ARS | Publication request: RED CLOVER VARIETY PERFORMANCE IN FOUR MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS

Submitted to: Agronomy Abstracts
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: June 26, 1999
Publication Date: N/A

Technical Abstract: Red clover (Trifolium pretense L.) is most often grown with a companion grass in the U.S. for hay, silage or grazing. However, no information is available on the performance of red clover cultivars in competition with different grass species. In Wisconsin we evaluated eleven cultivars or experimental strains of red clover with or without either bromegrass (Brumus inermis Leysser) or timothy (Phleum pretense L.) using two management treatments (two or three harvests per year) at three locations. After two harvest years, response of clover entries were dependent on location, management treatments and grass species. Both total yield and composition of clover entries in mixtures with grass were also dependent on location, frequency of harvest with in a year and grass species. These responses continued and were more pronounced in the third harvest year. Clover performance evaluated without grass companion was not necessarily indicative of performance when grown with grass. Care should be take when selecting red clover cultivars to be grown with grass.