The effect of water shortage on pea (Pisum sativum L.) productivity in relation to the pod position on the stem

The literature contains few studies on the effect of temporary soil drought on the development and productivity of pea (Pisum sativum L.) pods in relation to their position in the fruiting part of the stem. The aim of this study was to evaluate pod productivity of various pea cultivars in relation to varied weather conditions. Differences in precipitation during two growing seasons resulted in a decrease in yield of 0.62 t ha−1 in a dry year in comparison to a year with better water availability. Pisum sativum ‘Tarchalska’ proved to be the most stable in terms of the number of pods produced, whilst ‘Prophet’ was the least. Weather conditions and cultivars were the determinants of pod production. Pea pods were distinguished by their position on the productive node. Larger and more productive pods were found on the lowest four productive nodes (which had a longer period of nutrient accumulation) resulting in higher seed mass. Productivity increased in the year with favorable weather conditions, as more of the upper nodes were reproductive. The first four nodes produced 45–91% of the yield. The number of seeds in the first three nodes was significantly cultivar-dependent, whereas the number of seeds in pods at all nodes was determined by weather conditions. Significantly more seeds were formed from each node in the wetter year. Pisum sativum ‘Audit’ was not sensitive to weather conditions, producing the same yield in the both years of the study