Temperate Vegetables (1+1)

PEA

BOTANICAL NAME : Pisum sativum L.
COMMON NAME : Matar
CHROMOSOME NUMBER : 2n=14
FAMILY : Leguminoseae

USES

• Pea is highly nutritive vegetable containing high percentage of digestible proteins (very valuable for the vegetarians) along with carbohydrates and vitamins A and C, also very rich in minerals like Ca and P
• Excellent food for human consumption taken either as vegetable or in soup.
• Large proportion is processed (canned, frozen or dehydrated) for consumption in the off-season.
• Being N fixing legume, recognized as a soil building crop
• Seeds contain trypsin and chymotrypsin which could be used for contraceptive, ecbolic, fungistatic and spermicidal. Pea stem is a nutritive fodder.
• Pea is being used in a growing snack market.

NUTRITIVE VALUE AND USES (per 100g of edible portion)

Energy (kcal)	84	Riboflavin (mg)	0.14
Moisture (%)	78	Niacin (mg)	2.9
Protein (g)	6.3	Ascorbic acid (mg)	27
Fat (g)	0.4	Ca (mg)	26
Carbohydrate (g)	14.4	P (mg)	116
Vitamin A (IU)	640	Fe (mg)	1.9
Thiamin (mg)	0.35

ORIGIN AND HISTORY

• The geographical origin of “Pisum sativum L.” is yet uncertain. However, Pisum is considered to have been originated in “Ethiopia" from where it spread during pre historic times to the Mediterranean region, central Europe, the near East and subsequently to rest of the world.
• Pea has been assigned to Mediterranean and the African center of diversity.
• Pisum elatius a wild species is considered as its ancestor.

AREA AND PRODUCTION

• The area under this crop in India was 370 thousand ha having a production 3517 thousand tonnes with a productivity of 9.5MT/ha (NHB, 2011).

CLASSIFICATION

• On the basis of species, the cultivated pea is divided into two types.
• The field pea with coloured flowers (Pisum sativum var. arvense L.) and garden pea with white flowers (Pisum sativum var. hortense L.). From practical stand point, Pisum sativum can be divided into following groups.

A. According to seed

• Round or smooth-seeded cultivars
• Wrinkled seeded cultivars

B. According to height of plant

• Bush or dwarf types.
• Medium tall types.
• Tall types.

C. According to maturity period

• Early season : 65-80days
• Medium season :90-100days
• Main season : 110-120days.

D. According to use of pods

• Fresh market types
• Freezing types
• Canning types
• Dehydration types.

E. According to pod walls

a. Types with thin pod walls

• Types with smooth seeds
• Type with wrinkled seeds.

b. Types with thick pod walls

• Type with smooth seeds
• Type with wrinkled seeds.

CLIMATIC REQUIREMENTS

• Pea seed can be germinated up to the minimum temperature of 5^oC.
• The optimum temperature for germination is about 22^oC.
• Pea can tolerate cold, but severe frost causes considerable injury to the freshly opened flowers.
• The optimum temperature for better growth and yield is 13-19^oC.
• High temperature reduces the pod quality as sugars in the seeds changes to hemicelluloses and starch.
• Temperature above 27^oC shortened the growing period and adversely affects pollination.
• Germination at high temperature results in tall plants whereas low temperatures at early growth stages promote branching and dwarf growth habit.

SOIL CONDITION

• Pea can be grown on many types of soil from light sandy to clay soil.
• Light soils are good for early crop whereas heavy soils are found suitable for main crop and produce high yield.
• It is very sensitive to saline and alkaline conditions.
• Most favourable range of pH is from 5.5 - 6.0.