YIELD, QUALITY AND PROFITABILITY OF HUNGARIAN VETCH (Vicia pannonica Crantz) UNDER DIFFERENT TILLAGE SYSTEMS AND SEED RATIOS

Abstract

In this study, Hungarian vetch (Vicia pannonica Crantz) ‘HV’ production, under different tillage systems (zero ‘ZT’, reduce ‘RT’ and conventional ‘CT’) and seed ratios (80, 100, 120, 140, 160 kg ha-1) was evaluated in yield, protein content and profitability for forage and seed. This two-year study was conducted in Yozgat-Turkey conditions in 2014-2015 and 2015-2016 seasons. The experiments were arranged in split-plot, with the tillage systems as main plots and seed ratios as split-plots. Previous crop was wheat in both years. According to the two-year averages, the tillage systems were ordered statistically as follows: CT=RT=ZT for hay yield, ZT = CT > RT for protein content of hay, RT=ZT=CT for seed yield and ZT>RT=CT for protein content of seed. However the effect of year was significant for the treatments and, although not significant, seed ratio exhibited different effects changing depend on forage or seed harvest. Namely, seed yield was relatively more at the low seed ratios (80-100 kg ha-1) while hay yield was more at the high seed ratios (140-160 kg ha-1). Yield performances and low costs made ZT and RT economically superior than CT in both productions. Considering the yield and economy, ZT has seen as a more suitable system in HV cultivation with the seed ratio of 100 kg ha-1 for seed and 140 kg ha-1 for forage purposes. All these results have showed that HV cultivated with conservation tillage systems, especially with ZT can be competitive by conventional tillage regarding yield, moreover is much better for economically.