AU Merit Hairy Vetch

Vetch

Vetch is a very palatable legume with low bloat risk and high nitrogen fixation potential. It tolerates wet feet and late planting best of the winter annual legumes but is also the latest maturing. A bit of a “sleeper” species in that you don’t see much in the fall or early winter, it takes off in the mid to late spring. It pairs extremely well with ryegrass. Vetch can reseed itself, so be cautious in cover crop scenarios where small grain production is part of the rotation. Terminate or harvest before flowering to prevent reseeding. Works great in grazing, haylage, and cover crop scenarios.