Description Click on the "Nutritional aspects" tab for recommendations for ruminants, pigs, poultry, rabbits, horses, fish and crustaceans Common names Purple vetch, Algerian vetch, reddish tufted vetch [English]; vesce pourpre, vesce du Bengale, vesce pourpre foncé [French]; purpurwicke [German]; veccia del Bengala [Italian]; arveja roja, alverjilla de Bengala, veza púrpura [Spanish]; ervilhaca [Portuguese]; purpurvicker [Swedish] Species Vicia benghalensis L. [Fabaceae] Synonyms Vicia albicans Lowe, Vicia atropurpurea Desf., Vicia loweana Steud., Vicia micrantha Lowe Feed categories Legume forages Legume seeds and by-products Forage plants Related feed(s) Common vetch (Vicia sativa) Hairy vetch (Vicia villosa) Narbon vetch (Vicia narbonensis) Description Purple vetch (Vicia benghalensis L.) is a climbing herbaceous legume from the Mediterranean area commonly used as a cover crop and green manure or for fodder, hay and silage. Morphology Vicia benghalensis is a vigorous straggling, climbing or trailing biennal or short-lived perennial legume. It has long lasting roots and erect habit during the early stages of growth and can reach a height of 40-100 cm. Purple vetch stems are slender, angular and striate, 20-80 cm long, densely pubescent or pilose when young, often becoming glabrescent (UC SAREP, 2006; Duke, 1981). The leaves are compound, made of several (10-16) pairs of leaflets and terminated by a tendril. The hairy leaflets are linear, oblong or elliptic in shape, 1-2.5 cm long x 1.5-6 mm broad. The inflorescence is a conspicuous terminal compact raceme of 2-20 large (13-18 mm) purple papillonaceous flowers. The fruit is a dehiscent pod, straw to brown in colour, pubescent, narrowly oblong, 2.5-4 cm long x 8-12 mm broad. It contains about 3-5 smooth, brownish-gray, black mottled seeds with a white hilum. The weight of 100 seeds is 4-4.5 g (Matic et al., 2008; UC SAREP, 2006). Uses Vicia benghalensis is mainly used as a forage crop. It can be grazed or cut for hay and silage (Ecocrop, 2017; FAO, 2000; Duke, 1981). It is one of the best green manuring species for rice fieds in the USA. It is a soil improver and makes a good weed and disease break between cash crops (Matic et al., 2008). It was one of the Vicia species reported to hold much promise for drier areas (Le Houérou, 1985). Distribution Purple vetch (Vicia benghalensis) originated from the Mediterranean area. While other species of the genus Vicia have been cultivated for forage since ancient times, the cultivation of purple vetch for fodder started in Australia in the 20th century (Tate et al., 2006). In Europe and the USA it is mostly used as a cover crop (UC SAREP, 2006; Arvalis, 2017). Purple vetch is mainly used as a winter growing species (Duke, 1981). However, it is not a very winter hardy species and was referred to be a suitable winter crop only in the milder parts of California, Arizona, Alabama and southern Georgia (USA) and in Queensland (Australia). It can not survive frost below -9°C (UC SAREP, 2006). It can be grown as a spring crop in areas with harder winters. Purple vetch can grow where annual rainfall ranges from 310 to 1660 mm. Drought resistance is debated. Purple vetch was referred to as a species holding much promises for drier places (Le Houérou, 1985, cited by Enneking, 1995a), but it was reported to have no tolerance of drought (Duke, 1981). Purple vetch does well on a wide range of soils, from sandy or gravelly soils to clayey and loamy soils, provided they are well-drained (UC SAREP, 2006; Duke, 1981). Purple vetch can grow on soils with a pH ranging from 4 to 8.2. It has poor tolerance of waterlogging (Matic et al., 2008). Forage management Yield Forage yields are variable, from 5.8 t/ha DM in Ethiopia, to much less than 2.5 t/ha DM in Australia (Tarekegn et al., 2015; Siddique et al., 1996). In Portugal, associations of purple vetch with rye or with cereals mixtures (oats and triticale, triticale and rye) yielded over 8 t/ha DM (Carnide et al., 2002). Management Vicia benghalensis establishes rather slowly and requires a well-weeded seedbed prior to sowing. It should be sown at 3-5 cm depth and can be either drilled or broadcast. In dry places, irrigation prior to seeding can be useful (UC SAREP, 2006). In early growth stages, purple vetch is a very poor competitor for weeds. It should be sown in autumn for winter grazing (in March, in Australia) (DAF, 2011). Purple vetch can be sown in association with cereals such as oats, or with grasses such as annual ryegrass (Matic et al., 2008). In the subtropics, it is possible to grow it with summer growing grasses (Matic et al., 2008). In Portugal, it was shown that purple vetch could be profitably sown in association with a mixture of oats and triticale, or with a mixture of triticale and rye (Carnide et al., 2002). Purple vetch regenerates poorly and should not be chosen for the establishment of permanent pastures (DAF, 2011). However, it has a rather high percentage of hardseededness which can make it a weed in the next crop (Matic et al., 2008). Purple vetch can be grazed though it is less resistant to close grazing than other vetches. It should be grazed or cut once it has reached 10 nodes (over 40 cm in height) and before pods forming (as the seeds are toxic). Purple vetch can be cut for hay or silage and harvested with a cereal harvester. The best nutritive value of hay and silage is obtained for purple vetches cut just before flowering, but a good trade-off is to cut at flowering to increase forage yield while preventing the toxic effect of the seeds (Matic et al., 2008). Environmental impact Green manure and soil improver Purple vetch is an N-fixing legume that has positive effects on soil fertility, structure (loosening effect) and organic matter. It is beneficial in field crop rotation (Matic et al., 2008). In the USA, it is the most important green manure crop in rice fields (Williams et al., 2010). It was recommended to plough down purple vetch at flowering stage when it was used for green manure in vegetable crops, and to turn it under at the time of cereal sowing when it was used for cereal crops (UC SAREP, 2006). Cover crop Purple vetch has been reported to be used as cover crop in orchards, vineyards and cotton crops (Matic et al., 2008). It gives fair erosion control when the plant is well established, or in areas of natural reseeding. Control is better when purple vetch is mixed with grasses and grains.
Learn the ABCs in English for children! Kids love animals, and they'll also love these cute animations that help them learn the alphabet.Transcription:A is f...
“A is for Apple” “B is for Book” “C is for Cat” “D is for Drum” “E is for Egg” “F is for Frog” “G is for Globe” “H is for Heart” “I is for Ice Cream” “J is for Jam” “K is for Kite” “L is for Ladybug” “M is for Mouse” “N is for Nest” “O is for Owl” “P is for Pumpkin” “Q is for Queen” “R is for Radio” “S is for Scarf” “T is for Turtle” “U is for Umbrella” “V is for Violin” “W is for Watermelon” “X is for X-ray” “Y is for Yarn” “Z is for Zipper” [Pinterest turned on side]
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A is for..... designed by Steve Bridger. Connect with them on Dribbble; the global community for designers and creative professionals.
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