: In this study, 15 pea (Pisum sativum L.) cultivars sown in autumn and spring were investigated for their fresh pod yield and pod characteristics under Samsun ecological conditions during the 1999-2000 and 2000-2001 growing seasons. The results of the study for fresh pod yield from the combined 2 years showed that there was a statistically significant difference among the cultivars. The highest fresh pod yield was obtained from Vilmoren (17,840 kg ha-1), followed by Lancet (14,290 kg ha-1), Agromar AG 7306 (13,880 kg ha-1), Jumbo (13,830 kg ha-1), Sprinter (13,690 kg ha-1), Sugar Bon (12,370 kg ha-1), Bolero (12,800 kg ha-1) and Progress No. 9 (12,300 kg ha-1). In addition to high fresh pod yield, there are many other important factors such as low harvest cost, inflated and long pods, large fresh seeds and fresh seed yield after shelling for determining suitable cultivars. When all these factors were considered, Vilmoren, Lancet, Jumbo, Bolero, Agromar AG 7306 and Progress No. 9 cultivars were more suited to Samsun conditions than the others because of their high fresh pod yield, fresh seed yield after shelling long pods and high fresh seed percentage remaining above a 9.5 mm sieve. Fresh pod yield and pod number per plant, pod length, thickness and width for autumn sowing were significantly higher than those for spring sowing. Significantly higher seed numbers per pod and fresh seed weight to fresh pod weights were obtained from spring sowing.

: In this study, 15 pea (Pisum sativum L.) cultivars sown in autumn and spring were investigated for their fresh pod yield and pod characteristics under Samsun ecological conditions during the 1999-2000 and 2000-2001 growing seasons. The results of the study for fresh pod yield from the combined 2 years showed that there was a statistically significant difference among the cultivars. The highest fresh pod yield was obtained from Vilmoren (17,840 kg ha-1), followed by Lancet (14,290 kg ha-1), Agromar AG 7306 (13,880 kg ha-1), Jumbo (13,830 kg ha-1), Sprinter (13,690 kg ha-1), Sugar Bon (12,370 kg ha-1), Bolero (12,800 kg ha-1) and Progress No. 9 (12,300 kg ha-1). In addition to high fresh pod yield, there are many other important factors such as low harvest cost, inflated and long pods, large fresh seeds and fresh seed yield after shelling for determining suitable cultivars. When all these factors were considered, Vilmoren, Lancet, Jumbo, Bolero, Agromar AG 7306 and Progress No. 9 cultivars were more suited to Samsun conditions than the others because of their high fresh pod yield, fresh seed yield after shelling long pods and high fresh seed percentage remaining above a 9.5 mm sieve. Fresh pod yield and pod number per plant, pod length, thickness and width for autumn sowing were significantly higher than those for spring sowing. Significantly higher seed numbers per pod and fresh seed weight to fresh pod weights were obtained from spring sowing.