Lyuba

Vicia «Lyuba» – an annual legume plant specifically bred as a feed crop with high yield and high protein content. On 100 kg of hay, there are usually about 46 feed units (fruits), each of which contains approximately 123 g of protein. The green mass of vicia reaches 60‑70% of the total mass, and the green mass yield is 300‑400 centners per hectare; hay – up to 60‑80 centners per hectare.

The crop is grown both as a standalone and in mixtures with oats, peas, cabbage, and other crops. The stem of the «Lyuba» variety is thin, branched, and 80‑100 cm long; leaves are pinnately compound with 5‑8 pairs of leaflets ending with tendrils. Flowers are purple, pink, sometimes white, self-pollinating. Seeds have a mass of 1000 g and contain 40‑60 g of seeds. They ripen in 75‑140 days, and flowering occurs 40‑60 days after seedling emergence.

Growth begins at a temperature of 2‑4 °C; seedlings withstand frosts of -3…-4 °C. Vicia does not require heat and consumes the most moisture from the beginning of flowering to pod formation, so for hay production it is recommended to start mowing at the beginning of flowering, and for silage – at mass pod formation. The plant tolerates moderate climatic conditions well and can be used as a feed crop in various agronomic systems.

Diseases that may affect «Lyuba» include powdery rust (Podosphaera), root rot, and fungal infections. Prevention involves standard seed treatment methods and maintaining healthy soil microflora.