Monday, November 13, 2006 - 11:00 AM
53-4

Double Cropped Dry Field Peas for Swine Rations.

James Fawcett, Johnson Cty Extension Office, 4265 Oak Crest Hill Rd SE, Iowa City, IA 52246-5824 and Tom Miller, Washington County Extension Office, 209 S Marion Ave, Washington, IA 52353.

 

Most Iowa crop producers now rely on two crops, corn and soybeans, for their livelihood. This has led to many problems, including increased pest populations, more vulnerability to adverse weather, and low prices. Swine producers are interested in substituting dry field peas (Pisum sativum L.) for soybean meal in their swine rations because of the lower cost of peas and the ability to feed the peas without processing. Thus there is a huge potential market for field peas in Iowa. Field peas are a short season crop, making them a candidate for double cropping. A crop rotation study was begun in 2005 on the SE Iowa Research and Demonstration Farm near Crawfordsville, IA to compare the standard corn-soybean rotation to a corn-field pea/double cropped soybean rotation and a corn-soybean-winter wheat/double cropped field pea rotation. In addition to the small-plot crop rotation trials, large scale field trials of spring planted field peas followed by double cropped soybeans and winter wheat followed by summer planted field peas were conducted in 2005 and 2006. In general yields were poor in 2005 with the summer planted peas, with the highest yield being 2900 kg/ha with the variety Admiral on the latest planting date of July 28, 2005.  This was likely partly due to the drought conditions in 2005 and the hot weather when the peas were flowering in August and September.  A 30 hectare field of spring planted field peas averaged 5900 kg/ha followed by 3800 kg/ha of double cropped soybeans in 2005. Yields of spring planted peas were lower in 2006. The field peas have been utilized in swine feeding trials. No difference was found in swine performance between rations using peas and rations using soybean meal. Results from 2005 and 2006 will be presented.