Latin name: Vicia sativa

Family: Fabaceae

Agronomic characteristics

Vetches are the most commonly used legumes in intercropping. They are appreciated for their moderate seed size, which limits the quantities to be sown  and facilitates mixing. Like all legumes, they must be sown early in summer if biomass is to be produced before winter. When well developed, they are destroyed relatively easily (freezing, rolling, etc.). On the other hand, care must be taken with their destruction if they are moderately developed, especially before crops where no recovery is possible, as vetch can be invasive. The ability of  different vetch varieties to produce biomass can can vary greatly from one variety to another. For this reason, common vetch is mainly used in cover crops for forage uses.