Pisum sativum

Pea, field pea

All cultivated types of peas are now included in this species of viny herbaceous plant with white or pink flowers and leaves consisting of two or three pairs of broad oval leaflets. Usually cannot be successfully cultivated in hot tropical climates. Often grown together with cereals. The ripe dried seeds used as concentrates for animals or for human consumption. The vines used for hay, silage and green fodder; also cultivated as pasture for fattening lambs by direct grazing when the crop has completed growth and dried out. The seeds have been included in poultry and pig rations as the sole source of protein with good results. Pea-vine silage has a strong odour, but it is an excellent feed for ruminants.

As % of dry matter

DM

CP

CF

Ash

EE

NFE

Ca

P

Ref

Fresh, late vege-

tative, Israel

13.4

17.2

26.9

12.7

3.0

40.2

1.87

0.37

365

Fresh, mid-bloom,

Israel

15.2

14.5

28.3

13.2

2.6

41.4

1.84

0.40

"

Haulm, Israel

88.4

8.4

42.5

8.1

1.4

39.6

1.18

0.34

"

Hay, Israel

89.3

14.9

31.5

8.3

2.7

42.7

"

Seeds, Uganda

88.6

25.3

6.2

4.7

1.1

62.7

70

Silage of pods

27.5

12.7

30.5

6.5

3.6

46.7

"

Silage of haulms

23.6

14.8

25.4

17.4

5.9

36.5

"

Digestibility (%)

Animal

CP

CF

EE

NFE

ME

Ref

Fresh, pre-bloom

Sheep

72.0

59.0

59.0

85.0

2.48

365

Fresh, mid-bloom

Sheep

82.0

53.0

61.0

83.0

2.42

"

Haulm

Sheep

49.0

45.0

46.0

59.0

1.76

"

Hay

Sheep

71.0

51.0

50.0

73.0

2.27

"

Seeds

Sheep

86.2

46.3

62.5

92.9

3.21

512

Silage of pods

Sheep

67.5

65.5

90.0

76.6

2.64

70

Silage of haulms

Sheep

57.1

56.7

92.9

68.6

2.21

"

Nylon bag degradability

a

b

c

12hr

48hr

Ref

(%)

(%)

(/hour)

(%)

(%)

Peas, France

DM

42.7

56.6

0.0793

98.3

627

Pea straw, UK

DM

6.0

36.9

0.0458

38.6

"

[P (rumen degradability at time t) = a+b*(1-exp(-c*t))]

Amino acid composition as % of crude protein

Seed

Ref

419

Arg

Cys

Gly

Hys

Ils

Leu

Lys

Met

Phe

Thr

Try

Tyr

Val

5.5

-

3.1

1.5

3.9

6.6

5.5

1.9

3.9

4.1

-

1.8

4.5