NUTRITIONAL PRODUCTIVITY OF CHICKLING VETCHVARIETIES UNDER DIFFERENT SOIL AND CLIMATIC CONDITIONS

The research findings on herbage yields and quality of four domestic chickling vetch varieties are discussed: Racheyka, Zhemchuzhina, Mramornaya and Elena. The studies were conducted in 2022 and 2023 on the educational and experimental field of the Omsk State Agricultural University (Omsk) and at the Russian Research, Design and Technology Institute of Sorghum and Maize (Saratov). The conditions of the growing season were close to arid ones, hydrothermal index = 0.64-1.02. The soil types were as following: in the Omsk experimental plot - meadow-chernozem, medium-deep (45 cm), low-humus (3.95% of humus), medium-loamy (35% of physical clay); in the Saratov plot - southern chernozem, medium-deep (42 cm), low-humus (3.80% of humus), heavy loamy (43% of physical clay). The preceding crops were cereal crops. When conducting research, the same methodology was followed - sowing in the first ten days of May, seeding rate - 700 thousand grains per hectare, plot area - 5 m2, seed placement depth - 5 cm. The level of fresh yield was significantly influenced by the growing conditions - 54.2%. The variation of the biochemical composition was largely determined by the genotype of the variety - 62.1%. According to the research results, the Elena variety was distinguished which was characterized by a consistently high fresh yield (14.8-15.0 t ha), high content levels of crude protein (23.8-24.9%), fat (3.9-4.4%), fiber (25.8-30.3%), and ash (8.4-9.3%). In addition, the Elena variety provided significantly higher yields than other varieties: absolutely dry matter (2.6-3.6 t ha), fodder units (2.1-2.7 t ha), protein (466-617 kg ha), and metabolizable energy (19.8-28.7 GJ ha). This variety stood out from other studied varieties due to its phenotypic stability of nutritional productivity, weak response to fluctuations of climatic conditions and showed low rates of yield decline under unfavorable weather factors in various regions of the country.