Vicia sativa

Common vetch, tares

Twining herb up to 2 m long, of great importance in temperate climates and producing a reasonable bulk of forage in cooler areas of the tropics. Can either be cut for fodder or grazed. Usually sown with a cereal to support the weak vines.

As % of dry matter

DM

CP

CF

Ash

EE

NFE

Ca

P

Ref

Fresh, early vege-

tative, Kenya

35.9

21.3

9.2

2.8

30.8

0.49

0.61

134

Fresh, early bloom,

Kenya

26.5

24.3

11.2

3.1

34.9

0.97

0.42

"

Fresh, full bloom,

Kenya

18.6

31.9

9.3

2.4

37.8

1.28

0.26

"

Fresh, 10 weeks,

Israel

16.6

22.9

25.3

12.0

3.0

36.8

0.96

0.30

365

Hay, Israel

89.1

19.0

28.5

9.1

2.4

41.0

1.11

0.30

"

Digestibility (%)

Animal

CP

CF

EE

NFE

ME

Ref

Fresh, 10 weeks

Sheep

81.0

53.0

51.0

74.0

2.39

365

Hay

Sheep

81.0

49.0

48.0

70.0

2.30

"

Nylon bag degradability

a

b

c

12hr

48hr

Ref

(%)

(%)

(/hour)

(%)

(%)

Grain, Portugal

DM

42.1

52.1

0.0745

93.0

627

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

Amino acid composition as % of crude protein

Aerial part

Ref

419

Arg

Cys

Gly

His

Ils

Leu

Lys

Met

Phe

Thr

Try

Tyr

Val

5.3

-

1.9

1.3

3.7

7.5

5.3

0.9

2.7

5.8

-

1.2

1.8