Fatty acid content of common vetch (Vicia sativa L.) in different regions of Northwest China

Common vetch (Vicia sativa Lcv. Lanjian No.3) was planted in three locations in the central and southern Gansu province of China to test if geographic differences would affect plant growth and synthesis of fatty acids (FA). It was found that the dry matter yield of common vetch was highest in Minxian (MX) and lowest in Xiahe (XH). The lipid content was highest in XH and lowest in Minxian (MX), it is the same for unsaturated FA but different for saturated FA. The amount of unsaturated FA was higher in XH (73.1%) than that in MX (53.3%) and XF (65.0%), which suggests that Qinghai-Tibet Plateau is a favorite region for producing the common vetch with high unsaturated FA. Crown Copyright (c) 2012 Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.