Iranian grass pea seeds

What is the scientific name of grass pea:
Lathyrus sativus
Family: fabaceae - legumes
Origin: Asia
grass peais known by the local names of Sanginak, Gineh, Qaneh, Largeh and Melmalli in Iran and for many reasons, including fast growth, tolerance to drought and waterlogging conditions, cold, pests, living and non-living stresses, high potential for biological fixation of nitrogen and Also, sufficient grain and fodder yields have been noticed in most regions of the world.

The wide range of ecological tolerance of  grass pea allows it to grow reliably in dormant levels for other legumes. Today, this plant is relatively widely cultivated in the regions of Asia, especially in the countries (Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Pakistan), Southern Europe, North Africa and relatively limited in the countries of America, Australia and South Africa.

Grass pea is an annual plant from the legume family that grows well in unfavorable conditions. It has prostrate or twisting and weak stems, with a long length, which have relatively large leaves, and there are varieties that have thicker and climbing stems.

The height of the stem is 200-50 cm and more, it is cultivated in wet places and in autumn.

Grass pea plant

Grass pea has leaves with a pair of long and narrow leaflets, which leads to ivy at the end, and the whole plant is covered with hairs, which due to the short growth period and the possibility of cultivating them at different times, can be After harvesting wheat, barley and canola in the northwest of the country and central provinces for the second crop (summer crop) and fodder and green manure production.

Compared to clover, alfalfa, spruce and other fodder plants, this plant has the same nutritional value and their protein varies between 12 and 20% depending on the stage of growth they are harvested. Due to the importance of these plants among fodder plants in terms of livestock nutrition, planting in low-yielding lands, resistance to cold and water shortage, as well as the role they play in soil fertility, they are used in a multi-purpose way.

This plant can be cultivated in most climates in wet and dry climates, but the best climates for growing are in temperate and cold temperate regions. Suitable varieties of this plant can be cultivated in spring, summer, autumn, and also pure and mixed with rye, barley, oats, and triticale.

What is the nutritional value of  grass pea:
Fenugreek is a bitter-tasting herb that contains gulcosides that are harmless to ruminants and pigs, but its flowers cause problems for horses.

Grass pea is richer than red clover, but not as tasty. Its protein percentage is high, but there is a toxic compound called neurotoxin in all parts of the plant, the highest amount of which is found in the embryo, cotyledon and seed coat, and it causes a disease called lathyrism.

The best way to consume  grass pea is with barley, oats and other energy plants because khol has a lot of protein. The nutritional value of each ton of grass pea, which is better consumed before sowing, is equivalent to 750 kg of alfalfa fodder.

Grass pea is mostly cultivated for grazing and dry fodder and ground cover.

Like most leguminous plants, grass pea helps in improving soil structure and is planted as green manure. One type of this plant is cultivated in Iran to prepare seeds and fodder. But in America, they grow all kinds of sorghum mixed with oats to prepare fodder. In case of construction of grass peapasture, one should be careful about cattle poisoning. Grass pea should not be grazed at the time of flowering or at the beginning of ripening, because the production of many disturbances in the health of livestock. Its dry fodder should also not contain seeds because it produces poisoning.

What are the conditions of Grass pea cultivation:
How is irrigation done:
The amount of water required for irrigation in hydroponic agriculture varies depending on weather conditions, cultivation time, soil texture, especially the purpose of cultivation (fodder, seeds).

Fall cultivation of  grass pea requires 2-3 less watering than spring cultivation. The number of times of irrigation in summer cultivation is between 4-5 times and the irrigation interval varies between 10-20 days depending on different soils and weather conditions.

How to plant  grass pea:
Its cultivation is often in early autumn and at the beginning of autumn rains. It is highly adaptable to unfavorable environmental conditions and factors and is mostly cultivated in tropical regions. Grass pea is planted with other fodder plants. Due to the fact that the plant has weak and long stems, it is difficult to harvest due to weeding. But in intercropping with plants such as barley and even fenugreek, these plants act as guardians for it and prevent it from sleeping. In this way, it becomes easier to take it. In general, grass pea is a winter plant that is very resistant to drought and grows well in soils that are not suitable for other plants. 

How is  grass pea fertilization done:
To achieve proper performance in agriculture, the necessary amount of chemical fertilizer should be used. It is not necessary to use a lot of nitrogen fertilizer due to the stabilization of nitrogen in the air by bacteria that coexist with chlorine, unless in areas where the desired bacteria are not present in the soil. If necessary, for better establishment of the plant and increase in yield, use 50 to 100 kg per hectare. The starting title is enough.

What is the amount of seed per hectare, planting depth and how to plant grass pea:
The seeds of grass pea can be planted by hand, by sowing seeds or by sowing seeds in rows of wet and dry wheat. In the case of sowing by hand or using a seed spreader, the seeds are transferred under the soil by a disk, and in the case of using a rower, depending on the texture of the soil, the seeds are placed between 4 and 6 cm under the soil. The amount of seed required varies between 100 and 150 kg for grass pea according to the type of cultivation conditions and the weight of one hundred seeds. The density is recommended between 150 and 250 grains per square meter, depending on the production goal. If the goal of farming is to produce fodder green manure, the seed density is considered higher.