Effect of Pod Sealant Application on the Quantitative and Qualitative Traits of Field Pea (Pisum sativum L.) Seed Yield

Abstract

Field pea is used for human consumption or as livestock feed. The yield of pea seeds can be significantly decreased due to the genetically determined tendency of peas to pod shattering. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of pod sealant application on the quantitative and qualitative traits of the seed yield of two pea cultivars: Arwena and Tarchalska grown in south-western Poland in the years 2018–2019. Pod sealant application showed higher values of analysed quantitative and qualitative traits: number of pods per plant, number of seeds per plant, seed weight per pod, 1000-seed weight, seed yield, dry matter of seeds, protein content in seeds, and total protein productivity, except the number of seeds per pod. For both years (2018–2019), the interaction of cultivar and pod sealant application showed a significant effect on the number of seeds per plant, total protein content, total protein productivity, and seed weight per pod in 2019. Therefore, the pod sealant application can be a relatively simple way to improve the yielding of field peas.