The effect of field drying on the non-structural carbohydrate composition in vetch hay

Common vetch (Vicia sativa L) was harvested and allowed to dry in the open air. The composition of fresh forage in non-structural carbohydrates varied markedly between years, the contents of sugars and starch in both leaves and stems being much higher in 1990-91 than 1991-92. Field drying produced a significant decrease in the amounts of these carbohydrates. The total losses of sugars and starch in hay, expressed as losses of dry matter, ranged from 28 to 15 g kg^-1, depending on the year.