HALSEY: SOUTHERN PEAS 233 SOUTHERN PEA VARIETIES, CULTURE AND HARVESTING AS RELATED TO PRODUCTION FOR HANDLING AND PROCESSING L. H. Halsey Florida Agriculural Experimen Saion Gainesville Much emphasis has been placed on souhern pea breeding in recen years. Many new breed ing lines have been developed, and several of hem released as new varieies. These and oher varieies have been esed a various locaions in he Souheasern saes and evaluaions made regarding heir yield capabiliies in relaion o heir use, eiher for fresh marke or for proc essing. In any vegeable producion program, wheher for fresh marke or oher mehods of handling, selecion of appropriae varieies is of prime imporance. Inroducion of new varie ies ha have been developed by plan breeders necessiaes coninued evaluaions o deermine heir relaive meri. The exreme variabiliy of ypes and char acers of souhern peas offers a wide choice in selecion of varieies. They may be separaed according o (1) seed coa color pigmened, non-pigmened or pigmened eye; (2) response o seasonal condiions spring, summer or fall; or (3) plan growh habi bush, semi-viny or viny. Variaions beween varieies may also Florida Agriculural Experimen Saions Journal Series, No. 1348. be dependen, in some degree, on plan spac ing, rae of ferilizer or mehod of harves. Souhern pea varieies have been esed a Gainesville since he fall of 1954. Mos rials have been in cooperaion wih he Souhern Cooperaive Souhern Pea Variey Trials. Crops were grown in he spring and he fall, planing aking place in early March or early Augus. The influence of season on variey was sudied, as well as he variabiliy among varieies wihin any given season. Yields of souhern peas from variey rials a 14 locaions in he souheas, including Gaines ville, have been arranged o show he re laionship beween seed coa color and season during which he crop was grown. The values in Table 1 for all saions reporing were for crops grown mosly in he lae spring and early summer, while hose from Gainesville were for crops grown early in he spring or in he fall. Daa for all saions show a endency for higher yields o be associaed wih peas having more pigmened seed coas. However, a Gaines ville he yields in he spring for he pigmened ypes were only slighly beer han he ohers. When grown in he fall here was no difference in yield beween pigmened and non-pigmened ypes, bu boh of hese ypes were definiely superior o he pigmened eye ypes. TABIE l.~ Yields of Souhern Peas In Relaion o Seed Coa Color and Season. Pounds per Acre of "Whole-Pod F^asgT 19?5-196l# Saions Reporing Cream Types (Uhpigmened) Seed Coa Color Pigmened Eye Bye (Black, Brown. Pink Compleely Pigmened 2,620 3,093 3,2 Gainesville- Spring li,7!>9 Fall 3,898 2,292 l*,000 -* Values obained from Souhern Cooperaive Souhern Pba Variey Trials Repors from ll-lli Experimen Saions.
234 FLORIDA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY, 1961 TABLE 2. Yields of 12 Souhern Jea Varieies by Season. Pounds per Acre of Whole Pod and Shelled Peas and Hand Shell-ou Jercenages, 19-1961 Seasons, Gainesville. Variey } Whole : Spring (Pounds) Average Yield Pods Shelled Peas Fall s Spring. Fall s (Pounds * (Pounds) I (Pounds)i fend Shell-ou Percenage ( Percen) 5,267 5,083 2,212 2,135 U2 Running Acre 3,6 61*0 1,607 hk Topse li,9u2 2,976 2,076 1,2 1x2 Cabbage U,O29 2,297 1,89U 1,080 11 Two-^Crop Conch li,6-2,0 Calif. Blackeye No. 5 U,682 1,572 2,h8l 833 Purple Hull Dixie Queen U,572 2,335 2,012 1,027 bb Producer 5,738 U, 729 2,75U 2,270 Dixielee 5,U38 3,592 2,882 1,902* Bromi Sugar Crowder 1,308 3,10li 2,9 1,707 Mississippi Crowder 5,333 2,999 2,560 1,UUO Knuckle Purple Hull U,573 3,120 2,10U 1,U35 The separaion of souhern pea varieies ino groups based on seed coa color alone is only one means of drawing comparisons. The re sponse from seasonal effecs is quie pronounced and does no necessarily follow he seed coa paern i may be closely conneced o plan growh characerisics, as repored by Halsey (2). This may be noed by examining