Chemical properties of some annual and herbaceous forage legumes growing in Kahramanmaraş natural vegetation

The purpose of this study is to determine the inorganic compound, total nitrogen, C/N ratio, and organic matter characteristics of some annual and herbaceous forage plants grown under the natural ecological conditions of Kahramanmaraş province. Sampling was carried out in March and June 2023, involving 6 genera (Securigera, Coronilla, Hymenocarpos, Lathyrus, Pisum, and Trigonella) and 10 different species collected during the flowering period, which were then brought to the laboratory for analysis. Analyses were conducted on the ash content, C/N ratio, total nitrogen (N), organic carbon (OC), and organic matter (OM) of the annual and herbaceous legume forage plants. According to the results, the ash content of the legume forage plants ranged from 5.23% to 12.54%, with Hymenocarpos circinnatus and Coronilla scorpioides being the richest in inorganic compounds. The OM content of the plants varied between 87.46% and 94.77%, with the highest OM and OC found in the Securigera grandiflora species. Other variables, such as total N, ranged from 2.34% to 4.16%, and the C/N ratio varied between 13.03 and 22.96. Due to the high N content and low C/N ratio of the legume forage plants, it has been shown that when these plants meet the soil as waste, they can significantly enrich the soil with N. Furthermore, despite having slightly lower OM content compared to other legume species, the high inorganic compound content suggests that Hymenocarpos circinnatus and Coronilla scorpioides could be studied for green manuring.