Progress report for ONE22-424
Project Information
Optimize production systems for winter pea and lentil production systems in the Northeast, evaluate suitability of currently available germplasm, and assess profitability of winter pulses as a farm enterprise. This work will also inform future efforts to develop regionally adapted cultivars.
Objective 1:
Compare performance of available winter pea and winter lentil cultivars and/or breeding lines. Material will be sourced from the USDA-ARS, other public breeding programs and commercial seed companies.
Outcome 1: Identify regionally adapted cultivars and breeding lines to inform farmer decision-making and future regional breeding efforts. Increase adoption of these new crops in a profitable crop rotation.
Objective 2:
Test seeding rates of winter lentil in monoculture.
Outcome 2: Identify optimal seeding rate of winter lentil in the Northeast. Create and disseminate optimized agronomic recommendations for farmers to grow winter lentil.
Objective 3:
Compare yields of Northeast-grown winter lentil and pea to Western production. Assess profitability, accounting for available market premiums and transportation costs and compare to other Northeast pulse crops (soybean, dry bean) as well as Western grown pea and lentil.
Outcome #3: Determine profitability of winter lentil and pea production in the Northeast. Share information with farmers to better inform decision making around crop adoption.
There is high demand for Northeast-grown pulses for both food and feed markets at a premium price. Currently, grain pea is in high demand as an ingredient in livestock feed, but is predominantly imported from other regions such as Western Canada. This has been challenged, however, by lack of supply to meet demand on the commodity market due to crop failures in centers of production (MH Martens, personal communication). There is also increasing industry interest regionally in sourcing food-grade peas for pea protein (P Martens, personal communication). This demand is aided by proximity to large consumer markets, which reduces transportation costs. Reliably profitable production in this region, however, is dependent on identification of material adapted to regional climate and identification of best agronomic practices. This information is currently lacking with few to no commercial producers of winter pea and winter lentil for grain in the Northeast.
This project was initiated due to specific farmer request for research into winter lentil and pea production in the Northeast by our partner farmer, Peter Martens as well as other farmer collaborators. Early efforts to commercialize winter lentil in the Finger Lakes of New York state have yielded several years of successful production and extremely high market demand. Other farmers are interested in growing winter pea intercropped with triticale for use as a mixed livestock feed, especially with the high price of soybean (MH Martens, personal communication; J. Degni, personal communication). The ability to grow high-protein crops on farm reduces reliance on externally purchased feed and supports consumer demand for soy-free livestock products. All farmers, however, have been limited by lack of knowledge as to whether these crops can successfully be grown in the Northeast, and if so how to do so.
Diverse crop rotation is fundamental to successful organic field crop production for the purposes of interrupting pest cycles and improving soil heath (Bolluyt et al. 2020). Integration of pulse crops into cereal crop rotations has been shown to result in higher and more stable farm incomes in most climatic regions (Vann et al. 2018). Winter pea and lentil have potential for greater yield in the Northeast than spring-planted cool season pulses as fall-planted varieties flower earlier in the spring, reducing flower drop from high temperatures. Winter pulses also have potential to be an important adaptive management tool for farmers in the face of increasingly unpredictable spring planting weather, offering a fall-planted cash crop alternative to small grains and avoiding spring tillage in sub-optimal conditions that can reduce soil health (Vann et al. 2018).
Preliminary trials for winter pea and lentil have indicated that they can be successfully and profitably grown in the region. This profitability is the result of higher consumer willingness-to-pay for regionally grown pulses, as well as reduction in transportation costs compared to Western-grown crops (P Martens, personal communication).
