Don’t ignore premiums offered by blue peas

With many growers opting out of growing spring pulses over the last few seasons, there is a real possibility of a potential shortage of blue peas.

’In fact, last year saw a drop in plantings by as much as 40%,’ says Howard Jackson, Pulse Trader for Masham Micronized Feeds. ’Without a doubt cereal and oilseed rape prices have had an impact on the pea area as growers have been tempted to increase their winter cropping hectarages. Added to this, some growers have struggled to meet the quality premiums and have subsequently decided to drop the crop from their rotations,’ he says.

Les Daubney, Pulse Product Manager for plant breeders Limagrain, believes however that this should not put growers off for the coming season, as there are good marketing opportunities through buyers such as Masham Micronized Feeds, who are looking to source consistently good quality peas. ’We need to avoid the peaks and troughs in supply and stabilise the market. However, it’s only through an understanding of the market and its needs, that a more sustainable and profitable trade for growers and processors can be established.’

Mr Jackson adds: ’What we want are good quality peas that are bright green in colour, and with no signs of bleaching. These quality peas will then be micronized and processed, to be added into our various feed mixes or sold on as raw materials.’

It is possible to possible to achieve these quality premiums with a close attention to detail when growing the crop, agree both men. ’This starts with choosing the right variety, focussing on the required inputs and manage the harvest timing to avoid bleaching - the main culprit for loss of quality,’ says Mr Daubney.

Managing harvest timing is critical as the key cause of bleaching is exposure to rain and sun. ’Often leaving the crop until 15% moisture means that damage may have already occurred, so one way of preventing this is to harvest at 18-20-% moisture as for marrowfats and when the peas are still green.’

’Worth considering carefully when deciding on a variety is maturity, as in choosing one that is earlier maturing it is possible to avoid clashes at harvest. A variety such as Zero4 fits well in this slot as it is generally ready for harvest up to 10 days earlier than some of the newer varieties on the Recommended List. Also important to consider is straw stiffness, as a good stiff straw means that the crop will stand better and be easier to harvest, and Zero4 fits this criteria particularly well as it is shorter strawed than other varieties, but also has an intense canopy which knits together and holds itself up.’

’It’s important to recognise that whilst Zero4 is a smaller sized seed, if drilled at a higher rate aiming for a plant population of 110 plants/m’ instead of the more conventional rate of 70 plants/m’, it will yield as much as the leading varieties on the Recommended List .’

’We call Zero4 our banker variety, as it always produces a good consistent yield and quality. We have found that once included in a rotation, it tends to stay! It’s already a popular variety with growers in Yorkshire and in the Borders, due to its earlier maturity but there is no reason that it should not be grown in East Anglia,’ adds Mr Jackson.