Cotner, Samuel

Larsen, John E.

Longbrake, Thomas

McCraw, B. Dean

Menges, Terry

Roberts, Roland

English

Texas A&M University

-f J IIr!
L·1862
KEYS TO PROFITABLE SOUTHERN PEA PRODUCTION
Terry Menges, John E. Larsen, Samuel Cotner, Roland Roberts,
B. Dean McCraw and Thomas Longbrake*
Southern peas, often called cowpeas, are a warm
season crop which fits well with normal cropping
systems in Texas. This crop can be grown during the
summer after the spring or early summer vegetables
are harvested and before planting winter vegetables.
Southern peas are grown mostly in sandy, nonir-
rigated areas of Texas. They usually are planted fol-
lowing seasonal rainfall, which accounts for the varia-
tion in acreage from year to year.
In 1978, plantings totaled 35,000 acres with
22,000 harvested as dry peas and 5,900 as green, fresh
peas; while in 1979, 40,000 acres were planted with
22,000 acres being harvested as dry peas and 4,000
acres as green peas.
Yields increased from 570 pounds per acre for dry
peas and 625 pounds for green, fresh peas in 1978 to
1,000 pounds per acre for dry peas and 1,400 pounds
per acre for green peas in 1979.
Production Areas
Southern pea acreage in Texas is concentrated in
four general areas: South Texas, East Central Texas,
East Texas and southern High Plains. As a popular
home garden and local market item, however, south-
ern peas are grown statewide.
Seasonal Movement
Planting begins in the Rio Grande Valley in early
March and continues through most of April. Late
*Respectively, Extension horticulturist, Extension plant nutrition
specialist-greenhouse vegetable production, Extension hor-
ticulturist, Extension vegetable specialist, Extension horticultur-
ist-special programs and Extension horticulturist-vegetables,
The Texas A&M University System.
March through April is the primary planting period
for the Winter Garden and Gulf Coast areas. Planting
occurs during April and May in most areas of East and
Central Texas. May through June is the primary
planting season for West and North Texas.
For fall harvest, planting begins in East and Cen-
tral Texas in August, followed by plantings through
September in the Rio Grande Valley.
Climatic Requirements
Southern peas grow best in hot, dry climates.
Although length of day may affect production, most
Texas varieties are day neutral and can be grown in
spring and fall.
Soils
Southern peas grow on many soil types, but high-
est yields occur on sandy loams and light sandy clay
soils. Neutral to slightly acid soils are preferred while
soils with the pH above 7. 5 and high in calcium
should be avoided. High calcareous soils cause chlo-
rosis (iron deficiency) which reduces plant growth and
yield. High yields occur on lighter sandy soils if
adequate moisture and fertility are maintained. The
idea that southern peas are drought resistant has
resulted in the planting of many unproductive Texas
areas.
Land Preparation
Turn under all refuse in the fall or winter for
decomposition of plant materials and reduction of
carry-over curculio (weevil) population. Winter plow-
ing allows southern peas with extensive root systems
to benefit from the added moisture-holding capacity
of deeply prepared land. To destroy weeds and ger-
Te as Agricultural ExtenSion Service . The Te as A&M University System . Daniel C. Pfannstl I, Dlrecto . Coil qe Station, Te as
minating weed seeds and to create a clod-free seed-
bed (essential where mechanical harvesting is used),
rework the seedbeds just before planting. Irrigate
before planting to insure adequate soil moisture at
planting time and prevent reductions in seed emer-
gence. Wet, cool weather causes seed rot and damp-
ing off of seedlings.
Ferti Iization
Southern peas have the ability to fix nitrogen from
the air when the soil is supplied with nitrogen-fixing
bacteria. Peas do not respond to heavy nitrogen appli-
cations.
Considerable differences of opinion exist regard-
ing the importance of inoculating pea seed with nitro-
gen-fixing bacteria. Experiments have not given con-
clusive results, although generally inoculate when
peas are planted on new land. Most Texas areas,
however, are supplied adequately with bacteria from
the many native species of leguminous plants.
Carefully evaluate nitrogen fertilization of south-
ern peas. Excessive nitrogen may cause excessive
vine growth, delayed maturity or pod shattering.