This project was initiated based on past regional research trials in the Northeast and Southeast (Mallory and Molloy 2016; Thavarajah 2021), as well as regional farmer interest. If funded, this research will be conducted collaboratively with a well-established organic farming family in New York that also owns and manages processing facilities for food-grade and feed grade grains and pulses, as well as producing organic livestock feed sold throughout the Northeast. In the short term, this research will provide much-needed knowledge to growers interested in producing winter lentil and pea by identifying regionally appropriate cultivars and agronomic practices. Outreach surrounding this research will encourage adoption of these crops by regional growers. In the long term this work will provide valuable preliminary data for regional plant breeding efforts for cool-season pulse crops, which is a focus of PI Moore’s breeding program at Cornell.
Cooperators
- - Producer
- (Researcher)
- (Researcher)
Research
Winter Lentil Variety Trial
We were unable to identify winter lentil varieties other than "Morton" currently available to test in our trials, despite communication with several pulse breeders. Given the paucity of commercially available winter lentil varieties, we focused on seeding rate trials for 'Morton', the one widely available variety.
Winter Lentil Seeding Rate Trial
Experimental Design: A winter lentil seeding rate trial was planted at the Homer C. Thompson Vegetable Research Farm (Freeville, NY) and at Peter and Hanna Martens Farm (Penn Yann, NY). The trial was planted on October 3, 2022 at the research station and on October 6, 2022 at the farm. Using the check variety “Morton”, five seeding rates were tested: 25, 32.5, 40, 47.5, and 55 lb/acre. At the research station, we planted the experiment as a spatially balanced randomized complete block design with four replications. We planted a single replication for the on-farm trial trial. At the research station, plots were 4.5' x 15', and at the farm they were 29.5' x 320' (approximately 0.22 acres per plot).
In Year 2, the replicated lentil seeding rate trial was planted on September 28, 2023 at McGowan Farm, a Cornell University Campus Area Farm (Ithaca, NY) in 4.5' x 15' plots. The unreplicated on-farm lentil seeding rate trial was planted on October 13, 2023 at the Martens farm in 29.5' x 300' strips (approximately 0.20 acres per plot). Seeding rate treatments and lentil variety remained constant, but a small grain nurse crop was used in both sites to encourage weed suppression. The research farm used 'New Jenna' spring oats, and the Martens farm used their own oat variety, which has shown some winter survival capacity.
Data Collection: On April 28, 2023, stand count data were collected from the research station trial, and post-harvest data (grain yield, lentil biomass, weed biomass) were collected after harvest on July 11, 2023. Total stand count refers to plants observed in two 1/4m x 1m quadrats. Disease and lodging were not present at meaningful levels. Heavy weed pressure in the Martens farm plots resulted in spotty stands and extremely challenging harvest, so yields were not measured.
In 2023-24, on-farm yield data will be collected, along with data on lodging and disease if present at meaningful levels. In the research station trial, data will be collected on disease (if present), lodging (if present), plant population, yield, crop biomass at harvest, and weed biomass at harvest.
Data Analysis: Single-year results were analyzed using a one-way ANOVA model to determine significant effect of treatments. Two-year data will be analyzed using mixed model ANOVA.
Winter Pea Variety Trial
Experimental Design: A winter pea variety trial was planted at the Homer C. Thompson Vegetable Research Farm (Freeville, NY) and at Peter and Hanna Martens Farm (Penn Yann, NY). The trial was planted on September 30, 2022 at the research station and on October 6, 2022 at the farm. Nine pea varieties were included in the trial (Table 1), planted in a mixture with triticale at a seeding rate of 175,000 seeds/acre for peas and 480,000 seeds per acre for triticale. At the research farm, we planted the experiment as a spatially balanced randomized complete block design with four replications. We planted a single replication for the on-farm trial trial. At the research station, plots were 4.5' x 15', and at the farm they were 29.5' x 320' (approximately 0.22 acres per plot).
