W?l s/sy Producing Processing Peas in the Pacific Northwest DATE. OF OUT IS information: PUBLICATIONcurrent This pea harvester is unloading peas into a transport truck near Athena, Oregon most THIS For A Pacific Northwest Extension Publication http://extension.oregonstate.edu/catalogOregon • Idaho • Washington PNW 243 / February 1984 Green peas are an important crop for Table 1—1980 U.S. Production figures for four processing vegetable crops* freezing and canning in the Pacific Acreage Yield Price Northwest, with a farm value over $38 harvested per acre Production per ton Value million in 1982. This region suppUes about Crop (x 1000) (tons) (tons X 1000) (dollars) ($ x 1000) 20o/o of the total U.S. production. Har- vested acreage has ranged from 32,000 to Snap beans 255 2.76 703 156 109,668 42,000 acres for Oregon and from 50,000 to Sweet corn 377 5.68 2,141 53 113,473 80,000 for Washington in recent years. A Green peas 322 1.49 481 210 101,010 small acreage has also been grown in Idaho. Cucumbers (pickles) 116 5.22 607 166 100,762 The three-state region (especially Idaho) 1 Data compiled from Vegetables 1980 Annual Summary Acreage, Yield, Production and Value, also produces a large acreage of green pea Crop Reporting Board, ESS, USDA, VG 1-2(80). seed, which we will not discuss in this publication. From a national perspective, green peas for processing compare in farm value to Table 2—Comparison of average U.S. green pea acreage, yield, production, price per ton, sweet com, snap beans, and cucumbers and value for 1968-69 and 1978-7? (table 1). Green peas were valued at slightly Acreage Yield Price3 over $100 million in 1980. Processing the Years harvested per acre ProductionDATE. per ton Value crop increased the value to approximately compared (x 1000) (tons) (tons x 1000) (dollars) $ x 1000 $300 million. Total green pea acreage in the U.S. Canned declined from 423,000 to 374,000 acres 1968-69 271 1.24OF 335 108 36,180 (13%) from 1968 to 1979 (table 2). This was 1978-79 227 1.37 312 208 64,896 mostly offset by a per-acre yield increase of % Change -16 + 10.5 -7 + 92 + 79 12.4%; however, total green pea produc- Frozen tion dropped only about 3%. The farm 1968-69 159 1.37 218 104 22,672 value of the crop increased about 90%, 1978-79 147 1.54 226 209 47,234 primarily because the product price dou- % Change OUT-8 + 12.4 + 4 + 101 + 108 bled during that period. The greatest losses in acreage and Total production were in canned peas. Although 1968-69IS 430 1.29 553 104 57,512 frozen pea acreage dropped 7.6%, produc- 1978-79 374 1.45 538 208 111,904 tion actually increased 3.4% because of % Change -13 + 12.4 -2.9 + 101 + 94.6 higher per-acre yields. a Data compiled from Vegetables 1980 Annual Summary Acreage, Yield, Production and Value, A 90% increase in dollar value of peas Crop Reporting Board, EES, USDA, VG 1-2(80), and 1970 Vegetable for Commercial Processing, Acreage, and Marketing Guides, USDA Consumer and Marketing Service, March 1970, AMG 72. during the 10-year period is comparable to b that of snap beans and cucumbers (table 3). Price includes harvesting and hauling to processing plant. Sweet corn value increased 114%, which information: reflects both higher production and higher raw product price. The raw product price increase for peas has been necessary to Table 3—Percent change in U.S. acreage, yield, production, price per ton, and value for cover rising production costs. four processing vegetable crops from 1968-69 to 1978-79 seasons? Production of peas in the Pacific Crop Acreage Yield/acre Production Price/tonb Raw product Northwest can be divided into two principal + 22.4 regions, west and east of the Cascade Sweet corn -12.3 + 7.3 + 127.1 + 114.4 mountains, based on climatic differences Snap beans + 12.0 + 11.9 + 24.6 + 50.3 + 87.5 currentGreen peas -13.0 + 12.4 -2.9 + 101.0 and alternate crop considerations (figure + 89.8 PUBLICATIONCucumbers -3.5 + 32.2 + 27.5 + 49.4 + 90.2 !)■ 1 Production areas west of the Cascades Data compiled from Vegetables 1980 Annual Summary Acreage, Yield, Production, and Value. Crop Reporting Board, EES, USDA, VG 1-2(80), and 1970 Vegetables for Commercial Processing, include northwest and southwest Washing- Acreage and Marketing Guides, USDA Consumer and Marketing Service, March 1970, AMG 72. ton and the Willamette Valley of Oregon. ' Price includes harvesting and hauling to processing plant. These areas have excellentmost climate and soils,THIS and enough moisture for high yields with little supplemental irrigation. Yields consistently average slightly more than 2 tons per acre.For http://extension.oregonstate.edu/catalog The earliest plantings are in the Willamette Lyndeny. Bellin ham Valley, although spring rains can some- 'Mt. Vernon times delay and disrupt them. Sverett West of the Cascades, peas are grown in rotation with several other vegetable, small