Common Name: Bitter Vetch

General Information

Vicia ervilia is an erect to trailing, few to much-branched annual plant growing 20 - 90cm tall[, ].
Vicia ervilia was one of the earliest cultivated crops in human history, with records dating back to 7,000 BCE[]. Though it has largelt fallen out of favour as a food crop, it is still cultivated as a minor food crop of diminishing importance in the Mediterranean area, in Near and Middle East countries, formerly also in southern parts of Central Europe and sometimes in western USA. The recent main producer is Turkey, from which grains are exported to W Europe. Nowadays it is used mainly as a forage plant (green fodder, grains, especially for sheep)[].
Vicia ervilia is a widespread species with no apparent threats and a stable population trend. The plant is classified as 'Least Concern' in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species(2013)[].
The plant is often found as a weed amongst cereal crops[].

Known Hazards

One report says that the seed might be poisonous[].
The seeds are considered poisonous to pigs and are dangerous to cattle at the time when the pods are nearing maturity and are still moist[].

Botanical References

, ,

Range

Mediterranean - Portugal to Bulgaria; Macaronesia to Egypt; Levant; W. Asia - Turkey, Caucasus to Kazakhstan and Afghanistan

Habitat

Disturbed ground[]. Mountain slopes, in coppiced oak and on fields; at elevations from 800 - 1,100 metres in Iraq[]. Scrubland, stoney slopes, screes, field and vineyard margins, roadsides and disturbed areas' at elevations to 2,000 metres[].

Properties

Weed Potential	Yes
Conservation Status	Least Concern
Edibility Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Annual
Height	0.60 m
Pollinators	Insects
Self-fertile	Yes
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

Vicia ervillia is a plant of the Mediterranean and semi-arid climates in the temperate zone, where it is found at elevations up to 1,100 metres. It grows best in areas where annual daytime temperatures are within the range 12 - 22°c, but can tolerate 5 - 28°c[]. When dormant, the plant can survive temperatures down to about -10°c, but young growth can be severely damaged at -1°c[]. It prefers a mean annual rainfall in the range 500 - 700mm, but tolerates 300 - 1,200mm[].
Species in this genus generally succeed in any well-drained soil in a sunny position if the soil is reliably moist throughout the growing season, otherwise they are best grown in semi-shade[].. Prefers a pH in the range 7 - 7.5, tolerating 5.6 - 8.2[]. The plant is resistant to drought even during the early growing period[].
Cultivated for its edible seed in France[, ].
Vicia ervilia belongs to the old Near East crop assemblage, prehistoric remains are known from the 7/6th mill. BC from Anatolia and Greece, later also from Bulgaria and the Transcaucasus. The past centre of cultivation included the Levante, Turkey, SE Europe and domestication took place presumably in Anatolia. Here is also the centre of variation of this crop[].
Annual yielsa of seeds may be 0.4 - 3 tonnes per hectare[].
This species has a symbiotic relationship with certain soil bacteria, these bacteria form nodules on the roots and fix atmospheric nitrogen. Some of this nitrogen is utilized by the growing plant but some can also be used by other plants growing nearby[]. When removing plant remains at the end of the growing season, it is best to only remove the aerial parts of the plant, leaving the roots in the ground to decay and release their nitrogen.

Edible Uses

Seed - cooked[, , , ]. Used as a lentil[, ], it is occasionally eaten in soups[]. More likely to be eaten in times of food shortage when little else is available[]. The seeds are 3 - 5mm in diameter[]. Some caution is advised, see the notes above on toxicity.

Medicinal

None known

Agroforestry Uses:

The plant can be used as a green manure[].

Other Uses

Vicia ervilia is in the tertiary gene pool of Common Vetch V. sativa, and more remotely Hungarian Vetch V. pannonica and Winter Vetch V. villosa, it is also a tertiary wild relative of Faba Bean V. faba, Narbon Bean V. narbonensis (Maxted 1993, 1995). It belongs to the secondary Taxon Group of Articulated Vetch V. articulata and to Taxon Group 1B of cultivated Bitter Vetch V. ervilia (Kupicha 1976). As a result is has the potential for use as a gene donor for crop improvement[].

Propagation

Seed - sow in situ in spring or autumn. The seed has a hard seedcoat and may benefit from scarification before sowing in order to speed up and improve germination. This can usually be done by pouring a small amount of nearly boiling water on the seeds (being careful not to cook them!) and then soaking them for 12 - 24 hours in warm water. By this time they should have imbibed moisture and swollen - if they have not, then carefully make a nick in the seedcoat (being careful not to damage the embryo) and soak for a further 12 hours before sowing.