Forage vetch (Vicia faba L.) – a high-protein crop widely used in animal husbandry as grain and green mass. Seeds contain about 250 g of protein per kilogram, while the dry matter of green mass reaches 18–24 %, of which protein accounts for approximately 24 g. Due to high yield (up to 2–3 t/ha of grain and 30–55 t/ha of green mass), they are a valuable raw material for compound feed industry, and can also be used as silage, silage hay, or forage preparation in mix with other crops.
Vetches have a number of agronomic advantages: they are capable of fixing nitrogen from the air, thereby improving soil fertility; they grow well on strong and heavy soils, but require sufficient moisture. Optimal growth temperature is 15–20 °C, seeds germinate at 3–6 °C, and seedlings withstand frost down to –6 °C. With excess moisture, the risk of diseases increases and yield decreases, so fertile, clayey, alluvial, and chernozem soils are preferred.
Forage vetch varieties include 'Istok', 'Maria', 'Orletckie', 'Penza 16', 'Uzunovskie', and others. They are characterized by a large root system with nodules penetrating into the soil up to 1–1.5 m, a sturdy stem over 100 cm high, and fleshy leaves. Flowers are large white with black spots, and seeds can be brown, black, yellow, or green. Vetches are low-demanding in heat, but moisture-loving during the period from sowing to full flowering, which makes them especially suitable for humid climatic zones of forest-steppe and forest zones.
