The Sweet Pea

1. DESCRIPTION OF PLANT

Sweet pea (Pisum sativum L.), locally known

as Chinese pea, snow pea, garden pea, or
sitsaro, is the most expensive vegetable
legumes in the country. It is grown for its
edible pods or seeds. It grows very well in
Benguet and Mt. Province, where the climate is
cool throughout the year. Garden pea seeds
contain considerable amounts of digestible
protein, carbohydrates, and minerals, while
the green pods are rich sources of vitamin A.
Peas are grown for their green pods and dried
seeds. The snow pea is the most common type
in the Philippines. This group also includes
the snap pea, a group of edible-podded peas
that are differentiated from snow pea because of their round pods. Snap pea produces
thick, full-bodied, edible pods, and sweet, full-sized peas. The pods snap when bent
like fresh green beans. Snow pea generally has flat pods.

2. ORIGIN AND MAJOR TYPES

Sweet pea is a flowering plant in the genus Lathyrus in

the family Fabaceae (legumes), native to the Sicily, southern Italy and the Aegean
Islands.
It is an annual climbing plant, growing to a height of 12 meters (nearly six feet and
six inches), where suitable support is available. The leaves are pinnate with two leaflets
and a terminal tendril, which twines around supporting plants and structures helping
the sweet pea to climb. The flowers are purple, 2-3.5 centimeters broad, in the wild
plant, larger and very variable in color in the many cultivars.

3. PRODUCTION TRENDS

In 2006, a total of 5,723 tons of sweet peas was produced 1.5% lower than the
production in 2005. The Cordillera Administrative Region is the leading producer of
sweet peas in the country.

4. PROPERTIES (NUTRITIONAL VALUES)

Its nutritional values per 100 grams edible portion are as follows.

Properties Amount

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 Water 82.4
Energy (kcal) 67.0
Protein (g) 3.0
Fat (g) 0.4
Carbohydrates (g) 12.8
Dietary Fiber (g) 2.1
Ash (g) 1.4
Calcium (mg) 92.0

Phosphorous (mg) 48.0

Iron (mg) 1.2
Source: The Philippine Food Corporation Tables,
1997, Food and Nutrition Research Institute-
Department of Science and Technology (FNRI-
DOST)

5. USES (CULINARY, MEDICINAL...ETC)

Fresh peas are often eaten boiled and flavored with butter and/or spearmint as a
side dish vegetable. Salt and pepper are also commonly added to peas when served.
Fresh peas are also used in pot pies, salads and casseroles.
In modern times peas are usually boiled or steamed, which breaks down the cell
walls and makes the taste sweeter and the nutrients more bioavailable.

6. VARIETIES

1. Pole Type: Chinese Dark Green, Kalantao, Chinese 60, Sugar Snap, Melting
Sugar, Trinidad, CGP 14, CGP 15, CGP 19, Sweet Pea DK30, Green Smile, Mini
White

2. Bush Type: Dwarf Grey. The common varieties

in the Philippines are flat-podded. The varities
listed are all flat-podded except for Sugar Snap.
However, Sugar Snap is becoming popular in
Bukidnon. This type is more succulent and
crisp. They can be harvested for fresh pods
even green immature seeds are already well-
developed.

7. CULTIVATION

Sweet pea grows well in humus-rich or volcanic

soil. It thrives best in areas at least 1,000 m above sea level.
Sweet pea favors a cool climate with a temperature range of 10 o-18oC, in lower

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elevations, the plants are less vigorous and are more prone to diseases including
powdery mildew. Moreover, their pods are more fibrous. A well-distributed rainfall is
also important in growing this crop.

A. Planting Materials. Sweet pea is propagated from seeds. The recommended

seeding rate is 40-50 kg/ha. Pre-soak the seeds for 12 hours in water prior to
sowing to improve seed germination. In areas where sweet pea has not been grown
before, treat the seeds with Rhizobium at 100 g per 6 kg of seeds to enhance
nodulation for nitrogen fixation.

B. Land Preparation. Plow and harrow twice the soil for more porous and friable soil
condition and free from weeds. Make furrows 50-60 cm apart or plots 0.75-1 m
wide for double row planting.

C. Fertilization. The general fertilizer recommendation is 126 kg/ha N, 44 kg/ha P 2O3

and 125 kg/ha K2O. Apply manure at 3-5 t/ha before planting to contribute 50 kg
NPK and micronutrients. Apply 3 bags/ha 14-14-14 at planting. Split the balance
of the NPK requirement and sidedress at 30 and 60 days after sowing. If necessary,
apply time at least 2 weeks before planting to gradually set the soil pH level to 6.0-
6.5.

D. Planting. Drill the seeds in shallow furrows at 5-10 seeds per linear meter. If hill
planting is desired, place 2-3 seeds/hill at a distance of 20-30 cm between hills. The
space between rows in double-row plots is 20 cm.

E. Weeding and Hilling-up. Control the weeds close to the plants to avoid
competition. Usually, weeding 15 days interval for three times is enough for the
whole planting season. Low weed coverage along the alleys will help minimize
leaf miner population. Hill up once, during the first sidedressing.

