Cultivation

Hairy vetch as forage

Vicia villosa Roth

Hairy vetch is a high-protein crop, essential for the early spring green forage supply chain due to its ability to provide feed in mid-May. It is distinguished by its high nutritional value and the absence of toxic glycosides, which allows it to be fed to livestock without restrictions.

In the reference 18 varieties crop Hairy vetch, where this is mentioned in the description.

The crop provides early high-protein feed when other perennial grasses have not yet accumulated sufficient vegetative mass. In mixtures with winter cereals, hairy vetch serves as the primary legume component, ensuring a balanced diet during the period between the end of stall feeding and the first cut of perennial grasses.

The crude protein content in hay reaches 15–25 percent, which is comparable to alfalfa and exceeds the indicators of common vetch. The green mass does not contain glycosides, including vicianin, which eliminates the risk of animal poisoning. High winter hardiness and the ability for intensive early spring regrowth allow the harvest to be used for hay, haylage, silage, and the production of grass meal.

General information about the subject — on the page Forage purpose.

Sources8

Varieties of Hairy vetch mentioned in the description

Selection based on the description text, not on official evaluation: these data are absent from registers. For specific variety details, please refer to its profile.