Some biological features and biochemical composition of crown vetch (Coronilla varia L.) in Moldova

Abstract

Forage legumes are an essential component of agricultural systems in temperate regions of the world, providing high quality animal feed, suitable ground cover, and a valuable source of nitrogen. The crown vetch, Coronilla varia, maintained in monoculture, on non irrigated experimental land in the Botanical Garden (I) of the Academy of Sciences of Moldova, served as object of study, the traditional forage legumes: alfalfa, Medicago sativa and common sainfoin, Onobrychis viciifolia were used as control variants. It has been established that Coronilla varia germinates very slowly, in the first year, grows and develops slower than common sainfoin and alfalfa, but in the following years, it starts vegetating 2-3 days earlier. The 3-year-old Coronilla varia plants have moderate growth and development rates that allow mowing them at the end of May the green mass yield reaches 3.92 kg/ m2 , at the same level as sainfoin and by 25% more than alfalfa, but the forage is characterised by a high content of leaves (63-68%) and a low content of dry matter, in comparison with the traditional crops. The chemical composition of Coronilla varia dry matter: 14.72% raw protein, 2.81% raw fat, 35.46% raw cellulose, 39.74% nitrogen-free extractive substances and 7.27% minerals. Coronilla varia green mass is characterized by high level of potassium and iron, but lower – of magnesium and sodium. The forage value of 1 kg natural forage accounts 0.20 nutritive units, 2.22 Mj metabolizable energy and digestible protein content – 132.10 g /nutritive unit. The calculated methane yield Coronilla varia green mass at the first mowing may reach 2311 m3 /ha, exceeding Medicago sativa. The local ecotype of species Coronilla varia could be used for restoring degraded, polluted and eroded land, and also for reseeding and increasing economic value of grasslands.