Forage yield components and classification of common vetch (Vicia sativa L.) cultivars of diverse geographic origin A. Miki c*, V. Mihailovi c*, B.  Cupina†, D. Mili c*, S. Kati c*,  D. Karagi c*, I. Pataki*, P. D’Ottavio‡ and M. Kraljevi c-Balali c† *Forage Crops Department, Institute of Field and Vegetable Crops, Novi Sad, Serbia, †Department of Field and Vegetable Crops, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Novi Sad, Novi Sad, Serbia, ‡Marche Polytechnic University, Ancona, Italy Abstract Conventional breeding programmes on common vetch (Vicia sativa L.) are based on knowledge of relation- ships between forage yield components and economi- cally important characteristics. To improve this knowledge, a small-plot trial was carried out in 2005 and 2006 at Rimski  San cevi, Serbia, with fourteen common vetch accessions from the Novi Sad Vicia col- lection of diverse geographic origin and collection sta- tus. Results showed significant variability in forage yield components and related characteristics. Two-year average values of forage dry matter (DM) yield ranged from 8Á0 t ha À1 (cvs. Armantes and Labari) to 10Á2 t ha À1 (cv. Slavej). The highest 2-year average concentration of crude protein (CP) was for cv. Armantes (239 g kg À1 DM). Highly significant positive genetic correlation coefficients were found between time from sowing to first flowering and main stem length (0Á938) and between number of stems per plant and CP content in the forage DM (0Á910). Significant positive phenotypic correlation coefficients were detected between main stem length and time from sowing to first flowering (0Á830). A cluster analysis showed four main groups of cultivars based on the recorded forage yield components and related charac- teristics. It is concluded that common vetch represents a stable and reliable source of protein-rich forage for regions such as the Balkans area of SE Europe. Genetic variability within common vetch and knowl- edge of the tested cultivars offer a basis for further improvement and developing novel cultivars. Keywords: forage yield components, stem density, stem length, breeding, Mediterranean legumes, crude protein, genetic correlations, phenotypic correlations Introduction The genus vetch (Vicia L.) includes over 160 species with a prevailing Euro-Asiatic distribution (Maxted, 1995). Common vetch (Vicia sativa L.) is considered to have originated in the Near Eastern centre of diversity along with many other annual legume species (Zeven and Zhukovsky, 1975). From a molecular taxonomic viewpoint, V. sativa is an aggregate that comprises sev- eral polymorphic annual autogamous taxa in a dynamic evolution. It is considered to be either a sepa- rate species or a single species (V. sativa sensu lato) with subspecies and varieties (Potokina et al., 2000; Shiran and Raina, 2001). Common vetch has 2n = 12 chromosomes, two pairs of one metacentric, four sub- acrocentrics and one acrocentric, and has one of the smallest genomes among the vetches (Navr atilov a et al., 2003; Kov a rov a et al., 2007). Numerous gene banks worldwide hold genetic resources of common vetch. Most notable are VIR (St. Petersburg, Russia), which holds 700 accessions of landraces and local cultivars of common vetch (Potoki- na et al., 2002), and ICARDA (Syria), where genetic resources of common vetch have been used to develop cultivars suitable for the Eastern Mediterranean region (Al-Doss et al., 1996). As a feed for ruminants, common vetch is a multi- purpose crop that may be used as green forage, dry forage, forage meal or as silage and haylage (Caballero et al., 1995). In the Balkans and other regions of South-East Europe, common vetch is cultivated for forage either as pure stands (Caballero et al., 1996) or in mixtures with cereals such as oat (Avena sativa L.), Correspondence to: A. Miki c, Institute of Field and Vegetable Crops, Maksima Gorkog 30, 21000 Novi Sad, Serbia. E-mail: aleksandar.mikic@ifvcns.ns.ac.rs Received 22 April 2012; revised 13 November 2012 doi: 10.1111/gfs.12033 © 2013 Blackwell Publishing Ltd. Grass and Forage Science, 69, 315–322 315 Grass and Forage Science The Journal of the British Grassland Society The Official Journal of the European Grassland Federation