Summary1Poor stands of peas due to fungal rotting were observed in field experimental plots in widely separated pea‐growing districts.2The rotting was not due to seed‐borneAscochyta pisiorMycosphaerella pinodeswhich were apparently absent from the seed.3Isolations from surface sterilized cotyledons of several varieties of peas grown in sterilized and unsterilized soil showed an abundance of common moulds and several pathogenic fungi, namely: aFusariumof the sectionRoseum, Fusarium culmorumandBotrytis cinerea.4Isolations from surface sterilized rotting stems from five experimental centres at harvest time indicated the presence of a great variety of fungi including a number of species ofFusarium. Many of these, including all the common moulds such asPenicillium, were non‐pathogenic to the cotyledons.Fusarium avenaceumwas found to be highly pathogenic to the cotyledons;F. solanivar.Martiishowed some signs of causing rotting;Botrytis cinereawas highly pathogenic. Several non‐pathogenic species ofFusariumwere obtained.5Tests with numerous stock cultures show high pathogenicity of the following fungi to pea cotyledons:Botrytis cinereafromLactuca, Rosaand elsewhere.Fusarium avenaceumfromTriticum.Fusarium culmorumfromTriticum, DianthusandCallistephus.Fusariumspecies fromVicia fabaandTulipa.Helminthosporium sativumfromTriticum.Ophiobolus heterostrophusfromOryza.Sclerotiniaspecies fromLactuca.Fusarium GraminearumfromTriticum.6It is suggested that loss of stand in pea crops due to rotting of the cotyledons by these and other fungi is probably more important than diseases caused byAscochytaandMycosphaerellaand foot‐rots in the l