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ARS Home » Plains Area » Mandan, North Dakota » Northern Great Plains Research Laboratory » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #429994
Research Project: Transdisciplinary Research that Improves the Productivity and Sustainability of Northern Great Plains Agroecosystems and the Well-Being of the Communities They Serve

Location: Northern Great Plains Research Laboratory

Title: Field pea minerals, protein, and fat affected by environment more than crop residue management

Author
item Clemensen, Andrea
item Archer, David
item Liebig, Mark
item Kronberg, Scott
item Duke, Sara
item Whippo, Craig
item ONCEL, S. - US Department Of Agriculture (USDA)
item BUSSAN, DEREK - US Department Of Interior
item Safratowich, Bryan
item Zeng, Huawei

Submitted to: Crop Science
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 5/4/2026
Publication Date: 5/4/2026
Citation: Clemensen, A.K., Archer, D.W., Liebig, M.A., Kronberg, S.L., Duke, S.E., Whippo, C.W., Oncel, S., Bussan, D.D., Safratowich, B.D., Zeng, H. 2026. Field pea minerals, protein, and fat affected by environment more than crop residue management. Crop Science. 66, e70308. https://doi.org/10.1002/csc2.70308.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/csc2.70308

Interpretive Summary: Field peas are an important source of protein, fiber, and minerals for humans and animals. Including field peas into crop rotations can reduce N fertilizer inputs since they fix nitrogen. The way we manage our crops can influence soil, plant, and grain characteristics. However, how our management influences field pea quality in semiarid areas is poorly understood. We used a 12-year study with different biomass removal treatments to measure field pea quality in a 2-yr crop rotation with spring wheat. Biomass removal treatments included no biomass removal (NR), removal of wheat straw after harvest (WH), removal of wheat and pea residue after harvest (WPH), and a grazed treatment where the wheat and pea residue was grazed (WPG) in September. We measured field pea yield, protein, fat, and mineral content from 2019-2021. Our results showed that field pea quality was affected more by the conditions each year than by residue removal treatments. With increasing drought, field pea yield decreased, but the grain had more protein, P, K, Fe, Zn, and Cu. The quantity of field peas was lower during severe drought, but the nutritional quality increased. This is important to producers as it could increase the economic value of field peas during times of drought.

Technical Abstract: Field peas (Pisum sativum L.) are an important source of protein, fiber, and minerals for human consumption. As N-fixing pulse crops, incorporating field peas into crop rotations can also enhance agricultural sustainability. Agricultural management influences soil, plant, and grain characteristics. However, the influence of agricultural management on field pea quality under semiarid conditions is poorly understood. A 12-year biomass removal experiment in the Northern Great Plains allowed evaluation of how management influences food quality. Here, we assessed how biomass removal treatments in a 2-yr crop rotation of field pea and spring wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) influenced field pea protein, fat, and minerals Ca, P, K, Zn, Mg, Fe, Cu, Mn, and Na. Treatments after grain harvest included no biomass removal (NR), removal of wheat straw (WH), removal of wheat and pea residue (WPH), and a grazed treatment where wheat and pea residue was grazed (WPG). Our results showed that differences in minerals and protein were more affected between each year of the study than residue removal treatments from 2019-2021. With increasing drought severity, our experiment showed significant decreases in field pea yield (p = 0.01), yet pea grain had greater protein, P, K, Fe, Zn, and Cu (p = 0.01). While the quantity of field peas was lower during severe drought, the nutritional quality of field peas increased. This may lead to higher premiums to producers for field peas during times of drought.