Tamarack Farms Pea-Quinoa (“Peanoa”) Intercrop
Ryan Pengelly, Tamarack Farms
To demonstrate the use of cover cropping strategies
Plots were combined and the pea and quinoa crops were separated and examined for yield.
Although some treatments out-yielded others, no treatment yielded well. (Pea yields averaged 2 bu/ac, compared to 53-63 bu/ac as a regional average.) However, very dry conditions for about three weeks before and three weeks after seeding resulted in poor, delayed emergence, especially for peas. Delayed emergence resulted in flowering for peas during higher temperatures, causing poor pod-set, reducing yield. Further, several flushes of weeds competed with the crops for moisture.
The trial examines the effect of seeding rate on yield of a pea-quinoa intercrop, using high, medium and low rates for both crops. Proposed benefits of intercropping include: 1) confusion of insect populations; 2) beneficial nutrient interactions such as nitrogen fixation; 3) support for crops prone to lodging; 4) Increased combined yields; 5) mitigation of the risk of crop failure; 6) weed suppression; and 7) reduced input requirements and costs.