Field And Austrian Peas: What's The Difference?

Austrian winter peas and field peas are the same thing. They are also known as Pisum sativum and are a cool-season annual legume. They have been grown around the world for centuries as a valuable source of nutrition for humans and livestock. They are often planted as a cover crop and are a good source of nitrogen. They are easy to establish in fall food plots and are considered a high-preference forage for whitetails.

Austrian Winter Peas are a good source of nutrition for both humans and animals

Austrian Winter Peas (Pisum sativum) are a cool-season annual legume that has been grown around the world for centuries as a valuable source of nutrition for both humans and animals. They are also known as field peas, but should not be confused with cowpeas, which are also referred to as field peas in the southern states. Austrian Winter Peas are native to the eastern Mediterranean and western Asia and have been cultivated for their nitrogen-fixing abilities and nutritional value.

Austrian Winter Peas are a good source of nutrition for humans and are often used in salads or stir-fries. They are also a great cool-season legume crop for wildlife food plots and are often planted by game hunters to attract deer, quail, doves, and wild turkeys. The plants bear pink, purple, or white blooms in spring, adding to their ornamental value.

For animals, Austrian Winter Peas are considered a high-preference forage, especially for whitetails. They are easy to establish in fall food plots and provide quality forage for seven to eight months. The crude protein in the leaves and stems typically exceeds 25%, making them an excellent and highly digestible food source for animals.

Austrian Winter Peas are also widely used as a cover crop due to their ability to fix nitrogen in the soil. They can be planted with other seeds such as oilseed radishes or clover to improve soil quality and nitrogen content. They perform well in well-drained soil and prefer a neutral pH level.

Overall, Austrian Winter Peas are a versatile and nutritious crop for both humans and animals, offering a range of benefits from culinary uses to agricultural improvements.

They are a cool-season annual legume

Austrian winter peas, also known as field peas, are a cool-season annual legume. They are a valuable source of nutrition for humans and livestock and are often planted as a cover crop. They are easy to establish in fall food plots and are considered a high-preference forage for whitetails. They can be successfully grown in spring and summer in cooler regions.

Austrian winter peas are low-growing, viney plants that can reach 2-4 feet tall, depending on soil fertility and management. The stems are hollow and slender, and the leaves are fleshy and pale green with toothed margins. The plant also contains branched, slender tendrils on the top. They produce flowers in the spring, which are pinkish-purple in colour.

Austrian winter peas grow well in a variety of soil types, but the best production occurs in light-textured loamy soils. They are somewhat sensitive to soil pH, so it needs to be maintained above 6.0. They should be planted in August in northern states and in September to October in the South. They are very easy to establish and should be broadcast at a rate of 50 lbs/acre into a well-prepared seedbed.

Austrian winter peas are an excellent choice for cooler, poorly drained soils that may not be conducive to other legumes. They can fix 60-120#/acre of nitrogen. They are also relatively inexpensive to use as a cover crop.

They are a good cover crop for producing nitrogen

Field peas and Austrian winter peas are the same thing. They are a cool-season annual legume that can be planted as a cover crop. They are nitrogen-fixing plants, meaning they can absorb nitrogen from the soil and transfer it back when the peas are cut down. This is a great organic way to add nitrogen back into the soil.

Austrian winter peas are a good cover crop for producing nitrogen. They are a cool-season annual legume that has long been considered a high-preference forage for whitetails. They are capable of producing a lot of quality forage for seven to eight months. The crude protein in the leaves and stems typically exceeds 25%, which is excellent. They are also highly digestible.

Austrian winter peas are very easy to establish and should be broadcast at a rate of 50 lbs/acre into a well-prepared seedbed or drilled at a rate of 30 lbs/acre with a no-till drill. If broadcasting peas, be sure to follow up with light disking to cover the seeds approximately 1 to 2 inches. If no-till planting, be sure to kill the existing vegetation with glyphosate a couple of weeks prior to planting to eliminate weed competition and create a clean field before drilling the seeds.

Austrian winter peas are also good for soil protection and can add vital nutrients often lost during the growing season. They are low-maintenance and help to stop weeds. They are cold-hardy and will go dormant once winter hits. They can handle temperatures that get well below freezing.

Austrian winter peas are a great option for a cover crop because they help fix the nitrogen in the soil. They can absorb the nitrogen around them and then transfer it into the soil when the peas are cut down. Nitrogen is vital for plants to have enough energy to grow and produce vegetables and fruit. When plants don't have adequate nitrogen in the soil, they will struggle to grow properly and often end up stunted.

They are easy to kill with herbicides

Austrian winter peas and field peas are the same thing. They are a cool-season legume related to the familiar garden pea. They are easy to kill with herbicides.

Field peas are easily killed at any time with herbicides. A good pre-emergence herbicide program is critical to controlling weeds in field peas. Pre-emergence herbicides require soil moisture for activity and are suitable for all except late drillings where conditions are often drier. Post-emergence sprays can be applied once the crop has reached three nodes.

When implementing field peas into a crop rotation, it is important to consider herbicide carryover and restrictions. For example, corn herbicides that contain mesotrione will almost certainly kill this year's field pea crop. Atrazine is less concerning, with North Dakota State University recommending that field peas may be planted the next season if atrazine rates are less than 0.38 lb ai/ac.

If you are looking to kill Austrian winter peas with herbicides, it is important to plant them in a mixture with other preferred species to extend the life of the food plot and minimize the risk of crop failure. Austrian winter peas are a great companion to various clover and cereal grain mixtures.

They are easy to establish in fall food plots

Austrian winter peas are easy to establish in fall food plots. They are a cool-season annual legume that has long been considered a high-preference forage for whitetails. They are also known as field peas and have been grown around the world for centuries as a valuable source of nutrition for humans and livestock.

Austrian winter peas are very easy to establish and should be broadcast at a rate of 50 lbs/acre into a well-prepared seedbed, or they can be drilled at a rate of 30 lbs/acre with a no-till drill. If broadcasting peas, be sure to follow up with a light disking to cover the seeds approximately 1 to 2 inches. If no-till planting, be sure to kill the existing vegetation with glyphosate a couple of weeks prior to planting to eliminate weed competition and create a clean field prior to drilling the seeds.

The best time to plant Austrian winter peas is from September to October in the South and in August in the northern states. In the northern states, they can also be planted in April for a spring/summer planting. Austrian winter peas grow well in a variety of soil types but perform best in light-textured loamy soils. They are somewhat sensitive to soil pH, so the pH needs to be maintained above 6.0. They need consistent moisture and don't do well in arid climates where rainfall is less than 20 inches per year.

When used as a cover crop, Austrian winter peas are often planted with a mixture of seeds such as oilseed radishes or various types of clover. They are also frequently combined with small grains to support upright growth. Austrian winter peas are an excellent choice for fall food plots, providing high-quality forage and being easy to establish.

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