[Crops 101] How To Sow & Harvest Peas

Welcome to your next “Crops 101” lesson of the Farming Simulator Academy! This time, we show you how to plant, harvest, and process those green pearls. Let’s get started!

What Is Special About Peas?

• Peas only take four months to grow.
• You need a special pea harvester. Since it is very expensive you can also lease one only for harvesting season.
• You can sell peas directly or process them into canned peas at the preserved food factory.

What You Need For Peas

Let’s take a look at the equipment you need to grow peas. Some additional machines help you improve your yield but are not strictly required.

• Tractor: Used to operate most of the following tools.
• Cultivator: Prepares the soil before sowing. You can skip this step when using a seeder that supports direct seeding.
• Seeder: Plants peas and needs to be filled with seeds.
• Roller: Use it after sowing for a small yield bonus.
• Fertilizer spreader: Recommended to increase your yield. Some spreaders can also apply lime.
• Weeder: Removing weeds also increases your yield.
• Pea harvester: A specialized machine such as the Oxbo EPD540e is required to harvest peas.
• Trailer: Transports the harvested peas to a selling point or production facility.

Let’s Get To Work!

If seasonal growth is enabled, sow peas in March or April. Depending on when you plant them, they will be ready for harvest between July and September.

Step 1: Applying lime

Your field sometimes needs lime. Check the field information box to see if that’s the case. If you bought the Bredal K105 as your fertilizer spreader, you can use this machine for lime as well.

Step 2: Cultivating the field

Again check the field information. If it tells you that the field needs plowing, use a plow to prepare it. If not, a cultivator is enough. Lower the machine and work the entire field. If your seeder supports direct seeding, you can skip cultivating.

Learn more about plowing and cultivating.

Step 3: Planting peas

Fill your seeder with seeds and select peas as the crop. Lower and activate the seeder, then cover the entire field.

Want to know more about seeding and planting?

Step 4: Fertilizing

If you used the same spreader for lime, unload any leftovers at your farm first and refill the machine with fertilizer. Head back to the field, activate the spreader, and cover the entire area with fertilizer.

You can fertilize your crops a second time after they have started to grow. There has to be a growth stage between the two applications to reach the full fertilization level.

Tip! With a manure or slurry spreader, you can activate the double application rate to reach full fertilization with one application.

Need more information about fertilizing?

Step 5: Rolling

After sowing, you can roll the field for an additional 2.5% yield bonus. Lower the roller and cover the freshly sown field once.

Visit our tutorial about soil rolling.

Step 6: Getting rid of weeds

Remove weeds as soon as they appear to prevent a yield penalty. Young weeds can be removed mechanically with a weeder. Larger weeds require a hoe or herbicide. If crop destruction is enabled, use narrow tires when driving through growing peas to avoid damaging them.

Click here for more detailed information about weeds.

Step 7: Harvesting peas

As soon as the peas are fully grown, you shouldn’t waste too much time, so they don’t start to wither. Unfold your harvester if necessary, lower the header, activate the machine, and start harvesting one row after another.

Keep an eye on the fill level of the harvester while you work. Once it is full, bring your trailer alongside the harvester. Unfold the pipe and start overloading the harvested peas into the trailer.

Step 8: Selling peas

You can sell the harvested peas directly. Check the prices screen to find a selling point offering a good price, drive there with your trailer, and unload in the designated area

Processing Peas: Products

Instead of selling your peas directly, you can deliver them to the preserved food factory. There, peas can be processed into canned peas, which you can then sell as a finished product.

Well Done!

Congratulations! You now know how to sow and harvest peas in Farming Simulator. When you're ready, continue with the next Farming Simulator Academy lesson!