Take Home Messages
- Current commercial common vetch varieties offer good variation in maturity types.
- Variation in biomass accumulation between commercial varieties demonstrates the need to match end use target with variety selection.
Aim
To demonstrate vetch varietal performance across seasons and end uses to provide local results and yield potentials.
To assess advanced breeding lines in regional areas where vetch is an important option in cropping rotations
Background
The National Vetch Breeding Program (NVBP) at SARDI (South Australian Research and Development Institute) has been conducting advanced breeding trials (S4) with BCG for many years. Advanced breeding trials provide essential data on variety and breeding line performance across a range of environments and allow assessment of variety adaptability and end use performance.
The Victorian Mallee trial enables the NVBP to ensure advance breeding material is both relevant to local farming systems and provides advantages over current variety options. This report includes results from the 2023 and 2024 seasons and aims to demonstrate the yield potential of current varieties, as well as highlighting some of the advanced material progressing through the breeding program.
Common vetch has become an integral component of many modern farming systems in Mallee areas. These trials demonstrate the influence of flowering and maturity on dry matter and grain yields across different seasons and environments as well as how variety influences target end use performance.
Paddock Details
Trial Details
Crop type: Common vetch (varieties detailed in Table 2)
Target plant density: 60 plants/m² (40–45 kg/ha)
Seeding equipment: Knife points, press wheels, 30cm row spacing
Replicates: Four
Trial Inputs
Trials were sown, maintained, and results measured as per best practice.
Method
These trials included 12 common vetch advanced breeding lines and commercial varieties. In 2023, there were four commercial varieties, while in 2024 there were two. The aim was to demonstrate varietal performance and assess the potential of 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. All analysis was completed using GenStat 21st edition.
Results & Interpretation
Results for 2023 and 2024 show the effect of seasonal conditions on biomass production and grain yield, irrespective of variety (Table 3). Grazing biomass (early July) was much greater in 2023 than 2024. As such there was a significant difference between breeding lines in 2023, but no difference in commercial variety performance. In 2024, the average dry matter in early July was low at 610 kg/ha, with no differences in breeding lines or commercial varieties. Hay yields (measured at early flat pod development) showed no significant difference in either year. There were differences in performance between commercial varieties and the breeding lines, but the trial variation was too large for results to be significant. Grain yields for the vetch trial averaged 1.98 t/ha in 2023 and 0.84 t/ha in 2024. There was no significant difference in 2023 between commercial varieties and breeding lines. In 2024, there was a significant difference, with SA37107 and Morava yielding better than some of the breeding lines, but there was no significant difference between the commercial varieties.
In 2024, there were four different hay cutting dates to correspond with commercial varieties and breeding lines reached early pod development. When using hay cutting date to explain hay biomass, the earlier the cutting date the lower the biomass yields (Figure 1). The three commercial varieties included in the 2024 breeding trial are labelled in Figure 1. Studenica had one of the lowest hay biomass yields and was the earliest to be cut. Hay biomass yields increased as hay cutting date progressed through the season. Morava had a greater hay biomass than SA37107 and Studenica, and was the last variety to reach early flat pod development stage. While there was no significant difference between hay biomass yields, the results in Figure 1 suggest that Morava was slower to reach early flat pod development allowing it to capitalise on the longer growing season and accumulate more biomass, compared to earlier varieties. Some promising breeding lines cut on 5 September had greater hay biomass than Morava.
While hay biomass increases with later cutting dates, the rate of biomass accumulation for the different varieties tells a different story in 2024 (Figure 2). Biomass accumulation was measured as the amount of biomass increase from grazing in early July to hay cutting, divided by the number of days. Studenica had the fastest accumulation over that period, whereas Morava had the slowest, and SA37107 was in the middle. These results were as expected. Studenica is characterised by good winter growth and early biomass accumulation combined with a very early maturity. Morava is slower to accumulate biomass but takes advantage of longer growing seasons to accumulate more biomass.
Commercial Practice and On Farm Profitability
Results across the last two seasons indicate limited differences in the final yields of commercial varieties. However, the timing of yield and biomass accumulation rates differ, so the end use target is the primary driver when selecting suitable vetch varieties.
In-season changes to end use can still be made based on environmental conditions and economics, but targeted management for a specific end use will maximise results.
As demonstrated in Figure 2, if the target is early grazing or a green/brown manure option, Studenica offers the best option, SA37107 is better for early hay or desiccation for brown manure to target ryegrass prior to seed set, and Morava is a better fit for later hay cutting due to a later drying window with good biomass.
References
2025 Victorian and Tasmanian Crop Sowing Guide, ‘Vetch’ <https://grdc.com.au/resources-andpublications/all-publications/nvt-crop-sowing-guides/vic-tas-crop-sowing-guide>.
Factsheet: Gibberellic Acid use in Vetch <https://sagit.com.au/gibberellic-acid-use-in-vetch-sardi-factsheet/>.
Acknowledgements
This research was funded by GRDC as part of the National Vetch Breeding Program (UOA2104‑011RTX 9178755)
