Peas (Pisum sativum) – Dry yellow or green pea

Peas are legumes which are native to the Mediterranean region, very widely grown and popular vegetable crop. It is a rich source of proteins, amino acids, and carbohydrates. It is an annual herbaceous plant with racemose inflorescences arising from the leaf axils; it is single to multiple podded, and the pods have 5 to 10 seeds. Peas are a cool-season crop grown for their edible seed or seed pods. Different types of peas are grown for various purposes. Garden or green peas are harvested before the seed is mature for the fresh or fresh-pack market. Sugar snap peas and snow peas lack the inner pod fibre and are also harvested early for the fresh or fresh-pack market. Dry peas are harvested when they reach maturity and the pods have dried up and turned brown. At this stage, the peas inside are fully mature and have a hard texture, which makes them ideal for drying and storage.

Peas are grown alone or mixed cereals for silage and green fodder. Peas and other legumes are desirable in crop rotations because they break up diseases and pest cycles, provide nitrogen, improve soil microbe diversity and activity, improve soil aggregation, conserve soil water, and provide economic diversity.