Cultivation

Silage and Haylage — Hairy Vetch

Vicia villosa Roth

Hairy vetch is used for silage and haylage production, primarily in grass-legume mixtures, to balance the sugar-protein ratio and increase the protein content in fodder.

In the reference 14 varieties crop Hairy vetch, where this is mentioned in the description.

Hairy vetch is rarely ensiled in pure form due to its high buffering capacity, caused by a crude protein content of 15–20% in dry matter. In forage production practice, the crop is used as a component in mixtures with winter rye, triticale, or other cereals, which significantly increases the nutritional value of haylage and improves the fermentation process.

The harvesting technology requires wilting the vetch-cereal mass to a moisture content of about 70% to neutralize the high buffering capacity of the legume component. Hairy vetch is valued for its rapid accumulation of dry matter during early growth stages and its ability to provide high-protein fodder when grown on sandy and slightly acidic soils.

General information about the subject — on the page Silage and haylage.

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.