Submitted to: Book Chapter
Publication Type: Book / Chapter
Publication Acceptance Date: March 26, 1997
Publication Date: N/A
Interpretive Summary: This chapter concerning the physiology of the pea plant is a chapter in a book entitled "The Physiology of Vegetable Crops", H.C. Wein ed. The book is intended for students of vegetable crops as a ready reference. In the chapter we cover most aspects of the physiology of the pea plant and attempt to go in depth on the initiation of flowering and the effects of environmental factors on plant growth. Mineral nutrient disorders are included. There is also an attempt to describe the different types of peas such as freezers, canners, dry peas, marrowfats and winter peas. Aspects of the physiology of these different types are discussed.
Technical Abstract: Peas are an important vegetable crop in temperate and sub-tropical regions of the world. Besides its importance as a crop plant, peas are the organism of choice for many physiological and genetic studies. In this chapter concerning the pea plant, we review the origin, domestication, seed anatomy and germination, vegetative growth patterns, flowering, pod and seed development, seed dessication and maturity, reproductive growth and partitioning, climatic requirements, mineral nutrition, physiological disorders, varieties, and prospects for the future. Most aspects of the physiology of the pea plant are included and discussed.