Identifying Regionally Adapted Winter Pea Genotypes That Maximize Grain, Forage, and Cover Crop Potential in the Southeast USA.

Winter pea (Pisum sativum L.) can be utilized as a grain, forage, or cover crop by organic producers in the Southeast USA, however a regional screen of winter pea germplasm has not occurred in this region. This study was conducted to screen 19 winter pea genotypes in monoculture and in mixture with early, medium, and late maturing wheat (Triticum aestivum) varieties. Screening trials were conducted to identify pea genotypes with promising growth characteristics for production in the Southeast that could be harvested simultaneously with commonly planted wheat varieties in the region for use as a feed source on organic dairies. This study was employed over the 2014-2015 winter growing season in Clayton, NC, Kinston, NC, and Salisbury, NC. Pea genotypes were visually evaluated for cold tolerance, disease susceptibility, and biomass production. Grain yield was obtained with a research combine. One pea genotype had significant frost damage at all locations resulting in minimal winter survival. In Kinston, heavy disease pressure from Sclerotinia sclerotiorum resulted in very low yields across all genotypes. High biomass producing genotypes were identified in Clayton and Salisbury and will serve as promising genotypes for subsequent trials investigating winter pea for use as a forage and cover crop in the Southeast. Within each genotype, grain yield tended to be similar regardless of planting in monoculture or in mixture with wheat. Several genotypes had higher yields at Clayton and Salisbury than the standard Austrian winter pea cultivar currently available in North Carolina, revealing that breeding efforts focused on grain production may have a large impact for producers in the Southeast.  All wheat varieties reached maturity prior to pea maturity across all genotypes, indicating that a late wheat maturity may be more appropriate to plant in mixture with pea in the Southeast to reduce chances of wheat sprouting in the field prior to pea reaching maturity. Subsequent research trials will continue to evaluate pea genotypes for grain yield and more aggressively evaluate pea genotypes for use as forage and cover crops in the Southeast. Results will catalyze cultivar release of regionally adapted winter pea genotypes.