Assessment of the agronomic potential of dual‐use winter‐hardy peas in Northern New England: Cold tolerance and production challenges for harvestable cover cropping peas
| Authors: | Emmanuel Brefo, Rebecca McGee, John Butnor, Melike Bakır, Tucker Andrews, Heather Darby, Stephen Keller, Eric von Wettberg |
| Year: | 2025 |
| Type: | Scientific Journal |
| Station: | Northern Research Station |
| DOI: | https://doi.org/10.1002/agg2.70243 |
| Source: | Geosciences & Environment |
Abstract
Cover cropping, where a crop is planted but not harvested, is an important practice for maintaining soil health because it keeps like roots in the soil for as much of the year as possible. In colder temperate regions, cold-tolerant covers are available, but not widely used. We hypothesized that a cover crop that could be harvested as a valuable vegetable might increase uptake of cover cropping. We used field, high tunnel, and laboratory experiments to explore the cold tolerance and agronomic viability of overwintering peas in Vermont in the Northeastern United States. We found no difference among the pea types in their cold tolerance. We found no significant effect of planting depth on overwintering survival. Most importantly, we found that the peas matured sufficiently late in spring that they interfered with planting other crops. Although overwintering peas are cold tolerant, timing is a challenge in regions like Northern New England where spring occurs later.