Comparison of Grass Pea (Lathyrus sativus L.) Genotypes in Forage Yield, Nutrient Composition and Phytotrapic Traits

The grass pea (Lathyrus sativus L.), belonging to the legume family, has a short vegetative period and is highly resistant to drought. Also, it is an important forage crop for animal feeding and health, as well as for the yield and quality of animal products. This study aimed to determine the hay yield and quality of a total of 12 grass pea genotypes, including 9 populations (1603, 2006, 2401, 4301, 4403, 5001, 6408, 6410, and S3) and 3 registered varieties (GAP Mavisi, İptaş, Karadağ). The experiment was conducted with three repetitions according to a randomized complete block design in Bilecik during the vegetation periods of 2022 and 2023. Hay yield, crude protein ratio, plant height, acid detergent fiber, neutral detergent fiber, crude ash, mineral contents (K, P, Ca, and Mg), condensed tannin, total flavonoid content, total phenolic content, free radical scavenging activity (DPPH), total alkaloid, and ODAP content (N-oxalyl-L-alpha, beta-diamino propionic acid) were determined in this study. According to two-year results, hay yield ranged between 3.00-4.55 t ha-1. The highest crude protein rate was observed in populations 1603 (19.44%), 2006 (20.00%), 2401 (19.82%), and 6410 (19.28%), which were part of the same statistical group. The populations of 2006 (2.20 mg g-1), 2401 (2.00 mg g-1), 5001 (1.32 mg g-1), and 6408 (1.77 mg g-1) were at the desired level in terms of ODAP content. The K, P, Ca, and Mg contents of the genotypes varied between 2.75-3.11%, 0.44-0.49%, 0.91-0.99%, and 0.15-0.21%, respectively. As a result; GAP Mavisi come into prominence however, no statistical difference was found among the genotypes in terms of hay yield. Among the genotypes were detected significant differences in terms of quality traits, and this situation helped to determine the genotype/genotypes that stand out in the ecology of the region. Accordingly, the 2401 population showed superior performance in terms of forage quality compared to the other genotypes in the Bilecik ecology. Besides, it was determined that the 2006, 5001, and 6408 populations show promising results in terms of the examined traits.