University of Nebraska-Lincoln field pea variety trial plot tours are scheduled for June 21-22 at Grant and Sidney. The Alliance field pea variety tour has been canceled due to last week’s hailstorm.

The tours provide an opportunity for farmers and others to learn more about new varieties and other topics relevant to wheat and peas. 

Pea variety trials are being conducted at three sites in the Panhandle and southwest Nebraska: Box Butte County near Alliance (11 varieties), Cheyenne County near Sidney (28 varieties), and Perkins County near Grant (23 varieties). Each site is dryland. Field pea varieties were provided by four commercial seed companies: Meridian Seeds (seven varieties), Pulse USA (four), ProGene Plant Research (eight), Valesco Genetics (five) and ND Crop Improvement (four). All but seven, which are green, are yellow field peas. 

Speakers from UNL and seed companies will speak during the tours. 

Tour dates: 

• June 21, Grant — 8 a.m. at Stumpf Farm Research Center. Directions: From Grant, east one mile on Rd 761, one mile south on Rd 329, 0.25 miles east on Rd 760, plot is on the north side of the road. 
• June 22, Sidney — 9 a.m., High Plains Ag Lab, Sidney: Directions: From Sidney, head north on Hwy 385 and turn west on Rd 32 (at the Huntsman Elevator). Turn north on Rd 111 and in one-third mile head west on Rd 32N, which will loop slightly. Meet at shop on 32N and park on north side of road. 

“We appreciate the generosity of the cooperative growers,” Santra said. 

For more information, call Santra at 308-632-1244 or 308-765-2324 (cell) or UNL Research Technician Vernon Florke at 308-249-3161.