Effect of Planting Density and Row Spacing on the Yielding and Morphological Features of Pea (Pisum sativum L.)

The aim of the study was to evaluate the effect of planting density and row spacing in pea on the plant growth, yield, structural seed yield components, and some plant indices in the central-and-northern part of Poland. Field experiments were performed in 2016-2019. The study involved a Polish pea cultivar, Batuta (semi-leafless). Three planting densities were applied (70, 90, and 110 seeds per 1 m(2)), with two row spacings (16 and 32 cm), in four replications on 20 m(2) plots There was considerable pea sensitivity to precipitation deficit; in higher precipitation years, the seed yield was almost half higher than in the dry years. There was no recorded effect of planting density or the row spacing (except in 2019) on pea yield, and their variation in successive research years was nonsignificant. Similar conclusions also applied to the protein yield; however, its significantly highest value was recorded in the hottest vegetation period with the lowest total precipitation. The deteriorating precipitation conditions across the years were accompanied by a lower number of pods per plant, the number of seeds and their weight per pod, and 1000 seed weight. Moreover, those results were not significantly correlated with the factors under study except for the planting density in HI.

Automated summary

This study evaluated the effects of planting density and row spacing on pea and found that pea is highly sensitive to precipitation deficit. Planting density and row spacing did not significantly affect pea yield, while the highest protein yield was obtained under the hottest and least rainy conditions.