Teagasc Crop Report
Peas
Peas
To view the full report you must have an existing account with Teagasc ConnectEd.
Farmers sign in hereAlready have a ConnectEd account? Connected Client or Teagasc staff log in here
Peas
Peas or combining peas, as they are often called, are an indigenous source of protein for animal feed and have a better inclusion profile in animal rations than beans. They also are one of the few crops that can be grown directly for the food market in Ireland. Protein aid which is a coupled payment for eligible nitrogen fixing crops (beans, peas, soya & lupins) has a total fund of €10 million in 2025 which is divided by the eligible area to give a payment per hectare
Table 1; Area and protein payment for peas
| Year | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| National area | 776 | 484 | 545 | 742 | 931 |
| Average Yield T/ha | 4.5 | 4.5 | 5.68 | 4.5 | 5.1 |
| Protein Payment €/ha | 215 | 300 | 300 | 583 | 493 |
Like all legumes, peas have the ability to fix their own nitrogen are a relatively inexpensive crop to grow compared to many other combinable crops. As they fix nitrogen they can help reduce the costs of growing the following crop. They are an ideal break crop for cereals as they provide a complete break from disease and pest cycles and they provide an ideal opportunity to control grass weeds.
Rotation & soil type
Beans/Peas (and other legumes) should be grown in a one-in-five rotation to avoid the build -up of soil borne diseases and insects such as bean weevil. Because of the risk of sclerotinia there should be a gap of at least two years between peas and oilseed rape.
Peas prefer light well drained soils compared to beans and therefore an an better alternative protein crop to that type of land, soils with pH of 6.5 -7.0 are ideal. Avoid soils that are prone to waterlogging or susceptible to compaction.