Apply 20 to 40 pounds of nitrogen on soils low in
organic matter and up to 80 pounds of phosphorus
and potassium on sandy soils. Band fertilizer in the
row 3 or 4 inches deep and 2 inches to the side of the
seed.
Seeding Rate and Plant Spacing
Seeding rates vary from 12 to 25 pounds per acre
depending on seed size, germination percentage and
plant spacing. Usually maximum yields result when
spacing blackeyed, cream and purple hull seeds 2 to 4
inches apart in the row.
Closer spacing restricts vine growth and simplifies
harvest where dry seeds are combined. It also re-
duces runner formation and encourages high pod
growth on the plant. High pods are easier to hand
harvest and are necessary for mechanical harvestin.g.
Weed Control
Elimination of weeds and good soil preparation
aid in maximizing yields. A preplant application of
Treflan (1 pint per acre on sandy soil or 1V2 pints per
acre on heavier soils), incorporated to a depth of2 to 3
inches normally controls annual grasses and some
broad-leaved weeds. Little or no cultivation is needed
if the herbicide is working properly. If cultivation is
needed, do not plow deeper than the herbicide layer
as loss of effectiveness will result.
If periodic cultivation is used to control weeds,
never deep plow; a depth of 3 to 4 inches is sufficient.
Deep plowing results in root pruning which causes
plants to wilt and possibly reduces yields. Careful
cultivation usually controls most weeds without hoe
work. To reduce seed contamination, some hand-
Table 1. Descriptive list of southern pea varieties po~ular In Texas.
Variety Characteristic description
Purple Hulls
Knuckle Purple Hull
Burgandy
Texas Purple Hull No. 49
Pinkeye Purple Hu.ll
Crimson
Blackeye
California Blackeye NO.5
Cream
Cream 8
Cream 12
Cream 40
Elite
Crowder
Mississippi Silver
A high yielding purple hull, medium thick, reddish to purple pods with large seed turning
brown when dry. A crowder type.
An upright blackeyed purple hull with uniform maturity, good sheller and excellent
processor. Red pod makes maturity easy to judge.
A blackeyed purple hull, upright, pods held high and disease resistant.
Semi-vining, vigorous bush type. Pods turn purple at shell stage, are 6 to 8 inches long
and are slightly above foliage. Pea is light green with red eye at green stage, turns white
with maroon eye when dry. Pea is medium sized with rounded ends.
Small bush, upright, pods above foliage. Purple hull, pea has pink eye. Used principally
as dry pea. Seed are small when dry. When cooked or canned they increase two-fold in
size.
Upright to semi-spreading, medium coarse stem and branches, medium foliage, fair
drought resistance. Pods 6 to 8 inches long, early maturing. Seed medium to large.
Upright, high pods, kidney shaped, concentrated set, good shelling, high yield, excel-
lent freezing or marketing.
Upright, more bush type than Cream 40. Almost round type pea, heavy yielder, medium
pod with smooth skin.
Upright, pods well above foliage, early prolific. Disease resistant.
Upright, pods above the foliage, no running, pods are bunched, 7 to 9 inches long and
fairly straight. High yielding.
Vine, bunched yield, easy to shell. Very good resistance to fusarium wilt and root knot
nematodes, tolerant to viruses.
pulling of weeds may be necessary before combining.
However, with proper use of herbicides, hand pulling
or hoeing should not be necessary.
Irrigation
Although southern peas are irrigated in parts of
Texas, they usually are grown as a dryland crop. The
benefits of supplemental irrigation, however, may
exceed the cost. Southern peas usually suffer from
lack of water during short drought periods in May and
June. Although the peas may produce a crop, the
resulting loss in yield may exceed 50 percent.
Southern peas do not need much supplemental
irrigation water. In fact, reduced yields may result
from too much moisture if vegetative growth is exces-
sive. Timing is important, and the critical irrigation
period is during blooming. No amount ofwater before
or after fruit set compensates for a water shortage
during blooming.
Insects
A dozen different insects feed on southern peas at
some time during the growing season. Quality pea
production depends largely upon the producer's abili-
ty to identify and control these insect or mite pests.
Before planting, check for cutworms, wireworms
and white grubs. These insects may prevent a desir-
