Forage Adding peas to your small grain will dramatically boost protein levels of your oats , barley or wheat nurse crop . They are also excellent springseeded 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 , 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 . Information adapted from NDSU Field Pea Production Guide , 2016 .

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 . The small grain allows the peas to stand more erect making them easier to harvest .

Best Use : Forage ( 4010 / Yellow ) or grain ( Yellow )

Requirements : Avoid wet ground . Like cool wet weather . Reduce planting rates when using as a cover crop for alfalfa .

Use : Inoculants 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 .

4010 Field Peas *

• Leafy , speckled forage specific pea

• Significantly more biomass than DS Admiral or Montech 4193

Conventional Uncertified __ $ 19 / 50 lb . bag Organic & Uncertified _____ $ 26 / 50 lb . bag

DS Admiral Field Pea

• Dual purpose yellow pea for grain or forage

• Tall and good standing with high grain yield Conventional Certified ____ $ 21 / 50 lb . bag

Montech 4193 Yellow Pea

• Grain yields higher than DS Admiral , forage yields lower than 4010

• Selected for erect plant growth for efficient combining Organic & Certified _______ $ 29 / 50 lb . bag

Yellow Field Peas *

• Tall growing and leafy

• Dual purpose for grain or forage Conventional Uncertified __ $ 20 / 50 lb . bag

Small grain and pea mixtures provide excellent forage quality and tonnage ( see chart on page 39 ). 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 3 / 4 ” deep in early spring . Definitely use the lighter rate if underseeding with alfalfa in the spring .

Oat / 4010 Peas *

• 50 / 50 mix of a tall , good standing oat and forage peas Conventional ________ $ 16.50 / 50 lb . bag Organic ______________ $ 24 / 50 lb . bag

Triticale */ 4010 Peas *

• 50 / 50 mix of spring triticale and forage pea

• Excellent forage quality ; highest of any of the pea mixtures

Conventional ________ $ 18.50 / 50 lb . bag Organic ______________ $ 27 / 50 lb . bag

Barley */ 4010 Peas *

• 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

Barley */ Montech 4193

• 60 / 40 mix of high yielding Montech pea 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 ______________ $ 29 / 50 lb . bag