fruit, small grain, forage, and horticultural specialty crops. .Moscow Pullman* In the Willamette Valley, peas can be Dayton, 5 fLewiston harvested in time to grow a second cash Craigmont crop such as snap beans or sweet com. In western Washington, double cropping has been limited because later planting • Salem dates and cooler growing conditions delay Corvallis»'3 harvest. Production areas east of the Cascade mountains include the irrigated areas of the Columbia Basin (where acreage has dramati- cally declined),DATE. the nonirrigated wheat-pea rotation areas of the Palouse-Walla Walla region (figure 2), and southeastern Idaho. TwinFaUs-^A Production in these areas is affected by OFvariable weather conditions, particularly the high temperatures near harvest. Yields frequently vary between seasons, Figure 1.—Major processing-pea production areas in the Pacific Northwest, by county averaging about 1 !4 tons per acre, but (cities are shown basically as reference points): 1 Northwest Washington— Whatcom, Skagit, Snohomish ranging from 0 to almost 2 tons. Peas in 2 Southwest Washington—Grays Harbor, Thurston, Lewis nonirrigated regions are usually planted 3 Willamette Valley, Oregon—Clackamas, Marion, Yamhill, Linn OUT early to take advantage of cooler growing 4 Walla Walla region— Washington: Walla Walla, Columbia; Oregon: Umatilla conditions and higher moisture. Precipita- 5 Palouse region— Washington: Whitman; Idaho: Latah, Nez Perce, Lewis tion ranges from 16 to more than 35 inches. 6 Southeast Idaho—Minidoka, Twin Falls IS In these regions, yields have not increased in the past 35 years because of the variable weather conditions and an increasing incidence of root diseases. Yields per acre in western Washington increased an average of 50% during the last 36 years and have been leveling off (figure information:3). Recent yield increases in production areas east of the Cascades were the result primarily of an increase in irrigated acreage and the elimination of marginal production land. In Oregon, Umatilla County is the most important pea growing area. Total acreage in Umatilla County has increased to about current 36,000 in recent years, with 9,600 acres PUBLICATION under irrigation. Average yields appear to be decreasing, along with a shift in production from western to eastern Oregon (figure 3). Adoption of new, better-adapted varieties most and increased use of irrigation have offset THIS much of the reduction in yields that would be expected from this shift. Figure 2.-/4 typical harvest scene in the pea-wheat production areas of eastern Oregon and Washington.For http://extension.oregonstate.edu/catalog 3500-1 September and mid-June. The wind- deposited, deep-loess soils in this area have excellent moisture-storage characteristics. Crop rotations Rotations are important because they are an effective method in controlling buildup of certain weeds. They also allow for inclusion of soil-building crops in the production schedule. Another important purpose of crop rotation is to minimize the 1966-70 1971-75 1976-80 1945-50 1951-55 1956-60 1961-65 buildup of diseases. In the pea-wheat dry land rotation, Figure 3. —A verage green pea yields per acre at 5-year intervals in Washington and diseases build up because of the inade- Oregon, spanning 35 years of production (1946-1980) quately short rotation period. Ideally, green peasDATE. should follow a small grain, corn, or grass crop. Production of peas is closely linked with Soils Turning these crops under produces a their use. Consumption of frozen peas has considerable volume of crop residue that is Peas are grown on a wide variety of soil been nearly static, while that of canned OFhelpful in maintaining soil structure, types. Avoid coarse sands and fine clay peas has fallen. although it can sometimes cause problems soils, because of lack of moisture and in seed bed preparation. nutrient reserves in the former and poor Crops that result in severe compaction of drainage in the latter. Soil organic matter is soil during the harvest operation (such as beneficial for maintaining good soil carrots, cole crops, and strawberries) are Production environment structure. OUT less desirable rotations. In a number of the In Umatilla County, silt loam soils are Pea yields are greatly affected by weather growing regions where vine growth is primarily used, whereas both silt loam and conditions. The best mean temperatures for adequate, vines are baled for cattle feed. sandy loam soils are usedIS in the Willamette maximum yields are in the range of 55 to The general recommendation for minimiz- Valley. 65"F from bloom through harvest. Exces- ing soil-borne disease buildup is to include Deep soils predominate in the western sive heat during this period, for even a day, peas only once every 4 or 5 years in the foothills of the Oregon Cascades; these are can significantly reduce yield.