Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
The white flower of 'Gommer', a Swiss heirloom dry pea
The most important pest is the pea weevil (
Bruchus pisorum
), which causes direct damage to the
seed. It cannot reproduce in storage. Infestation is recognized by a small circular hole, caused by lar-
vae eating their way into the pea, closed with a thin membrane. Discard affected peas.
The pea moth (
Laspeyresia nigricana
) is another potential pest. It is an olive-brown moth that lays
eggs on the undersides of leaves. Larvae then eat their way into pods and discolor them with their
brownish, crumbly excrement. Infested pods often burst. Dry peas are especially susceptible. Preven-
tion: sow early, grow in a windy area, weed often, rotate crops, cover peas with insect netting.
Warm, dry weather is ideal for the pea leaf weevil (
Sitona lineatus
), who nibbles on pea leaves. It is
active in late spring and early summer, eating bow-shaped holes in leaves up to 4 in. (10 cm) off the
ground. Treatment: encourage vigorous vertical growth. The pea aphid (
Acyrthosiphon pisum
), thrips
(
Thrips
spp.), and the pea midge (
Contarinia pisi
) are other pests that can damage pea crops. Do not
save seeds from infested plants, as the seeds' growth and development have been impaired.
Remembrance of peas past
In South Tyrol, Italy, dry peas and barley have long been cultivated in a polyculture. The specif-
ic varieties have grown up together, so to speak, and they ripen together, whereas modern peas
ripen later and would not work here. One farmer from Anterivo had this to say about her “spe-
cial kind” of yellow-seeded heirloom: “We sowed this pea with the barley, harvested them both
together, and ate them together in a barley pea soup” (Heistinger 2001).
Dry peas have been grown in the Swiss Alps since time immemorial. 'Gommer' and
'Lötschentaler', well known in the mountain valleys of the Valais, are old varieties that thrive
even at high altitudes. They were grown for use in soup and grew to be over 5 ft. (1.5 m) tall in
warm areas and around 4 ft. (1.2 m) tall up in the mountains, heights that are almost unheard of
today.
