Albert Lea Seed House 2018 Farm Seed Guide

Field Peas & Pea Mixtures PEAS FOR FEED OR FORAGE EXCELLENT LIVESTOCK PROTEIN! Forage: Adding peas to your small grain will dramatically boost protein levels of your oats, barley or wheat nurse crop. They are also excellent spring-seeded with small grains as an early cut forage or grazing crop, or seeded in the fall for late-season cutting or grazing. Field pea forage is about 18-20 percent protein. Combined with small grains, peas can raise the protein of forages by as much as 3-5% and raise your RFV by 5-20 points. Grain: Peas contain high levels of carbohydrates and protein, are low in fiber, and contain 86 to 87 percent total digestible nutrients, which makes them an excellent livestock feed. As a dry feed source fed straight, no roasting or processing is required! They are often cracked or ground & mixed with small grains in the ration. Peas for grain are an excellent fit with oats or barley. Swath field pea when the seed moisture content has reached 25 to 30 percent. Straight combine field pea when the seed moisture content has reached 18 to 20 percent. Field Peas * = variety not stated Field peas are planted early, grow tall and leafy, and are tolerant to frost & drought. They can be harvested for silage, pasture, hay, or grain. When grown in mixture with small grains, peas add tremendous quality and increase the protein content in forage. Best Use: Forage (4010/Yellow) or grain (Yellow) Requirements: Avoid wet ground. Prefers cool wet weather. Reduce planting rates when using as a cover crop for alfalfa. Use inoculant on virgin ground. Planting Date: March to April or Aug 15 to Sept 10 Seeding: 50-75 lbs/acre along with 75-100 lbs/acre of small grain for forage or 150-200 lbs/acre alone for grain. Plant deep and early. Pea Mixes 4010 Field Peas* Yellow Field Peas* • Leafy, speckled forage specific pea • Significantly more biomass than DS Admiral Conventional Uncertified___$18/50 lb bag Organic & Uncertified______$25/50 lb bag • Tall growing and leafy • Dual-purpose for grain or forage Conventional Uncertified___$20/50 lb bag DS Admiral Field Pea • Tried and true dual purpose yellow pea for grain or forage • Upright, tall and better standing than most other varieties • Broadly adapted with consistent above average yields • Unmatched food quality because of near perfect round shape Conventional Certified_____$20/50 lb bag Organic & Certified________$25/50 lb bag * = variety not stated Small grain and pea mixtures provide excellent forage quality and tonnage (see chart on page 39). The small grain allows the peas to stand more erect making them easier to harvest. Sometimes used as a cover crop for spring-seeded alfalfa to maximize forage production in the seeding year. Can yield 2-4 tons DM/acre. Grows best in cool weather. Best Use: Drill in early spring and make silage or baleage. In recent years some producers have also tried it as a fall forage (drilled in late July and early August and chopped in October). Requirements: Cannot be used for dry hay. For maximum forage value chop for silage when small grain is in boot stage. Tonnage will increase as grain heads out, but quality and regrowth will diminish. Protein can range from 14% to 19%. Planting Date: Mar. to Apr. 30 or July 25-Aug. 15 Seeding: Drill 100-150 lbs/ acre about 1” deep in early spring. Definitely use the lighter rate if underseeding with alfalfa in the spring. Oat/4010 Peas* Barley*/4010 Peas* • 50/50 mix of a tall, good standing oat and forage peas Conventional________ $16.50/50 lb bag Organic_______________$23/50 lb bag • 50/50 mix of tall, high yielding barley with 4010 peas • Barley tends to be ready to harvest earlier than oats or triticale Conventional________ $16.50/50 lb bag Triticale*/4010 Peas* Barley*/DS Admiral Peas • 50/50 mix of spring triticale and forage pea • Excellent forage quality; highest of any of the pea mixtures Conventional________ $16.50/50 lb bag Organic_______________$25/50 lb bag • 60/40 mix of peas and 6-row barley • Swath and combine to produce animal feed with higher protein than small grain alone • For silage try triticale/pea or oat/pea for higher tonnage • Larger pea requires heavier seeding rate of 150-200 lbs. /acre Organic_______________$25/50 lb bag Peas 35

Albert Lea Seed House 2018 Farm Seed Guide | Page 35