Faba beans are the most commonly grown pulse in the Western Districts of Victoria. However, there are still a number of growers who grow vetch. Vetch is another legume which fixes nitrogen and is mostly used to make hay. It suits cool temperate climates and provides a disease break for cereals, options for herbicides and can also be used a green manure for soil amelioration.

Vetch is a highly versatile crop and is also low input, which means it can fit well into a farming system, especially where there are also livestock. Vetch makes a great quality hay, often used in the dairy industry for milk production due to its high protein and high energy value. However, the challenge for HRZ growers is that vetch can get very big canopies that are prone to ‘falling over’.

Benetas is one of the only varieties that is well suited to the HRZ, as it is designed for the longer growing season. It also well suited to the colder conditions and can handle some mild waterlogging compared to other species.

This year as apart of the Pulse Development and Extension project, SFS is running a vetch management trial with the overall objective of growing a good hay crop. This management trial looks utilising lower amounts of canola in order to provide some structure for the vetch canopy to develop on. This could potentially help with the issue of the canopy falling over and causing issues when making hay. The canola is in lower amounts, so that the hay is still classified as vetch hay and not a mix.

Another management tool is looking at how different fungicides help with disease control during canopy closure. While vetch is seen as a low input crop, it is still important that disease levels are managed. Botrytis grey mould can be a serious disease for vetch and is the main cause of yield loss. Identifying the best way to manage to disease for the end use of vetch, in this case hay, will hopefully reduce the diseases impact on hay making and quality.

This trial is one to keep an eye on this year and will provide interesting data for growers (and potential growers!) in the HRZ.

By Greta Duff, Senior Research & Extension

Images: Benetas Vetch & Bentas Vetch & Canola

Source: G Duff, SFS