Pea harvesting: when to harvest and how to harvest

The technology of harvesting grown peas on an industrial scale is considered a rather complicated procedure. Neglecting the rules of the harvesting process threatens to lose a quarter of the crop. Separate cleaning method is effective in case of dry weather. Strong winds and rains contribute to increased losses. The complexity is due to the biological characteristics of the culture: uneven ripening, lodging, cracking of fruits and shedding of seeds.

Beans are harvested in private gardens when the shoulder blades are milky. Morning hours are preferred, as in the heat the delicate product wilts and does not store well.

Ripening dates

The key parameter for the ripening of the shoulder blades is the variety of peas. The period from the moment sprouts appear to harvest varies between 9-11 weeks. Brain varieties growing up to 50 cm have a growing season of 60-80 days. Peeling varieties, up to 90 cm high, ripen in 60-65 days. Low growing sugar varieties are ready in 60 days.

When to start harvesting peas

Ripening of peas begins at the end of June. Cleaning is carried out in several stages, starting from the lower specimens. Overripe shoulder blades are removed, as they inhibit the formation of new fruits.

Early-ripening sugar varieties are to be harvested in an unripe form and reach readiness in mid-June. Harvesting continues for one and a half to two weeks with a frequency of 3-5 days.

Cleaning varieties intended for green peas are harvested in the phase of juicy wings and tender beans. Dull blades, covered with a mesh, are discarded and sent to the grain. Harvesting is carried out quickly, no longer than a week, to prevent starchy beans.

Cleaning for grain

The beans intended for grain are left on the bush until fully ripened. Plants should be harvested by cutting, tied in bunches and hung to ripen in a dry room for one to two weeks. Ripe fruits of shelling peas are prone to cracking, but sugar ones are not. The timing of the harvest is indicated by the ripening of the beans in the lower part of the plants at a time when other specimens are covered with a net and begin to dry out.

Combination of separate harvesting and direct combining

Cultivation of peas on an industrial scale involves a combination of two harvesting options: separate and direct combining. Separate harvesting lasts a week, while direct threshing lasts no more than four days, while the terms of the combined method vary from 8 to 10 days. The split method is divided into two types.

1. The first one consists of mowing peas, laying them in windrows, picking them up, loading them onto transport and threshing.
2. The second involves mowing with swathing and using a mobile thresher that accepts pea swaths and threshes immediately.

Separate cleaning is carried out in case of yellowing of the stems and leaves on the top of the plant, wax ripeness of the seeds in the middle, drying of the leaves, beans and hardening of the seeds. The product remains in the windrows until it dries and reaches the technical maturity of the fruit.

Direct combine harvesting and threshing, excluding the first points: advance mowing and swathing. The process is started with brown leaves, brown beans and hard seeds. This harvesting method was introduced due to the development of varieties resistant to lodging.

Special attachment to reduce crop loss

Mowing of peas is carried out with the help of mowers and reapers. If the headers are equipped with special nozzles, it will be possible to prevent loss of large volumes of crops. Nozzles are suitable for all combines. Some problems arise when using them in conditions of high humidity due to the pulling out of bushes with rhizomes that clog the headers. You also need to monitor the installation level of the special nozzle - a significant decrease leads to the intake of stones and soil.

What to do after harvest

Threshed grains are cleaned of impurities with the help of a special grain separator that filters out excess items. A perishable product is allowed to dry and preserve. The lashes left on the site after harvesting are to be cut and laid in a compost heap. The roots are buried in the ground when plowing. A good fertilizer that can replace the usual organic matter is crushed green mass buried in the ground. At the same time, the soil becomes fertile, and its structure improves.

Early ripe culture allows cultivation of daikon, radish, lettuce, dill immediately after the release of the ridges.

Peas are eaten fresh, dry, frozen and canned. It is added to the first and meat dishes, salads.

Slightly unripe sugar-type pods that have been blanched for five minutes are subject to freezing.This procedure is also needed for grains intended for drying. In this case, the peas are blanched twice for two minutes, after which they are washed, cooled in cold water and dried in a draft for 12 hours. Then the seeds are dried in an oven at temperatures up to +70 degrees. Optimal storage capacity: glass jars with metal twist-on lids.

Part of the harvest is being prepared for seed material.

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