Secondary Metabolite Content of Forage Turnip (Brassica rapa L.) and Forage Pea (Pisum arvense L.) Mixtures

This study was conducted to determine the secondary metabolite contents in the hay of mixtures of forage turnip “FT” (Brassica rapa L.) and forage pea “FP” (Pisum arvense L.) under Bilecik ecological conditions. The mixtures were prepared at four ratios of forage turnip to forage pea: 100:0%, 50:50%, 25:75%, and 0:100%. The study was carried out over three years (2022-2023, 2023-2024, and 2024-2025) using a randomized complete block design with three replicates. Harvesting was performed at the flowering stage for pure forage turnip and the mixtures, and at the stage when the lower pods matured for pure forage pea. In the mixtures, total phenolic (TP), total flavonoid (TF), radical scavenging activity (DPPH), and total alkaloid (TA) contents were determined. There were statistically significant differences among the mixtures and years for all examined traits in the study. Over the three-years; TP, TF, DPPH, and TA contents ranged between 17.30-22.36 mg GAE g-1, 5.77-6.22 mg QE g-1, 49.90-56.23%, and 6.40-6.51%, respectively. As a result, mixtures of forage turnip and forage pea have been shown to exhibit high biochemical content and resilience to environmental stressors.