Struggling to successfully drill peas

[Karlis]

I am relying on peas to be important crop in our rotation moving towards the notill system. Beans have had good success when direct drilling with the disc drill, but it is riskier crop to grow in our region (might not rain in the summer and pests will destroy the crop) and the harvesting is usually more than 1 month later than compared to the peas and it might be too late to drill winter wheat. This year my 70 ha drilled peas (yellow) is a major bust. A lot of the seeds have rotten in the soil. Drilled at 4 cm depth, 110 seeds/m2, added 250 kg/ha NPKS (15-15-15-11) along with the seed (which might be the problem?). Previous crop: cereal rye and spelt wheat, chopped straw, but a lot of trash at the time of drilling, no hairpinning.
Have you ever drilled no till peas with the disc drill? Any ideas why the seed has rotten?
Possible reasons:
1. It does not like straw;
2. Fert with the seed, dry and cold spring
?

 

[Karlis]

Edit: the seed is good quality, my neighbour also drilled the same seed after plough and it has germinated nicely

 

[Badshot]

For the seed to rot, it must have been too wet at some point.
Either, at drilling or after, or most likely, both.

Potentially the cold soil will have stopped germination, DD soil is colder in spring if a good cover reflecting sunlight.

 

[Karlis]

Temperature could be a factor. Where there is no trash it has germinated much better. Although, the soil may have been cold at the time of the drilling, but definitely it was not wet and basically no rain since drilled.

 

[Will Blackburn]

Temperature could be a factor. Where there is no trash it has germinated much better. Although, the soil may have been cold at the time of the drilling, but definitely it was not wet and basically no rain since drilled.

More likely a to be fertiliser issue, less moisture where there is cover equals more salt issues with the fertiliser?

 

[Karlis]

More likely a to be fertiliser issue, less moisture where there is cover equals more salt issues with the fertiliser?

Could be. Next year I will defenitely use rake before drilling and perhaps broadcast starter fert before raking. In June I will drill small 2 ha peas cover crop for winter wheat and experiment with different depths, fert, no fert and rolling, not rolling. Of course it will not be spring anymore. Although, the spring has been pain in the a** this year. No moisture and cold