Mechanical attributes of Swedish pea cultivars

Mechanical or textural attributes of pulses like Swedish pea are important for milling process development like dehulling, splitting of cotyledons or making flour. This research is an attempt to gain better understanding of the compression and fracture behavior, cotyledon splitting and dehulling phenomena of Swedish pea cultivars (Ingrid, Clara and Balder) harvested from different years (2018, 2019 and 2020) in relation to chemical compositional profile and physical attributes. Physical attributes of Swedish pea were highly associated with specific cultivar types and environmental growth conditions. Majority of the chemical components (starch, dietary fibers) in pea samples were not significantly different between the cultivars or harvest years. Only protein content (16.9–19.6 % range) differed significantly between the cultivars and harvest years. Environmental conditions of the harvest year or cultivar types could not cast any significant difference in fracture or dehulling related parameters. Cotyledon splitting phenomena were significantly linked to different size and shape related parameters and starch content (47.6–50.0 % range). This study applies fracture mechanics principles to classify Swedish pea cultivars in terms of different mechanical attributes. Our work will help plant breeders to find scientific insight for gene targeting for future crop development with better milling efficiency and pulse milling industry to adopt pea cultivar specific dehulling and milling process development.