Potential of the less widespread species of annual legumes for forage: Faba bean (Vicia faba l)

Abstract

Although commonly regarded as on of the most important grain legumes, faba bean (Vicia faba L) can be successfully grown for green forage, silage and green manure. A small-plot trial has been carried out at the Rimski Sancevi Experiment Field of the Institute of Field and Vegetable Crops during 2005 and 2006, including ten faba bean genotypes of diverse geographic origin from the Annual Forage Legumes Collection of the Forage Crops Department (Tab. 1). All genotypes were sown in early March, with a crop density of 70 plants rrr2, and were cut in the stages of full flowering and forming of the first pods. There were significant differences in all monitored characteristics between the ten examined genotypes at the levels of 0.05 and 0.01 (Tab. 2). Green forage yield, measured in situ after the cutting, in average varied between 26.11 ha-1 in Debek and 51.4 t ha-1 in PP2. Forage dry matter yield, determined on the basis of green forage samples taken after the cutting and dried at room temperature, in average ranged from 12.7 t ha-1 in Brok to 3.91 ha-1 Debek. Forage dry matter portion, calculated as a ratio between forage dry matter yield and green forage yield, in average varied from 0.15 in FP 1 and Debek to 0.29 in Brok. Potential forage crude protein yield, determined on the basis of forage dry matter yield and an average value of forage crude protein content in faba bean of 206.8 g kg-1, in average ranged between 807 kg ha-1 in Debek and 2625 kg ha-1 in Brok. Faba bean has a considerable potential for forage production, with forage yields at the same level as forage pea and common vetch and forage crude protein yields of more than 1500 kg ha-1, as well as for green manuring, establishing itself as a crop for modern trends such as organic farming and sustainable agriculture. The authors would like to express their sincere gratitude to the Research Institute of Plant Production Piest'any in Piest'any, Slovakia, as one of the donors of the Annual Forage Legumes Collection.

Kao zrna mahunarka, bob (Vicia faba L) poseduje veliki potencijal za proizvodnju krme i primenu u vidu zelenišnog đubriva. Mikroogled, izveden tokom 2005. i 2006. godine na oglednom polju Instituta na Rimskim Šančevima uključio je deset genotipova boba različitog geografskog porekla. Prosečan prinos zelene krme varirao je između 26,1 t ha-1 kod genotipa Debek i 51,4 t ha-1 kod genotipa PP 2. Najviši prinos suve materije krme utvrđen je kod genotipa Brok (12,7 t ha-1), dok je najniži prinos suve materije krme utvrđen kod genotipa Debek (3,9 t ha-1). Genotip Brok odlikovao se najvišim udelom suve materije krme (0,29), a genotipovi PP 1 i Debek najnižim udelom suve materije krme (0,15). Prosečne vrednosti ostvarivog prinosa sirovih proteina krme kretale su se od 807 kg ha-1 kod genotipa Debek, do 2625 kg ha-1 kod genotipa Brok. Utvrđeno je postojanje značajnih razlika u prosečnim vrednostima svih praćenih osobina na oba nivoa značajnosti.