he yields of individual varieies by season which are presened in Table 2. The variey Running Acre was an exremely viny ype (hence is name) and was shown o be fall oriened., also a viny ype, was relaively unaffeced, on he average, by sea sonal condiions. However, he yields of have been somewha erraic in he spring bu more consisen in he fall. Varieies which are viny usually yield beer when planed very early in he spring or lae in he summer such varieies grow very vegeaive in he Gainesville area and in oher pars of he Souheas, when planed in lae spring or early summer. California Blackeye No. 5 is a deerminae, or bush, growh ype, and is shown o be spring oriened. The variey Cabbage is also a de erminae ype, bu was no so seriously af feced by fall growing condiions as was Calif. Blackeye No. 5. Varieies of he bush habi, such as Cabbage, and some of he Blackeye ypes, when planed lae in he summer for fall harves, failed o make sufficien plan growh o suppor more han a mediocre yield. Topse is slighly less deerminae han Cabbage or Calif. Blackeye No. 5, and is shown o be beer adaped o fall growing condiions. Mos varieies sudied are inermediae, or semi-viny, in growh habi, and end o respond beer o spring han o fall growing condiions. They also end o produce beer in he summer han he viny ypes. Producer appears o be nearly as well adaped o fall as o spring condiions. Oher facors which affec he yield of souh ern pea varieies include rae of planing or spacing and rae of ferilizer applicaion. Boh
HALSEY: SOUTHERN PEAS 235 of hese facors have received scan aenion in souhern pea esing, and consequenly lile is known abou heir effecs. In a sudy of several varieies a 3 spacings, Halsey (1) found yields o be relaively unaf feced when plans were spaced a 6-, 12- or 18- inch inervals in he row. This was no rue for all varieies, however; yields of Calif. Blackeye No. 5 and Cabbage varieies were quie def iniely reduced when spaced a 18-inch inr ervals. Hamme (3) found bes yields a spac ings of less han 12 inches beween plans, wih a variable response due o variey. The raes of ferilizer recommended have been 400 o 600 pounds per acre of 4-7-5, 4-8-8 or similar analysis, as poined ou by Lorz, e al. (6). This has also been he recommendaion for he Souhern Cooperaive Souhern Pea Variey Trials. Halsey (2) found ha yields were increased by using 18 pounds of N per acre, as compared o no N, bu relaively lile advanage was gained by increasing he rae o pounds. Varieies represening bush, semiviny and viny growh habis showed similar responses o increasing nirogen levels. Paerson and Blackhurs (8), (9), repored conflicing resuls on he benefis of adding nirogen o souhern peas; benefi being derived mosly when he crop was irrigaed or when here was abundan rainfall. One basis for judging he accepabiliy of a variey for use in he fresh marke has usually been he yield of whole pod peas. The de velopmen of a marke for shelled peas, o be disribued fresh, frozen or canned, requires he deerminaion of yields on a shelled-ou basis. Yields of hand shelled peas, ogeher wih he percen shell-ou, have been deermined for 12 varieies and are lised as par of Table 2. These values are for peas a he "green-shell" sage of mauriy, a which ime he pods have begun o de-green and show sligh yellowing (or purple, wih purple hull ypes), wih he peas sill green in color. These values show ha approximaely half he whole pod yield was available as shelled peas, and variaions due o variey exised from as low as 42 percen for and Topse o percen for Two- Crop Conch and Brown Sugar Crowder. Shell-ou of souhern peas varies according o he sage of mauriy a harves, increasing as he pods become more maure. During he normal harves operaion peas of a range of mauriies will be obained, bu he bulk of he peas will be a he desired mauriy. Shellou percenages of several varieies a 3 mauriy sages are given in Table 3. The bes shell-ou occurs when he peas have dried, bu hey are no longer suiable for fresh use or