In Year 2, the replicated winter pea variety trial was planted on September 28, 2023 at McGowan Farm, a Cornell University Campus Area Farm (Ithaca, NY) in 4.5' x 15' plots. The unreplicated on-farm variety trial was planted on October 13, 2023 at the Martens farm in 29.5' x 300' strips (approximately 0.20 acres per plot). Ten winter pea varieties were trialed in four replicates, comprising all nine varieties trialed in 2022-23, plus one new variety from ProGene (Table 1). At the research farm, pea plots were planted in biculture with 'Chief' triticale as in 2022-23, but on-farm plots were planted in biculture with the Martens' own oat variety, which has been selected for winter hardiness. Peter feels that the heading date for winter oat will align better with winter pea than triticale did, and oats offer food-grade market opportunities that triticale does not.
Table 1. Varieties included in winter pea variety trial
Species | Variety | Year 1 | Year 2 |
Winter Pea | Blaze | X | X |
Winter Pea | FP6101 | X | X |
Winter Pea | Goldenwood | X | X |
Winter Pea | Icicle | X | X |
Winter Pea | Keystone | X | X |
Winter Pea | KeystoneIcicle | X | X |
Winter Pea | KurtWood | X | X |
Winter Pea | Vail | X | X |
Winter Pea | Windham | X | X |
Winter Pea | Payback | X | |
Triticale | Chief | X | X |
Data Collection: On December 2, 2022, fall vigor was evaluated in the research station trial. Vigor was evaluated on a 1 to 9 scale, with 1 representing the smallest/least vigorous plants and 9 representing the largest/most vigorous plants. Spring vigor and stand counts were taken on April 28, 2023, and plant height was measured on June 22, 2023. Total stand count refers to plants observed in two 1/4m x 1m quadrats. Post-harvest data (stem count, grain yield, pea biomass, and weed biomass) were collected after harvest on July 18-19, 2023. On the Martens farm, plant height was measured on June 26, 2023, and grain yield and field-dry biomass was measured after harvest on July 14, 2023. Crude protein content of samples from both sites was analyzed at Dairy One laboratory in Ithaca, NY in October 2023.
In 2023-24, data collection will include fall vigor, spring vigor, disease, lodging, and yield as well as crop and weed biomass at harvest. On farm, data will be collected on yield and also on lodging and disease if present at meaningful levels. Protein content of each variety will also be assessed.
Data Analysis: Single-year results were analyzed using a one-way ANOVA model to determine significant effect of variety on recorded traits. Deer browsing was evident in the research station trial, so grain yield and biomass were analyzed both per-stem and in aggregate to account for variable stands. Square root transformation was used for grain yield, pea biomass, and weed biomass for improved adherence to assumptions of normal distribution and equal variance of residuals in ANOVA. Two-year data will be analyzed using mixed model ANOVA.
Winter Lentil Seeding Rate Trial
In the first year, the on-farm lentil trial was challenged by poor winter survival as well as annual weed competition, issues that also arose in a neighboring production winter lentil field. On-farm lentil plots were harvested with great effort, but weights were not recorded due to stand inconsistency and weed binding in harvest equipment. The first-year research station lentil seeding rate trial was also heavily infested with chickweed after planting, compromising results by affecting population establishment.
No significant difference in stand count, grain yield, lentil biomass, or weed biomass was detected in the research station trial (Table 2), likely due to extensive weed pressure.
Table 2. Results of one-way analysis of variance by seeding rate in trial of 'Morton' winter lentil sown at five seeding rates. NS indicates no significant difference among varieties.
Trait | Df | Sum Sq | Mean Sq | F value | Pr(>F) | Significance |
Total Stand Count | 4 | 362.5 | 90.6 | 0.54 | 0.71 | NS |
Grain Yield | 4 | 4678.0 | 1169.4 | 0.47 | 0.76 | NS |
Lentil Biomass | 4 | 11536.0 | 2884.1 | 0.22 | 0.92 | NS |
Weed Biomass | 4 | 2644.7 | 661.2 | 0.80 | 0.55 | NS |
Trait means in the research trial varied numerically among seeding rate treatments but without explicable trend (Table 3). For example, stand count and lentil biomass were numerically (though not significantly) higher using the lowest seeding rate of 25 lbs/ac, while a much higher seeding rate of 47.5 lbs/ac showed much lower stand count and lentil biomass. It seems that weed pressure overwhelmed the effect of seeding rate treatments, so our approach for 2023-24 focuses on mitigating weed pressure through use of biculture with oat.
