Comparison between a wild population and cultivar of common vetch (Vicia sativa L., Fabaceae) on cytological and agronomic characteristics

The aim of this study was to compare a wild population of common vetch (Vicia sativa L.) collected from the Serinyol district of Antakya in the east Mediterranean coastal region of Turkey with a cultivar of common vetch (V. sativa ’Anadolu'), on somatic chromosome number and important agronomic attributes. Somatic chromosome counts from material collected from the wild population of Vicia sativa L. were consistently 2n = 10, while the cultivar had 2n = 12. There were no significant differences between wild and cultivated cytotypes in plant height, seed number or pod number, although the wild cytotype had significantly more branches, smaller seeds, higher hardseededness and lower germination rates. © 2006 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC