Evaluation of Dry Field Pea for Forage Production in Montana (Uniform Dry Pea Forage Trial) (2001)

Abstract

This report evaluates Austrian winter pea variety forage production in pure stands and with a companion cereal forage (Haybet hay barley) under different cropping and environmental conditions in Montana. Average dry matter forage production under dryland conditions was 3,320 pounds per acre (1.7 tons/acre) and under irrigation was 7,044 pounds per acre (3.5 tons/acre; Table 26). Haybet hay barley was the top dry forage producer at all sites (significant under irrigation), having an average dryland production of 4,389 lbs/acre (2.2 tons/acre) and an irrigated average production of 10,980 pounds per acre (5.5 tons/acre). Dry pea varieties mixed with barley had higher yields compared to pure stands (not significant at Bozeman). When all peas and pea/barley mixed plots were combined and compared with pure barley forage production, pure pea plots had significantly lower yields under both cropping conditions (Table 27). Under irrigation, the pea/barley mixed plots also had significantly lower forage yields than pure barley stands. These differences may be attributed to the disparity in total plot (pea + barley in mixed plots) stand densities between pure pea, pure barley and mixed plots under dryland (8, 12, and 12 plants/ft2, respectively) and irrigated conditions (10, 21 and 17 plants/ft2; see Table 24).