Long-Term Performance of Vetch Varieties in the Southern Mallee

By BCG Staff and Contributors
Views

Take Home Messages

  • For common vetch, choose varieties based on end-use targets.
  • Later maturing varieties give better potential drying windows for hay production.
  • The quality of vetch hay makes it ideal for dairy and feedlot production.

Aim

To demonstrate vetch varietal performance in the southern Mallee and to give a long-term understanding of yield potential and varietal options backed up with local data.

Background

The National Vetch Breeding Program at SARDI (South Australian Research and Development Institute) has been conducting advanced breeding (S4) trials with BCG for a number of years. The aim is to provide a greater understanding of the uses and potential of vetch in the broader Victorian Mallee. Trials were sown across multiple years and results from these trials are included in this article to demonstrate the yield potential of the current varieties of common vetch.

Common vetch has become an integral component of many modern farming systems in Mallee areas. These trials demonstrate which varieties perform best for different end uses in different areas, showing the influence of flowering and maturity on dry matter and grain yields in different environments.

Paddock Details

Paddock details as per table 1

Trial Details

Crop type: Vetch
Target plant density: 60 plants/m² (approx. 40–45kg/ha)
Seeding equipment: Knife points, press wheels, 30cm row spacing
Replicates: Four 

Trial Inputs

Trials managed as per best practice.

Method

These trials were designed to include four varieties and eight advanced lines to demonstrate varietal performance and assess the potential of the advanced lines in specific regions across multiple seasons. The trials were individually designed as randomised complete block designs. All trials were assessed for emergence, vigour, time to flowering, dry matter production in spring, and grain yield.

For the purposes of this paper, we are focusing on varietal performance across the last four seasons

Results & Interpretation

2022 was an anomaly in that it was a year with a later start heading into a drier winter. Significant rain in late spring caused the trial to be flooded after hay cuts, preventing grain harvest. This made results different to what in statistical terms would be considered a wetter year.

Across the four seasons highlighted (Table 1), hay yields were more seasonally dependent. The longer season varieties Morava and Timok took advantage of the wetter seasons (Table 2), but this was less pronounced for grain yields (Table 3). Looking at yields across the seasons, while specific seasons suit different varieties — such as Timok in 2019 — across multiple seasons the long term means of the varieties balanced out and were comparable.

The take home message from this would be to choose varieties according to your long-term goal for end-use, rather than the highest yield. If you are looking for winter feed and early grazing or opportunistic hay, Studenica is preferred. For high hay yields, Timok and Morava can take advantage of wetter seasons and later cutting times. In Mallee environments with less rainfall, Volga is a good option for hay and grain production.

The end use or preferred reason for growing vetch really dictates varietal choice in this environment. Timing for cutting, if focusing on hay, can be dictated by variety and time of sowing. This can enable better drying times and result in higher quality hay. Hay quality from the 2022 season was of a high quality across all varieties when cut at 50 per cent flowering/50 per cent flat pod stage (Table 4). The earlier maturing varieties cut first in the season were of a higher quality than the later maturing lines, however being cut earlier puts them in a higher risk drying window. 

Commercial Practice and On Farm Profitability

With the Victorian Mallee ideally placed for access to several good hay markets, vetch hay has become a significant crop in Victoria. Vetch hay has very good quality attributes and the best quality can be achieved by sowing and drying at ideal times of the year. For details on variety characteristics and maturity see the 2023 Victorian and Tasmanian Crop Sowing Guide available from the GRDC website.

References

Acknowledgements

This research was funded by the GRDC and SARDI as part of the ‘National Vetch Breeding Program’ (UOA2104-011RTX 9178755). The authors would also like to acknowledge and thank Australian farmers who contribute significantly to this research through trial cooperation, the exchange of ideas, information and knowledge as well as the investment of levies in this research over a long period.

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