F. Trellising. Provide trellises to prevent the plants from lodging. Use bamboo,
rono or wire #16, or any available local materials as substitute. In Benguet, rono
is used in a crisscross fashion in between the adjacent rows at 40-50 pcs/10 linear
meters. Synthetic straw is also used to support the growing vines.

8. CROP PROTECTION

Pest Management

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1. Pea Aphids (Myzus persicae S.). This sucking insects and adults are about 1.5 to
2 mm lomg, shiny black, soft bodied and colorless wings. They are usually found
in groups underneath young leaves, shoots and pods. They sucked the sap of the
plants causing it to curl having abnormal growth and becomes dwarf and
unproductive.

Management
a. They are controlled by some predatory insects like lady beetles
b. Rouging of infested plants could be practiced.
c. Use of yellow traps
d. Spraying could also be practical control measure.
e. Spray hot pepper extract (100 g macerated hot pepper/16 L waterPod borer
(Helicoverpa spp.)
f. Handpick the larvae and pupae during the early stages of infestation.

2. Cutworms (Agrotis ipsilon). Cutworms are grayish, fleshy caterpillars up to 5

cm long, which curl up when disturbed. Plants may be chewed off above or
below ground level and may be damaged higher up by climbing cutworms. Most
of the cutworm damage is to newly set plants in the field, but they are often
found attacking seedlings in plant bed and greenhouses. Late infestation of
variegated cutworm occasionally occurs. Often a nuisance during the dry
months, the pests attacks the young plants by nibbling or cutting off the stem
near the ground level, they attack at night.

Management
a. Prepare the soil two weeks before planting to cultivate in cover crops and
destroy weeds.
b. Check plants frequently and treat when damage is first observed.

3. Leafminer (Liriomyza huidobrensis Blanchard). The larvae makes serpentine or

curled mines on the leaves . The mines start to appear on matured leaves, first
on the lower mature leaf then towards the upper leaves as the plant mature. The
female adult also makes pinholes on the leaves.

Management
a. Use yellow sticky traps apart from the cultural management practices A
community wide use of sticky traps is recommended.
b. Encourage natural enemies like spiders, lacewings, and symphid flies.
c. If needed, spray with cyromazine or cartap hydrochloride following the
recommended rates.
d. Intercrop with leek, lettuce, pechay, and other shallow-rooted and short-
season crops.
e. Maintain low weed population along alleys.

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 4. Powdery mildew (Erisiphe polygon). Covers a
plant with a downy, white fungal coating that sucks
nutrients out of the leaves.

Management
a. Bicarbonate sprays can help to prevent mildew.
b. Destroy seriously affected vines, or place them in
sealed containers for disposal with household
trash.
c. Avoid powdery mildew by planting resistant
cultivars.

5. Ascochyta leaf spot. Symptoms first appear as small, purplish-brown, irregular

flecks. Under continued humid conditions, the flecks enlarge and coalesce,
resulting in the lower leaves becoming completely blighted. Severe infections
may lead to girdling of the stem near the soil line, which is known as foot rot .
Foot rot lesions are purplish-black in color and may extend above and below the
soil line. Foot and stem lesions girdle and weaken the stem, leading to crop
lodging and yield loss. Disease lesions develop on pods under prolonged moist
conditions or if the crop has lodged. Pod lesions are initially small and dark, but
may become extensive and lead to early pod senescence. Severe pod infection
may result in small, shrunken or discolored seed; or alternatively, seed may
show no symptoms.

Management
a. Practice field sanitation and crop rotation
b. Crop rotation
c. Stubble management practices such as straw-chopping during combining, or
harrowing to spread out residue on the soil surface, can help speed the
decomposition of pea residue.
d. Variety Selection
e. Plant the best seed available to reduce the risk of disease-related losses.
f. Seed treatments provide protection against both seed- and soil-borne
diseases.
g. It is important to scout for early symptoms as well as determine the
economics of a fungicide application.

6. Fusarium rot/ Fusarium wilt (Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. pisi). Plants may
become infected at any stage of growth. The first symptoms are usually
yellowing of the lower leaves and stunting or dwarfing of plant growth. The
stipules and margins of the leaflets curl downward and inward. The stems at or
near the soil line may be slightly thickened and brittle. Affected plants may wilt

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 and die either slowly or rapidly soon after the first symptoms are noted due to
destruction of the feeder roots. Affected plants die more rapidly in very dry than
in moist soils. If infection occurs when the plants are fairly young, they often
wither and die without producing any pods. If they are larger when infected, a
few flattened and poorly filled pods may form. The disease occurs in circular to
oval areas in the field.

Management

A. Prepare land properly.

B. Use resistant or tolerant varieties
C. Rotate planting with non-host crops such as crucifers and corn
D. Apply compost
E. The only economical control in wilt-infested soil is to grow pea varieties with
resistance to Fusarium wilt or both diseases
F. Plant as early as possible using only disease-free seeds
G. A 5-year rotation or longer, using crops other than peas, plus the prevention
of movement of all pea vine debris to other fields, will help to prevent
buildup of wilt fungi in the soil.

