Improving forage production for an expanding livestock population is essential in the Çukurova and GAP (South-eastern Anatolia Project) regions of Turkey. Feed shortages, especially evident during winter, can be alleviated by introducing high yielding common vetch (Vicia sativa L.) cultivars into crop rotations. | Turk J Agric For 33 (2009) 119-125 © TÜBİTAK doi: Forage Yield Stability of Common Vetch (Vicia sativa L.) Genotypes in the Çukurova and GAP Regions of Turkey Celal YÜCEL1,*, Hatice HIZLI1, Hüseyin Kansur FIRINCIOĞLU2, Abdullah ÇİL1, Adem Emin ANLARSAL3 1 Çukurova Agriculture Research Institute, . Box 01321, Doğankent, Adana - TURKEY 2 Field Crops Central Research Institute, Şehit Cemersever Caddesi, 9-11, Yenimahalle, . Box 226, Ulus, Ankara - TURKEY 3 Çukurova University, Faculty of Agriculture, Department of Field Crops, Balcalı, Adana - TURKEY Received: Abstract: Improving forage production for an expanding livestock population is essential in the Çukurova and GAP (South-eastern Anatolia Project) regions of Turkey. Feed shortages, especially evident during winter, can be alleviated by introducing high yielding common vetch (Vicia sativa L.) cultivars into crop rotations. The objectives of this research were to determine the genotype × environment interactions and stability parameters for hay yield of 15 vetch lines and cultivars. The vetch genotypes were evaluated in the Çukurova (2 locations for 3 years) and South-eastern Anatolia (1 location for 2 years) regions. In the South-eastern Anatolia region, the rainfall limits plant growth, while the Çukurova region has much better soil and climatic conditions. Since local climatic variation is significant, each location in each year is treated as a separate environment, to give 8 environments. Linear regression techniques were used to analyse genotype × environment interactions (G × E). The hay yield was significantly different between genotypes and environments, while a genotype × environment interaction was present. The variation amongst environments was highly significant, and the mean hay yield ranged from 7453 kg ha-1, in Doğankent (2002-03), to 2687 kg ha-1, in Balcalı (200304). The genotypes ‘V7’ and ‘V12’, which had regression coefficients significantly greater .
