Origin of Vegetable pea

• Archaeological studies have indicated that pea has been cultivated since ancient times. Pea probably originated in southwestern Asia, possibly northwestern India, Pakistan or adjacent areas of former USSR and Afghanistan and thereafter spread to the temperate zones of Europe.
• Based on genetic diversity, four centers of origins, namely, Central Asia, the near East, Abyssinia and the Mediterranean have been recognized. Non-pigmented peas to be used as a vegetable were grown in United Kingdom in the middle Ages.
• Pea was introduced into the Americas soon after Columbus and a winter types pea was introduced from Austria in 1992. Pea was taken to China in the first century.
• Peas were reported to be originally cultivated as a winter annual crop in the Mediterranean region.