processing. Opimum shell-ou consisen wih qualiy of peas should be he crierion for selecion of mauriy for harves. Hoover (5), in a sudy of consumer preference for peas a differen sages of mauriy, found he highes raings for peas a he green-shell sage. Allowing he peas o become more maure resuls in an improve men in shell-ou, bu wih a decline in qualiy. Hand removal of all peas in he pod gives he yield of peas obainable, and serves as a check for efficiency of oher mehods. (Removal of he peas from he pod by machine shellers is faser han by hand, bu recovery of all he TABLE 3# Shell-Ou Percenages of Several Souhern Pea Varieies a 3 Mauriy Safees. Variey Green Sage of Mauriy Green-Shell I Half Yellow Running Acre Topse Cabbage Two-Crop Conch Calif. Blackeye No* Producer BixLelee Brown Sugar Crowder 28 29 33 1*3 1*6 1*1* 1*7 1*8 56 67 63 66 62 65 65
2 FLORIDA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY, 1961 TaBBS U.~ Comparisons of Hand and Machine Shell-Ou of Sewal Souhern Ffea Varieies - Spring 1961, Gainesville. Va*ie: Hand Loss Due o Machine Ark. No. 83 Ark. No. 11$ Fla. No. 78-09110 Fla. No. 71-Oli9121O ELa. No. 1-011110 Fla. No. 2-01000 Fla. No. 265-021130 Fla. No. 293-000 Fla. No. 303-01120 Miss. ^o. 57 La. No. Ik Cal. Blackeye No. 5 Cream UO ' Topse IVoducer Two-Crop Conch Brown Sugar Crowder 8 60 U6 U3 U6 1 6 U3 Ul U2 31 31 3U 30 32 38 UO 26 26 33 6 8 19 5 10 2$ 9 16 7 h 6 7 12 16 11 peas on a pracical basis is nex o impossible). Yield of machine shelled peas is usually less han he maximum obainable by hand shelling. The values obained by machine shelling vary, de pending on he kind of mechanism being used, variey, mauriy and condiion of he peas. Comparisons of several varieies of souhern peas were made, during one season, beween hand and machine shelling. The shell-ou per cenages for he wo mehods and he losses due o machine shelling are given in Table 4. The peas were of he same mauriy for any variey, and he machine used was a Junior Pea Huller, a ype used in commercial operaion. The developmen of a successful marke for shelled souhern peas also requires ha means of reducing harvesing coss will have o be found. The breeding objecives and engineer ing problems involved in mechanizaion have been repored by Holmes (4) and Lorz (7). One of he mehods for accomplishing a more efficien harves is he removal of he peas from he plan by mowing or oher mechanical means. Sudies of he use of an experimenal mower compared wih hand harves were made and he resuls show ha approximaely half he yield of peas was obained by a single mowing as by repeaed hand harves. There was a re ducion in labor of 10 o 1 in favor of he machine mehod, wih no change in condiion or qualiy of he peas because of mechanizaion. The ne gain from once-over harvesing by mower was a reducion in dependence on a labor supply ha may or may no be obain able when required. Mechanical harvesing by mower is enhanced by he deerminae ype growh more characerisic of varieies such as Blackeye No. 5, Cabbage or Topse. The ex ension of he pods above he foliage, ypified by Topse, grealy faciliaes he mechanical removal of he pods wih a minimum of foliage, resuling in improved payloads in ransporing he peas from he field o he sheller. A serious obsacle o be overcome in he developmen of harves mechanizaion is he lengh of bearing period of almos all varieies of souhern peas. The developmen of varieies wih concenraed blooming period may well be one of he mos profiable avenues of approach in a souhern pea breeding program. Repeaed hand harvesing will coninue o be necessary o uilize he exended bearing period of souhern peas o he fulles exen. A sudy was made of he pracice of ranspor ing he pickers while engaged in he harvesing operaion, in comparison wih he convenional
