VETCH (Vicia L.)

Seeds

Importance and grain composition:

The vetch belongs to feed legumes, but it is used mainly for fodder. Seeds are high in antinutritional substances, and have a bitter taste so animals do not like to eat them. When amounts of vetch higher than 1 kg are fed to lactating cows, milk taste can be compromised.

Vetch seeds contain 28-35% crude protein, about 60% nitrogen-free extract, 7% crude fibre, 1.5% fat and 2-3% minerals. They contain antinutritional substances vicine and convicine (the same as the horse bean) that cause favism (also called vicism). The seeds also contain cyanogenic glycoside vicianine, lathyrogens and small amounts of tannins. Lathyrogens are toxic non-protein aminoacids and their derivatives that are present in seeds of the genera Vicia and Lathyrus. They cause a condition lathyrism in animals and humans. From farm animals, poultry is the most sensitive to lathyrogen effect. The disease affects the central nervous system and its clinical signs include muscle stiffening and weakness, mainly of legs. Because of their negative dietetic properties, vetch seeds are not suitable for late pregnancy and lactating females and young animals.

 Cultivation requirements:

In this country two winter vetch species are grown, the hairy vetch (Vicia villosa Roth.) and Pannonian vetch (Vicia pannonica Grantz.), and one spring species, the common vetch (Vicia sativa L.). They are usually grown in mixtures with cereals that serve as supporting plants for procumbent vetch stalks. It is not demanding for cultivation conditions, it tolerates even lighter sandy soils, except the Pannonian vetch that requires heavier soils.