The Effect of Supplemental Irrigation and Seed Priming on Yield and Some Quantity and Quality Characteristics of Vetch Rainfed Marage Cultivar

To evaluate the effect of supplemental irrigation and seed priming on yield and some quantity and quality characteristics of vetch (Vicia dasycarpa) rainfed maragheh cultivar, an experiment was carried out at the Research Farm of Faculty of Agriculture, University of Urmia, West Azarbaijan province, Iran, during 2011. The experiment was laid out using split-plot, based on Randomized Complete Block design in three replicates. The factors studied were: Supplemental irrigation at four levels: without supplemental irrigation (I1), 1 time of supplemental irrigation (I2), 2 times of supplemental irrigation (I3) and 3 times of supplemental irrigation (I3). The subplot included four levels of seed priming: Control (C), Water (W), Phosphate (P) and Nitroxin (N). Plant height, pod number in stems, 1000-grain weight, wet and dry forage yield in the second and third harvest and fiber percentage in the second and third harvest, protein yield in the second and third harvest, biological yield and harvest index were influenced by the supplemental irrigation. Wet and dry forage yield in the second harvest and wet forage yield in the third harvest were highest in I4 with respectively 14.5, 16.72 and 3.56 (tons/hectare) yield and lowest with respectively 7.73, 7.47 and 2.06 (tons/hectare) yield. As a result, applying 2 times of supplemental irrigation and seed treatment with phosphate and nitroxin had positive effects on quality and quantity yield of vetch and they could improve the quantity and quality of Vetch forage.