Distribution, chemical composition and nutritional significance of Vicia elegans Guss. on the elevated plain Batabat

The territory of Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic of the Republic of Azerbaijan is rich in fodder plants. Despite this, pastures and hayfields in livestock farms are not used for their direct purpose. This, naturally, negatively affects the development of livestock breeding. As is known, plants of legume family are rich in nitrogen. Animals grazing regularly in these areas develop various gastrointestinal tumours when eating the wet mass of the plant. For this purpose, legumes should be used as dry feed. During 2024, studies were conducted to investigate the forage and chemical composition of Vicia elegans Guss species, including its distribution. Starting from early spring months, pastures and hayfields on the territory of the Batabat plateau were surveyed, and the use of the species ‘ Vicia elegans Guss’ in animal husbandry was studied. During the study, the ratio of dry matter and protein in leaves and stems of the plant collected from the Batabat plateau was determined.