Abstract. Food and energy supply is an acute problem of mankind in the context of depletion fossil fuels, climate change, degradation and reduction of agricultural lands. The efficient use of the biological potential of the local species of leguminous plants that are adapted to the specific climatic conditions becomes more and more relevant. We studied the agro biological features and the quality of the hay prepared from non-traditional plant species of fam. Fabaceae, local ecotype of the leguminous species Astragalus cicer, Lathyrus latifolius, Lathyrus sylvestris maintained in monoculture in Botanical Garden (Institute) of the Academy of Sciences of Moldova, control variant- alfalfa, Medicago sativa. The local ecotype of the leguminous species have a slow growth and development rates in the first growing season, in the following years the vegetation period started 3-7 days later and the harvest period to make hay can start with 22-39 days later than alfalfa. The hay yield varied from 1.13 kg/m2 to 1.33 kg/m2. The Lathyrus species hay productivity exceeding Medicago sativa with 25 - 40 % and Astragalus cicer with 5-18 %. The Lathyrus species hay contains 0.71 nutritive units/kg, 194 g/kg digestible protein, 6.2 - 8.1 g/kg calcium and 1.5-2.2 g/kg phosphorus ; Astragalus cicer hay – respectively 0.69 units/kg, 94 g/kg 14.1 g/kg and 1.1 g/kg; alfalfa hay- 0. 67 units/kg , 148.4 g/kg, 14.2 g/kg and 2.0 g/kg. The preliminary investigation indicates the gas forming potential of the digestible organic matter of the hay made from non-traditional fodder legumes varied from 446 to 452 litre/kg VS. The best methane content 57% was achieved in hay Lathyrus species, the lowest 53.5% in the biomass of Astragalus cicer in comparison with 55.9 % Medicago sativa hay.

agro biological features, Astragalus cicer, biochemical composition, biogas, hay, Lathyrus latifolius, Lathyrus sylvestris, nutritive value

field crops and pastures

Presentation: oral