This article provides an overview of the production and use of field pea in European farming systems. Pea is cultivated in Europe for both human consumption and for animal feeding. For food, pea is consumed as dry seeds, green pods or green seeds (fresh, canned or frozen). Field pea is also used for animal feed. Pea production has declined in the region; however, interest in pea cultivation has recently revived. Pea production provides several agronomic advantages in the Mediterranean region supporting more sustainable cropping systems and reduced nitrogen fertiliser use. Furthermore, peas for animal feed partly substitute for the increasingly expensive imported soybean. In addition to describing the current situation of pea cultivation and the future perspectives, this chapter reports on the adaptability of pea in Europe, cropping techniques with emphasis on modern farming practices and varieties that make their cultivation more profitable and more attractive to growers, and the cropping systems that are commonly used for field pea production. The currently applied cropping practices in the region, including rotation, soil tillage practices, fertilisation, sowing and crop density, weed, pest and disease management, irrigation and harvesting, are outlined.

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In the present study, the selectivity and efficacy of several post and pre-emergence herbicides in chia (Salvia hispanica L.) were examined. Field experiments were conducted at two locations with different soil types and environmental conditions. Our results showed that the pre-emergence application of pendimethalin, oxyfluorfen and linuron reduced total weed density by 71-74%, 74-82% and 53-55%, respectively. Despite their high effectiveness against specific weed species, the abovementioned herbicides had a negative effect on plant density and biomass yield. In addition, herbicides bentazon and fluazifopp-butyl which applied post-emergence did not affect significantly plant height and biomass yield. In conclusion, the herbicides linuron, pendimethalin and oyxfluorfen do not seem to be a viable option for weed control in chia crop, whereas the postemergence applied herbicides did not affect significantly plants' growth. Further evaluation of chia tolerance to herbicides is needed under different application rates in order to make safe suggestions for chemical control of weeds.

Rt inoculation of hydroponic bean provides no advantage when full-N NS is supplied, while 1/3 of full-N or N-free NS suppresses plant biomass and yield, partly because the restricted NO supply impairs cation uptake. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry.

To date, few attempts have been made to assess the impact of Rhizobium inoculation on N2 fixation and plant yield in soilless cultivations of common bean. In the present study, common bean (P. vulgaris L.) grown on an inert medium (pumice) was inoculated with either Rhizobium tropici CIAT899 or a commercial product containing a mix of N2-fixing bacteria, specifically rhizobia, and Azotobacter sp. The plants treated with both inoculants were supplied with nitrogen (N)-free (0% N) nutrient solution (NS) throughout the cropping period. A third treatment with non-inoculated plants, which were supplied with a standard (100% N) NS was applied as a control. Inoculation with R. tropici significantly increased the total number of root nodules (80 nodules per plant on average) in comparison with the other two treatments (nine nodules per plant on average). The supply of N-free NS restricted markedly both total plant biomass and pod yield, whereas the inoculation with R. tropici mitigated this effect. The aboveground tissues of plants fed with N-free NS contained appreciably less N than those fed with standard solution when they were inoculated with the commercial inoculant (1.7 vs. 29 mg·g−1 dry weight, respectively). The shoot total N concentration 45, 65, and 90 days after transplanting (32, 31, and 29 mg·g−1 dry weight, respectively) was not reduced by the supply of N-free NS when the plants were inoculated with R. tropici. This finding indicates that, at least from the first sampling date onward, the tissue N level was not a limiting factor for growth and yield in plants inoculated with R. tropici. The supply of N-free NS restricted appreciably the potassium (K), magnesium (Mg), and zinc (Zn) levels in the aboveground plant biomass, regardless of inoculation treatment. The impaired growth and yield in plants fed with N-free NS and inoculated with R. tropici is ascribed to both a N shortage at early growth stages and a reduced K+ uptake aimed at electrochemically balancing the anion-to-cation uptake ratio under conditions of no external NO3– supply.