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ARS Home » Pacific West Area » Pullman, Washington » Grain Legume Genetics Physiology Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #206698
Title: Registration of 'Windham' Winter Feed Pea.

Author
item McPhee, Kevin
item CHEN, CHENGCI - MONTANA STATE UNIV.
item WICHMAN, D - MONTANA STATE UNIV.
item Muehlbauer, Frederick

Submitted to: Crop Science
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 4/6/2007
Publication Date: 9/20/2007
Citation: Mcphee, K.E., Chen, C., Wichman, D., Muehlbauer, F.J. 2007. Registration of 'Windham' Winter Feed Pea.. Crop Science.,1(2):117-118.

Interpretive Summary: Winter legumes offer many advantages to farming systems including efficient distribution of field work, increased yield potential and, when established using conservation tillage practices, contribute to agricultural sustainability. Windham winter feed pea was developed with sufficient winter hardiness that it can be sown in the fall, survive harsh winter conditions and resume growth in the spring to produce seed. Windham possesses sufficient winter hardiness to survive relatively harsh winter conditions in the Pacific Northwest and some intermountain locations in Montana. Windham has a semi-dwarf growth habit and semi-leafless morphology and maintains a height index of 0.92 improving harvest ease. Seed quality of Windham is suitable for feed markets, but due to small seed size and presence of 'ghost mottling' in the testa it is not expected to be acceptable in traditional edible legume markets. Windham possesses resistance to race 1 of fusarium wilt, but is susceptible to pea enation mosaic virus and powdery mildew. Overall, Windham produced as a fall-sown winter legume provides producers a viable alternative to spring-sown crops and maintains the rotational advantages of legumes in agricultural production systems.

Technical Abstract: Winter legumes offer a unique opportunity for producers to establish a legume crop in the fall and transfer a significant portion of field preparation to the fall avoiding undesirable field conditions in the spring, and yet maintain the benefits of including a legume in the crop rotation. ‘Windham’ is a semi-dwarf, upright winter hardy feed pea released for US production. Windham was tested as PS9830S358 and originated as an F6 selection from the cross, CAH-61/D258-1-3/2/CAH-61/B686-320-0/3/D258-1-2 made by F.J. Muehlbauer in 1993. Windham was tested at 29 site-years in eastern Washington, northern Idaho, Oregon, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wyoming. Windham produced an average yield of 2367 kg/ha in advanced trials where trial means averaged 2051 kg/ha. Yield ranged from a low of 343 kg/ha at Pullman, WA, in 1999 (trial mean = 369 kg/ha) to 4331 kg/ha at Pullman, WA, in 2000 (trial mean = 3859 kg/ha). Seed yield of spring sown cultivars in the Pacific Northwest from 2001 to 2006 averaged 2538 kg ha-1 while Windham averaged 2616 kg/ha during the same time period indicating a modest yield advantage. Winter survival was 100% in trials conducted in Wyoming in 2004 and the Pacific Northwest in 2004 and 2006. Both years experienced harsh winter conditions resulting in differential killing of susceptible germplasm in the trials. Windham has a semi-dwarf growth habit and possesses semi-leafless leaf morphology and maintains an upright canopy at harvest. Flowers are white with two flowers borne on each peduncle. Seeds are smooth and round with yellow cotyledons and the testa is characterized by subtle mottling referred to as ‘ghost mottling’. Windham is resistant to race 1 of fusarium wilt caused by Fusarium oxysporum Schlecht. emend. Synd. and Hans. f. sp. pisi, but is susceptible to pea enation mosaic virus and powdery mildew. The increased seed yield potential of Windham compared to spring pea crops offers the opportunity to improve yield performance, optimize timing of field operations and maintain the rotational and agronomic benefits of legumes in a sustainable farming system.