fields.

"The Rack" did an extensive study on root rot, fertility, and herbicide injury on peas in this area. They have the report available if you wish to contact them.

- In short I believe, and I could be wrong, that peas can be grown in 3-4 year rotations in average to wet years with selective tillage, fertility and carefull herbicide timing and selection. But if wet conditions turn to flooding rains as some have seen first hand (s/f,freewheat), it will be all for not. If conditions turn drier , we may not see root rot issues pop up but selective tillage and fertility will not hurt - more like insurance.
Hard core zero tillers may buck the idea, that's fine, but it has created a perfect environment for a disease outbreak with the combo of zero till and high moisture - many on here from eastern Sask again have seen this first hand.
- So yes longer pea rotations will be required if conditions remain wetter than normal, you use no fertility in peas and want to remain absolute zero till.