Nitra, the quality common vetch, is the result of advanced breeding and intensive selection techniques. It is a very early, vigorous, and highly productive variety, which is well suited to both forage production and green manuring.
Nitra is well adapted to growing during short days and will therefore give considerably better autumn production than other varieties. Forage production from spring sowing is a cycle of 70-100 days. The green manure cycle is 80-100 days.
Sown in early autumn, Nitra can produce silage crops of 2-3 tonnes of dry matter before winter and 9 tonnes of dry matter per hectare in spring. Spring sown silage yields of up to 8 tonnes of dry matter per hectare are possible, depending on the sowing date. Assuming a yield of 8 tonnes of dry matter NITRA will produce at least 1.5 tonnes of protein per hectare.
Management application
- Sowing rate: 100-125 kg/ha.
- It is recommended to sow vetch in (10-15 cm) rows at a depth of 2-3 cm.
- Fertiliser requirements for both forage production and green manuring:
- Phosfor (P2O5): 80 kg per ha.
- Potash (K2O): 100 kg per ha
Nitra is best time harvested about 8 days after the first peas appear, which is when the highest protein yield will be achieved. Hay can be made from NITRA if it is cut just when it starts flowering, or if grazing is started at the same stage, it can be rotationally grazed every 2-3 weeks.