able stand. Various insects attack the foliage. Al-
though these are damaging and should be controlled,
the most damaging pests are the cowpea curculio (a
weevil), corn earworms and stink bugs that attack
blooms, pods and seeds. Closely monitor these key
pests and control if necessary.
For additional information on insect control and
identification, consult your county Extension agent or
Extension publications B-1305, Texas Guide for Con-
trolling Insects on Commercial Vegetable Crops and
B-1273, Insects in Vegetables.
Diseases
Several diseases may attack southern peas includ-
ing powdery mildew, root rots caused by several
organisms, rust, fusarium wilt and several leaf spot
diseases.
To control powdery mildew, apply wettable sulfur
at a rate of 5 to 25 pounds per acre (see label recom-
mendations). Spray at first appearance and follow at 7-
to 10-day intervals as needed.
Carefully observe crops as the season progresses
and apply preventive fungicides as soon as symptoms
appear. For additional information, consult your
county Extension agent or Extension publication MP-
902, Texas Guide to Reducing Vegetable Disease
Losses.
Harvesting
Most commercial southern pea production is har-
vested mechanically. Southern peas can be harvested
in three stages of maturity - green snaps, green
mature and dry. Each stage requires a different type
of harvester.
In the green snap or green mature stage, use
Chisholm-Ryder or Pixal snap bean harvesters. The
beans and foliage are stripped from the plant, then a
cleaning fan blows trash and the foliage out. Some of
the bean pods may be bruised, scratched or broken
during the operation. Mechanical harvesters general-
ly are used for processing beans; however, the beans
can be cleaned, graded and sold for fresh market. It is
important to choose varieties without long vines to
prevent tangling and clogging.
In the green mature stage, be~ns also are harvest-
ed by mobile viners such as the Porter-Way harvester
or FMC combine. The Porter-Way harvester lifts and
loads bean windrows into trucks for processing. The
FMC combine lifts bean windrows, then shells and
cleans the peas for processing.
For dry pea harvest, use small grain combines to
cut and thresh the dry peas. Sometimes the peas are
windrowed before harvest to facilitate drying. Har-
vested peas are bulk loaded and hauled to processing
stations.
Snap bean and pea harvesters and related equip-
ment currently available are:
Chisholm-Ryder Co., Inc., Niagara Falls, NY
14305
FMC Corp., Box 1120, San Jose, CA 95108
Pixal Corp., Box 17, Clear Lake, WI 54005
Porter-Way Harvester Mfg. Co., Inc., R.D. 2,
W~terloo, NY 13165
United Farm Tools, Inc., P.O. Box 9175, South
Charleston, WV 25309
Before selecting any harvester, carefully consider
row spacing, varieties and processing methods.
Marketing
Most southern peas are produced in Texas at a
contracted price for canning and freezing. Usually
these crops are harvested mechanically. Although
mechanical harvesting is very effective, some fresh
market peas are hand-harvested and packed in crates
for shipment to local markets.
Fresh peas are shipped under refrigeration to
distant markets. Dry peas are cleaned, graded, stored
and fumigated for future packaging in consumer-sized
plastic bags.
Information in this publication is for educational purposes only. Reference to commercial products
or trade names is made with the understanding that no discrimination is intended and no
endorsement by the Texas Agricultural Extension Service is implied.
Acknowledgment
The authors acknowledge the assistance of J. V.
Robinson, area Extension entomologist, and
Tom Valco, area Extension agricultural engi-
neer-mechanization specialist.
Educational programs conducted by the Texas Agricultural Extension Service serve people ofall ages regardless of socioeconomic level, race,
color, sex, religion or national origin.
Cooperative Extension Work in Agriculture and Home Economics, The Texas A&M University System and the United States Department of
Agriculture cooperating. Distributed in furtherance of the Acts of Congress of May 8, 1914, as amended, and June 30, 1914.
10M - 7-81 HORT 6-1


Keys to Profitable Southern Pea Production.

https://oaktrust.library.tamu.edu/bitstream/1969.1/172879/4/1862/Leaf1862.pdf

Keys to Profitable Southern Pea Production.

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