HAYWARD, OBERBACHER, GRIERSON: POLYETHYLENE BAGS 2 means of walking and carrying he picking con ainer hrough he field. Resuls indicae ha an increase of approximaely 30 percen in rae of harves was accomplished when he picker was riding, and freed of carrying he picking conainer. The efficiency of he picker was in creased in ha all his energy could be direced oward removing he peas from he plan, and his rae of movemen hrough he field was conrolled. No reducion in qualiy of he peas was deeced in relaion o mehod of harves. Summary Souhern pea varieies grown in he Gaines ville area have shown variaions in yield which have been influenced by or were direcly re laed o seed coa color ype, plan growh habi, plan spacing, raes of ferilizer and seasonal condiions. Alhough pigmened seed coa ypes were generally higher yielding han he creams, excepions were found, such as over Brown Sugar Crowder. The yields of crops planed in he spring were usually superior o hose obained by planing in lae summer for fall harves, bu he variey Running Acre was definiely fall-oriened. Benefis have been de rived from addiion of nirogen o he soil compared wih no nirogen supplied. Yields have been increased by increasing he plan populaion, up o 2 plans per foo in row culure. The shelled ou yield (by hand) of souhern peas varied according o variey and mauriy of he pea a harves, from he low 40's in he case of some cream seed coa varieies o he middle 's for some blackeye and pigmened seed coa ypes. The yields of shelled peas from machine shelling were lower han by hand; however, he loss was greaer for some varieies han for ohers. Mechanizing he harves operaion, eiher by use of a harveser aid for ransporing he pick ing crew while harvesing he crop, or harvesing he crop in one operaion by mowing, resuled in lile or no damage o he peas bu reduced he labor requiremen in varying degrees.,,, LITERATURE CITED 1. Halsey, L. H. 1956. Vegeable variey rials-souhern peas. Fla. Agr. Exp. Sa. Ann. Rep. (1956) 93. 2. Halsey, L. H. 1960. Influence of nirogen ferilizaion and seed inoculaion levels on yields of souhern peas. Proc Amer. 5oc. Hor. Sci. 75: 517-0. 3. Hamme, H. L 1960. Sudy of spacing and ferilizaion of souhern peas. Miss. Agr. Exp. Sa. Farm Research 23 4. Holmes, E. S. 1961. Mechanizaion of souhern pea harves. Proc. Fla. Sae Hor. Soc. 74: 5 Hoover M W. 1956. Facors influencing consumer Soc 69" 213 2 m PeaS (cowpeas)* Proc" Fla- Sae Hord 6* lkh 4* PJ' J: W< W»«on' E- G. Kelsheimer and V. G. Perry. 19. Producion of souhern peas (cowpeas) in Florida. Fla. Agr. Exp. Sa. Bui. 7. 7. Lorz, A. P. 1961. Breeding souhern peas for process ing. Proc. Fla. Sae Hor. Soc. 74: 8. Paerson, D. R., and H. T. Blackhurs. 19. Some effecs of ferilizer on he yield and mauriy of souhern peas. Texas Agr. Exp. Sa. Progress Repor, 1957. 9. Paerson, D. R., and H. T. Blackhurs. 1958. Effecs of irrigaion, ferilizer and variey on he yield of souhern peas. Texas Agr. Exp. Sa. Progress Repor, 2021. PERFORATIONS IN POLYETHYLENE BAGS AS RELATED TO DECAY OF ORANGES F. W. Hayward, M. F. Oberbacher Florida AND W. GRIERSON 1 Cirus Experimen Saion Florida Cirus Commission Lake Alfred The use of polyehylene bags for he pre packaging of cirus fruis has increased rapidly during he las few years. During he 1960-61 season nearly 5 per cen of fresh Florida cirus was shipped in hese bags which make an economical, convenien and aracive con-?351 rlda Agriculural Experimen Saions Journal Series No. 1 Fornier y a Cirus Experimen Saion, Lake Alfred; preswfner Hav*' F d lndusrles Research and Engineering, sumer package. In his work wih hydrocooling, Grierson (2) found ha decay was usually higher for oranges packed in polyehylene bags in bagmaser carons han for frui which was bulk filled ino carons. Any increase in decay is a serious problem since even one moldy orange in a bag spoils he appearance of he package and makes i unaccepable o he con sumer. Kaufman (3) found ha decay de creased as he number of holes per bag in creased, indicaing ha venilaion was im poran. This paper repors experimens ha were designed o deermine he number of per foraions necessary o minimize decay of hydrocooled oranges and of frui packed wihou precooling or fungicides.