The growth of vining peas:II. The effect of density of planting

Abstract

SUMMARY Yield and growth analysis has been carried out on vining peas (variety Dark Skinned Perfection) sown at 43, 97 and 172 seeds/m 2 at a rectangularity of 1:1. No difference wasobtained in the yield of green peas (at tenderometer reading 110) over this fourfolddifferencein sowing density. At a high seed rate (172/m 2 ) a high peak leaf area (8·3) was attained 1 week afterthe start of flowering but declined rapidly. The peak number of flowers and pods reached 1002/m2 at this density, but there was a greater wastage (34 %) by abscission than inthe lower seed rates which resulted in a similar number of pods/unit area being present at the time of vining for all densities. In contrast, peas sown at low density (43/m 2 ) resulted in a lower peak leaf area (4·3) but this occurred during the stage of pod fill; net-assimilation rate was somewhat higher also. Thus the yield of green peas may depend less on the ability of the plant stand to provide reproductive nodes than on its ability to produce photosynthate during the post-flowering period.