White Clover (Trifolium repensL.) Benefits in Grazed Pastures and Potential Improvements

Abstract

White clover has been, and continues to be, a valuable component of grazed pastures through improving feed quality and nutritive value, improving seasonal dry matter distribution, and providing biologically fixed nitrogen that benefits not only white clover itself but also the surrounding plants. The contribution of white clover to sustainability and environmental goals is a growing focus of breeding programs. The use of genome mapping and genotyping by sequencing to determine genetic variation and population structure in clover improvement programs needs to be expanded to improve breeding efficiencies. Seed yields also need to be improved while maintaining the selected agronomic performance traits to ensure that commercial cultivars remain cost-effective with other crops and land uses. Beneficial traits not available within the white clover genome may be provided through genetic modification and gene editing, particularly traits that contribute towards addressing challenges associated with animal nutrition and health, water quality and climate change. The inherent benefits of white clover as well as the potential for including additional beneficial traits will be described.