ACTA AGRONOMICA TOMUS 31. (A MTA AGRÁRTUDOMÁNYI KÖZLEMÉNYEI, 1982)

1982 / 1-2. szám - I. BÓCSA-J. KRISZTIÁN-B. KADLICSKÓ-A. MÁTÉ-I. KÉSMÁRKI: Attempts at introducting crownvetch (Coronilla varia L.) in Hungary

Acta AgTonomica Academiae Scientiarum Hungaricae, Tomus 31 (1 -2), pp. 1 —10 (1982) ATTEMPTS AT INTRODUCING CROWNVETCH (CORONILLA VARIA L.) IN HUNGARY By I. BÓCSA, J. KRISZTIÁN, В. KADLICSKÓ, A. MÁTÉ, I. KÉSMÁRKI RESEARCH INSTITUTE OF THE GÖDÖLLŐ UNIVERSITY OF AGRICULTURAL SCIENCES, KOMPOLT; UNIVERSITY OF AGRICULTURAL SCIENCES, GÖDÖLLÖ; FACULTY OF AGRONOMY, KESZTHELY UNIVERSITY OF AGRICULTURAL SCIENCES, MOSONMAGYARÓVÁR The paper gives an account of experiments carried out at 4 sites. Crownvetch and alfalfa grown on chernozem brown forest soil at Kompolt, on brown forest soil with clay illuviation at Demjén, on spoil banks left after surface coal mining at Ecséd and on Danube alluvium with a high lime content at Mosonmagyaróvár, were examined for yield, quality components, rhythm of development, and the proportion of successive cuttings in the total crop. On the basis of the experimental data it can be established that at Kompolt crownvetch yielded 9% less than alfalfa over a 6-year average. The dry matter content was lower, the crude protein content higher, and the raw fibre and carotene contents lower than those of alfalfa. The composition of the amino acids, except for methionine, was the same as in alfalfa. With respect to the rhythm of develop­ment and the distribution of yield crownvetch differed considerably from alfalfa, as the first growth represented 72% of the total crop compared to 43% for alfalfa. Over an average of 6 years crownvetch could be cut twice or sometimes three times a year. It was less sensitive to the acidity of soil than alfalfa. The control plots that had not been limed gave twice as large a yield as alfalfa did in the Demjén experiment. Its nutrient demand is also lower; in the Demjén experiment the same volume of yield was obtained with about 200 kg/ha less mixed fertilizer active agent. On the spoil hank with a high lime content at Ecséd the total yield of crownvetch in the third year of the experiment was 71.7% higher than that of alfalfa. In the Mosonmagyaróvár experi­ment the yield of crownvetch exceeded the alfalfa yield by 29.6% when considering the total crop over 3 years. Of the crownvetch varieties the French variety Louvenours proved significantly better than the other varieties examined. The unequivocally favourable experience gained in the small plot experiments indicates that crownvetch can be successfully planted and grown both on acidic brown forest soils and on alluvial soils and spoil banks poor in nutrients but with a high lime content. On these grounds wide-ranging large-scale trials have been started, at present covering some 500 ha in 30 farms in the northern part of Hungary. Introduction It is known that in the United States of America the introduction of crownvetch has been in progress for nearly three decades. The plant was first used to stabilize the banks of the federal highways (DUICH 1964), and later to recultivate and bind the soil of spoil hanks at surface coal mines, since it is very resistant to water erosion, extremely tolerant to drought, and has no particular nutrient requirements, but has good seed setting (RUFFNER 1964, ANONYMOUS 1964, 1968, 1971). Later the species was introduced in field cultivation, after the major questions of planting, chemical weed control, utilization (number of cuttings, grazing), breeding, seed production and feed Acta Agronomica Academiae Scientiarum Hungaricae 31, 1982 1

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