9. HARVESTING
Pod Production. Harvest the crop at about 60-65 days after planting. For best
quality pods, sweet pea should be harvested before physiological maturity or before
the peas deform the hull. Pods should be harvested after they have developed
young, immature seeds.
Harvest by priming twice a week. Harvesting can be extended up to 10 times for
the entire growing period depending on crop management.

10. POST HARVEST

Preserve any surplus as soon as possible by canning or, preferably, by freezing,

which retains that fresh-from-the-garden flavor. To freeze peas, just shell and blanch
for 1 minutes, then cool, drain, pack, and freeze. Snow peas, which are frozen
whole, are treated the same way, but don't forget to string them first if necessary.
Peas have a freezer life of about 1 year.
If peas become overripe, shell them and spread them on a flat surface for 3 weeks
or until completely dry. Store them in air tight containers and use as you would any
dried bean.
Keep the produce under shade and pack in plastic crates. Sweet pea can be
stored for 1-2 weeks at 0oC (32oF) with 95-58% relative humidity.

11. Cost of Production and ROI for a one-hectare land

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SWEET PEA COST OF PRODUCTION

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 Man-Day Value
A. Labor Cost
(325.00/day) (P)
Land Preparation 40 13,000.00
Digging/plot preparation 40 13,000.00
Furrowing 20 6,500.00
Fertilization (basal) 20 6,500.00
Mixing/covering 20 6,500.00
Planting 25 8,125.00
Care and Maintenance
Irrigation (8x) 10 26,000.00
Weeding 25 8,125.00
Side-dressing/hilling-up 40 13,000.00
Spraying (8x) 10 26,000.00
Tying/supporting of the vines
1st tying 10 3,250.00
2nd tying 10 3,250.00
3rd tying 10 3,250.00
Harvesting, hauling, threshing 7 9,100.00
grading and packing (4x) 1/
Sub-Total 156,000.00 145,600.00
1/ if prod. of seeds: 15 man-day (seeds) (pods)

B. Material Inputs
Unit Price Total Value
Items/Quantity
(P) (P)
Good seeds/30 kgs. 250.00 7,500.00
Fertilizer
Chicken dung/100 bags 120.00 12,000.00
Complete fertilizer/14 bags 1,200.00 16,800.00
Insecticides/10 li. 1,000.00 10,000.00
Fungicides/10 kgs. 800.00 8,000.00
Plastic twine/straw/30 rolls 50.00 1,500.00
Rono sticks 1/ 66,000 pcs. 1.30 85,800.00
Sub-Total 141,600.00
1/to be used 3x cropping

C. Fixed Cost Amount (P)

Land rent (2 months) 2/ 30,000.00
Depreciation on tools/equipment 985.00
Sub-Total 30,985.00

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2/land rent is based on 3.00/m2/cropping

Amoun
D. Miscellaneous t
1. Transportation 10,000.00
5,000.0
2. Seeds/packing materials 0
Sub-Total 15,000.00
Total Cost of Production 343,585.00 333,185.00
(seeds) (fresh pods)

E.a. Gross Income (Fresh Pods)

Ave. Yield
Price Level Price/kg Amount (P)
kg
Level 1 45.00 8,000.00 360,000.00
Level 2 50.00 8,000.00 400,000.00
Level 3 55.00 8,000.00 440,000.00

E.b. Net Income (Fresh Pods)

Total
Gross Net Income
Price Level Production
Income (P) (P)
Cost (P)
Level 1 360,000.00 333,185.00 26,815.00
Level 2 400,000.00 333,185.00 66,815.00
Level 3 440,000.00 333,185.00 106,815.00

F.a. Gross Income (Seeds)

Ave. Yield
Price Level Price/kg Amount (P)
kg
Level 1 250.00 1,500.00 375,000.00
Level 2 250.00 2,000.00 500,000.00
Level 3 250.00 2,500.00 625,000.00

E.b. Net Income (Seeds)

Total
Gross Net Income
Price Level Production
Income (P) (P)
Cost (P)
Level 1 375,000.00 343,585.00 31,415.00
Level 2 500,000.00 343,585.00 156,415.00
Level 3 625,000.00 343,585.00 281,415.00

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* Modified from cost and return analysis of major commodities for modern farm
diversification (1990). Cost of labor, inputs and equipment were based on 2011 prices.

** Man-day computed at PhP350/day

12. OTHER INFORMATION

Seed Production. Select plants that are vigorous and are free of damage from pests
and diseases. Harvest dry pods and extract the seeds. Dry pods can be harvested 120
days from planting. Sun-dry to around 10-15% moisture content. To determine if the
moisture content is acceptable, put some seeds inside a plastic bag and place under the
sun. If condensation occurs after 30 minutes, continue sun-drying the seeds. Pack the
dry seeds in moisture-proof containers and store in a cool, dry place. If properly stored,
seeds can remain viable up to 2 years.

13. REFERENCES

______________. 2011. Growing and Production of Sweet Peas (Sitsaro)

EntrePinoy Atbp.

______________. 2004. How to Grow Sweet Pea Plants, Garden Guides. Com.

______________. 2003. Garden Peas. PCARRD-DOST Portal-Industry Status.

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