Lathyrus sativus

Chickling vetch, grass pea

Annual herb of many varieties, differing in flower and seed colour, plant size and shape. Foliage and seeds used for forage; the latter also for human consumption. Not toxic if fed together with a good source of vitamin A, such as fresh green feed. Heat treatment of the seeds improves their nutritive value. If sown among transplanted rice plants, it will grow up after the rice is harvested and provide graze for cattle.

As % of dry matter

DM

CP

CF

Ash

EE

NFE

Ca

P

Ref

Fresh, late vege-

tative, Israel

17.4

20.7

23.0

10.9

3.4

42.0

1.32

0.34

365

Fresh, early bloom,

Israel

21.8

14.7

29.8

14.2

2.8

38.5

1.56

0.37

"

Fresh, mid-bloom

28.0

17.9

30.4

12.5

2.4

37.1

1.00

0.21

"

Hay, Israel

88.9

18.2

30.5

11.1

3.3

36.9

"

Seeds, Israel

89.6

27.6

8.4

5.1

0.9

58.0

"

Seeds, Chile

89.4

20.9

5.9

2.6

2.0

68.6

0.65

0.30

315

Digestibility (%)

Animal

CP

CF

EE

NFE

ME

Ref

Fresh, pre-bloom

Sheep

79.0

63.0

52.0

88.0

2.70

365

Fresh, early bloom

Sheep

74.0

55.0

48.0

81.0

2.29

"

Fresh, mid-bloom

Sheep

75.0

73.0

34.0

63.0

2.29

"

Hay

Sheep

75.0

61.0

57.0

72.0

2.37

"

Seeds

Sheep

90.0

86.0

99.9

94.0

3.38

"

Nylon bag degradability

a

b

c

12hr

48hr

Ref

(%)

(%)

(/hour)

(%)

(%)

Lathyrus cicera, grain,

Portugal

DM

28.5

66.0

0.0624

91.2

627

Lathyrus ochrus, grain,

Portugal

DM

39.8

54.4

0.0587

89.3

"

[P (rumen degradability at time t) = a+b*(1-exp(-c*t))]

Amino acid composition as % of crude protein

Seed

Ref

419

Arg

Cys

Gly

Hys

Ils

Leu

Lys

Met

Phe

Thr

Try

Tyr

Val

3.3

-

3.9

2.7

3.9

6.4

9.7

0.6

3.0

3.8

-

1.4

5.9