Influence of genotype and environment on field pea composition and milling traits

The rise in popularity of field peas (Pisum sativum) can be linked to their advantageous health and nutritional properties. Field pea seeds, yellow or green, are often consumed as an ingredient after being dehulled, split, and ground into flour. This study investigated the effects of genotype, growing location, and their interaction on milling of peas and on the chemical and physical characteristics of pea seeds by testing eight genotypes of yellow peas grown in four different locations.

The growing location influenced the contents of ash, fat, and protein in the seeds, measured by near-infrared reflectance spectroscopy. A positive correlation was observed between seed weight and surface area, evaluated by image analysis. Seeds were milled with an ultracentrifugal mill for measurement of dehulling and splitting efficiency (DSE), and quantification of coarse flour and fine flour yield. Positive correlations were observed between both DSE and coarse fraction and DSE and flour yield. Genotype and location affected DSE and coarse fraction, with a greater influence from the growing location. Fine flour yield was impacted by pea genotype. The milling traits had significant genotype × location interaction.

This study demonstrated that genotype and growing location influenced the milling of yellow peas and the fine flour yield. This information can assist breeding programs to select cultivars to achieve a more efficient milling and improve quality and use of yellow peas. © 2025 The Author(s). Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry. This article has been contributed to by U.S. Government employees and their work is in the public domain in the USA.