Contributions of Overseeded Clovers to Bermudagrass Pastures in Several Environments

Abstract

Bermudagrass [Cynodon dactylon (L.) Pers.], a base forage in southeastern United States livestock production, often fails to meet nutrient requirements of some classes of livestock. Contributions of arrowleaf (Trifolium vesiculosum Savi), ball (Trifolium nigrescens Viv.), berseem (Trifolium alexandrinum L.), crimson (Trifolium incarnatum L.), red (Trifolium pratense L.), and white (Trifolium repens L.) clovers to overseeded bermudagrass swards were compared with monoculture bermudagrass receiving 0, 112, or 225 kg ha−1 of N fertilizer on a range of sites. Berseem and crimson clovers produced up to 2.2 Mg ha−1 in March and early April, with berseem particularly reliable on fertile silt loam soils. Red clover was about 3 wk later with growth continuing until July most dependably at the more northern of the loam‐soil locations. Intermediate white clover, although not managed optimally for the species, was a productive late clover only at the southern location. All clovers overseeded on Darley fine sand were unsuccessful both years. Variable responses among clover species and sites from overseeded bermudagrass indicate that this clover production approach is very site specific in the lower southeastern United States.

Long‐Term Forage and Cow–Calf Relationships for Bermudagrass Overseeded with Arrowleaf Clover or Annual Ryegrass Managed at Different Stocking Rates

“…Using the 11‐yr period annual calf gains and 2017 fertilizer prices, fertilizer costs per kilogram of calf gain were substantially less for arrowleaf clover pastures than for ryegrass. The contributions from overseeded clovers in the southern United States are heavily dependent on the species adaptation to environment and soil‐site conditions (Han et al, 2012). The lowest fertilizer costs per kilogram of calf gain, averaged over the 11‐yr, occurred on Coastal–arrowleaf clover pastures.…”

Cover crop and tillage affect sweet sorghum production and soil chemical properties

“…Legumes like Trifolium species tend to be site-specific and can demonstrate some inconsistency in establishment as shown in a previous study in Louisiana. (Han, Alison, Pitman, & McCormick, 2011). Therefore, selection for an optimum legume cover crop should consider local soil and climate conditions.…”

Conditions that favor clover establishment in permanent grass swards

“…; Han et al . ), but questions still remain about how many of these variables interact to influence establishment. The experiment reported in this paper resulted from a grazing study that evaluated different sowing methods on clover establishment in Virginia, USA (Schlueter and Tracy ).…”

“…Although straightforward in practice, over seeding clover into permanent grasslands is often unsuccessful as this process is dependent on multiple factors including adequate rainfall, species and cultivar of clover, disease and pest pressure, sowing method, competition from existing vegetation and soil fertility (Bryan 1985;Black et al 2009). Many studies have evaluated how these variables can influence the success of legume establishment (Olsen et al 1981;Taylor and Allinson 1983;Cuomo et al 2001;Laberge et al 2005;Han et al 2012), but questions still remain about how many of these variables interact to influence establishment. The experiment reported in this paper resulted from a grazing study that evaluated different sowing methods on clover establishment in Virginia, USA (Schlueter and Tracy 2012).…”