FIANIT

Galega orientalis Lam. (goat's rue) is a perennial leguminous plant valued as a nectar plant and cover crop. The bush height ranges from 140 to 180 cm, with erect, hollow stems having a rough surface and branching limited to three to four branches. The leaves are odd-pinnate, large, 15–30 cm long, consisting of 9–15 oval leaflets. Inflorescences are erect racemes up to 20 cm long, containing numerous blue-violet flowers. Fruits are pods 2–4 cm long, containing several seeds.

Goat's rue is distinguished by its powerful taproot system penetrating to a depth of 50–80 cm and forming horizontal shoots capable of vegetative reproduction. This allows the plant to quickly fill the soil, enriching it with nitrogen and serving as an excellent cover crop for subsequent crops. Flowering begins at the end of May and continues until the beginning of July (30–40 days), allowing the use of goat's rue as an early nectar plant while simultaneously improving soil fertility.

For growing goat's rue, spring sowing is recommended, but no later than mid-June, so the plant has time to germinate and form a root system before winter. Seeds require scarification and can be treated with preparations containing rhizobial bacteria to improve germination. Green mass yield reaches 270–280 kg/ha, and seed yield is about 4.3 kg/ha. The plant is resistant to diseases and pests but is sensitive to shading by weeds due to its high light requirement at the beginning of growth.

Goat's rue is also widely used as a forage plant: after flowering, it can be mowed for hay or silage, and then used for autumn aftermath. Thanks to its frost resistance (wintering down to –25 °C) and ability to withstand spring drought, goat's rue grows successfully in various climatic conditions while maintaining seed viability up to 8 years.