Inoculated field experiments were carried out in 1994 and 1995 to study the effect of the timing of inoculation with Mycosphaerella pinodes (Berk. & Bloxam) Vestergren on disease development, yield reduction and seed infection, in three field pea (Pisum sativum L.) cv. Bohatyr, cv. Scorpio and cv. Triumph. The greatest impact of inoculation on all disease and yield parameters was at the 8–10 node stage in 1994, and at the mid-flowering stage in 1995. The lowest impact of inoculation was at the pod swell stage for both years. When inoculated at 8–10 nodes, mid-flowering and pod swell stages, M. pinodes reduced yield by 31, 24 and 19%, respectively, in 1994 and 33, 43 and 30%, respectively, in 1995. The 1000-seed weight was not affected by the timing of inoculation; however, all inoculations reduced seed weight in both years. Plant-to-seed transmission of M. pinodes was affected by the timing of inoculation in 1994, but not in 1995. Results of this study suggest that prevention of early infection by M. pinodes will provide the best economic return in a mycosphaerella blight control program on field pea. Key words: Mycosphaerella blight, Mycosphaerella pinodes, field pea, Pisum sativum, yield reduction