The Common Vetch ( Vicia Sativa L. ) Cultivar “Mirzachul-2”: Morphobiological Characteristics, Productivity, and Agronomic Value

Common vetch ( Vicia sativa L.) is an important forage legume because of its high biomass productivity, protein content, biological nitrogen fixation, and adaptability to diverse agroecological conditions. The development of cultivars with high productivity and improved adaptation to saline and other environmentally stressful conditions is particularly important for sustainable forage production in Uzbekistan. This study aimed to characterize the morphobiological traits, phenological development, productivity components, and forage quality of the common vetch cultivar ‘Mirzachul-2’ and to evaluate promising breeding accessions used in its development. The cultivar originated from accession KGU-0084 maintained in the “Salt-Tolerant Plants” gene pool at the Research Institute of Agrobiotechnology and Biochemistry of Gulistan State University. Individual selection was initiated in 2008, followed by evaluation in breeding, control, and competitive variety-testing nurseries and subsequent State Variety Testing in 2021–2023. Seed germination under saline conditions, phenological stages, plant morphology, pod and seed productivity, and forage chemical composition were evaluated. Factor analysis was used to identify associations among economically important morphological traits and to select promising breeding materials. The “Mirzachul-2” cultivar showed 75% seed germination under the tested saline conditions and completed its developmental cycle in 237 days under autumn sowing. Green biomass productivity reached 100–120 centners ha⁻¹, while crude protein content was 20.8% of dry matter. Among the selected breeding accessions, accession No. 5 produced the highest seed yield per unit area (172.2 g m⁻²), whereas accession No. 3 showed high values for several reproductive traits. Overall, the results demonstrate the agronomic and forage potential of “Mirzachul-2” and provide useful breeding material for the development of productive common vetch cultivars adapted to challenging agroecological conditions.

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