Table 3. Trait means by seeding rate in trial of 'Morton' winter lentil sown at five seeding rates.
Winter Lentil Trait Means 2022-23
As a result of collaboration surrounding this project, Martens and researchers decided to use an oat nurse crop (target 60 lbs/ac) interplanted with lentil in 2023-24, in an effort to suppress weeds and aid winter survival by increasing surface residue. Nurse crops have been used successfully by researchers for improving weed suppression and winter survival in hairy vetch, and we hypothesize that this technique holds promise for winter lentil as well. Though not a formal research question of the proposed work, experimentation with a cereal nurse crop for winter lentil is a potentially valuable learning outcome in the case of this novel winter legume crop for our region. If successful, this technique will facilitate better trial data and improved commercial production in future seasons.
Winter Pea Variety Trial
While some deer browsing was apparent in the research station winter pea variety trial, significant differences were found among varieties for all traits except weed biomass (Table 4). For fall vigor, grain yield, pea biomass, and protein, statistical analysis served to identify one or two lower-performing varieties (e.g. Windham for fall vigor, grain yield, and pea biomass and FP6101 for grain yield, pea biomass, and protein) but did not show significant distinction among the top-ranking 7 or 8 varieties. For spring vigor, one variety (KeystoneIcicle) emerged as significantly more vigorous than several others: FP6101, Icicle, Vail, and Windham.
Table 4. Results of one-way analysis of variance by winter pea variety.
Trait | Df | Sum Sq | Mean Sq | F value | Pr(>F) | Significance |
Stand Count Total | 8 | 244.00 | 30.50 | 8.40 | 1.15E-05 | *** |
Fall Vigor | 8 | 88.22 | 11.03 | 4.80 | 9.40E-04 | *** |
Spring Vigor 2 | 8 | 131.56 | 16.44 | 9.25 | 4.83E-06 | *** |
Avg Plant Height | 8 | 10286.20 | 1285.78 | 16.58 | 1.41E-08 | *** |
Stem Count | 8 | 689.22 | 86.15 | 3.45 | 7.28E-03 | ** |
Grain Yield (Square Root) | 8 | 101.18 | 12.65 | 5.29 | 4.75E-04 | *** |
Grain Yield Per Stem | 8 | 48.56 | 6.07 | 2.31 | 4.94E-02 | * |
Pea Biomass (Square Root) | 8 | 61.29 | 7.66 | 4.91 | 1.12E-03 | ** |
Pea Biomass Per Stem | 8 | 61.31 | 7.66 | 4.92 | 1.10E-03 | ** |
Weed Biomass (Square Root) | 8 | 4.62 | 0.58 | 1.42 | 2.35E-01 | NS |
Percent Crude Protein | 8 | 66.09 | 8.26 | 3.68 | 5.03E-03 | ** |
***, **, and * indicate one-way fixed effect ANOVA tests significant at p<0.001, p < 0.01, and p < 0.05, respectively. NS indicates no significant difference among varieties. Significance for grain yield, pea biomass, and weed biomass calculated using square root transformed data. Stand count data not shown due to deer browsing.
A means table sorted by grain yield shows that varieties sorted into three general groups (Table 5). A group comprising Blaze, Vail, and Goldenwood shows numerically higher yield and protein content from shorter, more heavily tillered plants. A second group -- KurtWood, KeystoneIcicle, and Keystone showed moderately high yield from taller, less tillered plants with numerically lower protein content. Finally, a third group composed of Icicle, FP6101, and Windham showed lower yield and biomass with varied plant stature.
Table 5. Trait means by winter pea variety in research station trial, sorted by grain yield.
