YIELD AND QUALITY OF FORAGE TYPE PEA LINES AND WHEAT MIXTURES

Peas are widely grown for hay, pasturage or silage production either or mixed with cereals. As a forage crop, pea hay and seed is rich in crude protein content, and most mineral elements. Due to their high nutritive value, peas, are an important feed grain legume for animal production operations in the Croatia, where they are an alternative source of crude protein for soybeans. Four forage type pea lines were evaluated for 2 years for dry matter and crude protein yield under rainfed conditions in northwest Croatia. All the lines used in this study were forage type with inteterminate growing habit. Under humid conditions and cool temperatures in early spring, high forage production was obseved in all the lines. Significant differences in dry matter and crude protein yield were found among the lines.