The inclusion of competitive crop cultivars in crop rotations is an
important integrated weed management (IWM) tool. However, competitiveness is
often not considered a priority for breeding or cultivar selection by
growers. Field pea (Pisum sativum L.) is often considered a
poor competitor with weeds, but it is not known whether competitiveness
varies among semileafless cultivars. The objectives of this study were to
determine if semileafless field pea cultivars vary in their ability to
compete and/or withstand competition, as well as to identify aboveground
trait(s) that may be associated with increased competitive ability. Field
experiments were conducted in 2012 and 2013 at three locations in western
Canada. Fourteen semileafless field pea cultivars were included in the study
representing four different market classes. Cultivars were grown either in
the presence or absence of model weeds (wheat and canola), and competitive
ability of the cultivars was determined based on their ability to withstand
competition (AWC) and their ability to compete (AC). Crop yield, weed
biomass and weed fecundity varied among sites but not years. Cultivars
exhibited inconsistent differences in competitive ability, although cv.
Reward consistently exhibited the lowest AC and AWC. None of the traits
measured in this study correlated highly with competitive ability. However,
the highest-yielding cultivars generally were those that had the highest AC,
whereas cultivars that ranked highest for AWC were associated with lower
weed fecundity. Ranking the competitive ability of field pea cultivars could
be an important IWM tool for growers and agronomists.