Winter Pea Trait Means 2022-23
On-farm variety trial plots established well and reflected trends observed in the research station trial (Table 6). As in the replicated trial, Blaze, Goldenwood, and Vail showed the highest grain yield, and Goldenwood yielded less biomass than Blaze or Vail. Similarly, both replicated and on-farm trials showed Keystone and Kurtwood to be intermediate for yield but strong for biomass production. Finally, both trials revealed Icicle and FP6101 as poorer-yielding varieties.
Table 6: Trait values by winter pea variety in on-farm trial, sorted by grain yield.
On-Farm Winter Pea Variety Trial Trait Values 2022-23
Trait correlations from the research station trial suggest trends in the way pea plant architecture and vigor associate with yield traits (Figure 1). Spring vigor shows a modest but significant correlation with both grain yield and pea biomass (r=0.36, p < 0.05 for both traits), but fall vigor is not significantly correlated with either yield trait. This illustrates a known tradeoff between fall vigor and biomass in cold climates. A high, very significant correlation (r=0.87, p < 0.001) between grain yield and biomass suggests that both traits may be selected for concurrently and that similar varieties could suit both grain and forage / cover crop applications.
Our results show high, very significant correlations between stem count and two yield variables: grain yield and pea biomass (r=0.74 and 0.64, p<0.001, respectively). This indicates, unsurprisingly, that varieties with more stems are more productive for both grain and biomass. While plant height is significantly and inversely correlated with stem count (r=-.40, p<0.05), plant height itself is not significantly correlated with grain yield or pea biomass. Thus, stem count – regardless of plant height – is the trait most strongly associated with both grain and biomass yield. However, plant height does show a significant inverse correlation with protein content (r=-0.46, p<0.01), suggesting that short-stature pea varieties may offer higher protein content than longer-vining varieties.
Figure 1: Trait correlations from 2022-23 winter pea variety trial.
Winter Pea Variety Trial Trait Correlations 2022-23
This winter pea variety trial was designed to compare multiple grain pea varieties against Keystone, which is the variety most commonly used by grain pea growers in the Northeast. We are interested and gratified that several varieties -- most notably shorter varieties Blaze, Vail, and Goldenwood -- showed numerically higher performance than Keystone for both grain yield and biomass. Finally, grain peas are generally bred for monoculture production, but our trial uses biculture with a small grain, creating an environment of resource competition. We note that varieties with abundant tillers performed well in this environment, and we are curious whether these results will be reflected in the trial's second year.
Education & Outreach Activities and Participation Summary
Participation Summary:
2023 Project Outreach Activities:
Project goals and preliminary results were shared via the following events in 2023.
- First year experiences to date were presented at the NYCO farmer meeting in Geneva on April 14th by farmer collaborator Peter Martens (30 attendees)
- Winter pea plots were part of two research farm field walks on April 25th and May 2nd, 2023 (15 and 6 attendees, respectively)
- Preliminary research results were shared via a research report handout presented at a summer field day at the Martens farm on August 23rd (160 attendees)
2022 Project Outreach Activities:
In addition to communication with Collaborator Martens, Collaborator Loria discussed plans for the trial with one farmer in Maryland (Purple Mountain Grown Organics) who is also experimenting with lentils.
Future Planned Outreach:
Field Days:
We will share research results via field days or twilight meetings at Freeville research farm as well as on-farm at Peter and Hanna Martens Farm. These field days will include farmers, seed company representatives and Extension educators.
Estimated individuals reached over two years: 50
Winter Farmer Meetings:
We will also present our findings at winter farmer meetings including NYCO, a farmer-led group of organic field crop farmers in NY, the Hudson Valley Grain Growers School.
Estimated individuals reached over two years: 100
Trial reports:
We will write and publish research reports to be shared widely with partners such as Cornell Cooperative Extension, the Northern Grain Growers Association and the Northeast Grainshed Alliance as well as on our websites.
Estimated individuals reached over two years: 300.