Relationships among growing degree-days, tenderness, other harvest attributes and market value of processing pea (Pisum sativum L.) cultivars grown in Quebec.

摘要

In Quebec, Canada, grower income from processing peas is a function of yield and tenderometer reading. If peas are harvested early, the yield is poor, but the overall quality is superior, as indicated by lower tenderometer readings. Later harvests result in greater yields but reduced quality (higher tenderometer readings). A better understanding of the relationship between harvest time, yield and quality is needed. In this study, the relationships between yield, tenderometer readings, size distribution and grain moisture content were examined as a function of growing degree-days (GDD) and production yr for pea cultivars of different seed size categories. Yield and harvest attributes (tenderometer readings, seed size distribution and moisture content) were highly season dependent and their rates of change over the course of the harvest period also varied with cultivar and yr. Quality declined rapidly once the crop reached optimal maturity, while yield increased in a less predictable manner. Consequently, it was difficult to identify a harvest time that would consistently maximize grower returns. The highest income was generally not obtained at the optimal tenderometer readings presently used by the industry.