A new book, Making Peas Pay, published this month by the Pea Industry Development Group (PIDG) will provide the latest research data and crop management information to growers and industry personnel to assist with maintaining higher yields and higher quality peas.
The Pea Industry Development Group was formed in 2002 to address the issue of poor profitability and the decline in interest of farmers to grow peas. Peas are a very important crop to growers as they provide a very valuable spring sown break crop which supplies product for processing, seed, food and feed uses. The group was formed with the objective of identifying some of the key constraints to growing a profitable pea crop and delivering this information to growers. The group is comprised of farmers, processors, seed companies, industry bodies and researchers
and all parties have agreed to co-invest in a research and extension plan to deliver benefits to the industry.
The parties are: Bayer Crop Science, Canterbury Seed Ltd, Peter Cates Ltd, The New Zealand Institute for Crop and Food Research Ltd, The Foundation for Arable Research, Heinz Wattie Ltd, Horticulture New Zealand, McCains, Midlands Seeds Ltd, Plant Research Ltd, Seed production Ltd, Seminis Seeds Ltd, PGG Wrightson.
Nick Pyke, PIDG Project Manager and Chief Executive of the Foundation for Arable Research says the PIDG has invested in an R&D programme over the last six years, with support from MAF Sustainable Farming Fund. “Throughout the project there have been a number of field days, seminars and FAR Arable Updates which have reported outcomes from the project. This booklet is an effort to combine all the information collected through the project plus a significant amount of previous research data and crop management information into a single document intended to provide information to farmers and industry that will result in both productivity and quality gains. The guide is easy to follow and has a number of photos and figures designed to help the readers easily understand the key points and messages.”
The booklet can be obtained free by New Zealand Arable growers, please contact FAR for your free copy now on 03 325 6353. For non arable growers, the book can be purchased for $15.00.