Wild White Clover Seed Production

Abstract

Field experiments on the management of ryegrass/white-clover pastures for seed production were carried out from 1958 to 1961. Replicated trials with ^-acre plots compared continuous grazing, rotational grazing and cutting once at the silage stage of growth as methods of pasture management from April to June. An additional mechanical method, gang mowing, was introduced in 1960 and Hayter mowing was used in 1961. In 1958 to 1960 the treatments were studied with and without the application of 70 lb nitrogen per acre. Clover flower heads per square foot, clover seed and ryegrass seed yields were greatest under continuous grazing, although in some years comparable results were obtained from the mechanical defoliation treatments. There were substantial differences between potential and harvested clover seed yields, the latter ranging from 20% to 75% of the potential yield. The weight of ryegrass seed harvested was highest under continuous grazing and least under the cutting treatments. The nitrogenous fertilizer increased the production of herbage dry matter and of ryegrass seed, but greatly reduced clover seed yields. The results are discussed in relation to the influence of weather on the incidence of flowering and the influence of methods of defoliation on flower-bud emergence. It is concluded that mechanical methods of defoliation can produce yields similar to those obtained under continuous grazing, provided that cutting is carried out at the correct stage of growth.

Effect of plant density on stolon growth and development of contrasting white clover (Trifolium repens) varieties and its influence on the components of seed yield

“…This high rainfall combined with the greater number of nodes per unit area, would have produced more leaves and a denser leaf canopy, which with lower spring temperatures could reduce the number of inflorescences, as light intensity and temperature at stolon level are critical in the initiation of flowering (Zaieski, 1970). Although this experiment was not defoliated, frequent defoliation has encouraged the production of inflorescences in previous experiments (Zaieski, 1961;Haggar et al, 1963;Thomas, 1981), and this might encourage more nodes to become reproductive and thus increase the number of inflorescences where stolon production is high.…”

Wild White Clover Seed Production

“…This was probably due to the higher number of clover flower heads per unit area on the younger leys, observed previously (7), and to the delay in build-up of the indigenous population of wild bees during the first season after sowing. As expected, there was a tendency for the large fields to give a slightly greater increase in seed yield than the small fields when beehives were used.…”

“…In a previous paper (7) reference was made to the traditional method of producing wild white clover seed from mixed grass/clover pastures,, and the results ofsome experimental studies on alternative methods were described. The importance of stage of growth in determining the nowering response and seed yields from the various treatments under comparison was stressed.…”

Summer Grazing Management of a White Clover-Bahiagrass Pasture: Legume Survival

“…A close and more frequent grazing management has been known to increase the seed production of T. repens in a grass-clover mixture (Haggar et al, 1963). This is because shading from the companion vegetation residue is minimal during the spring flush of clover growth, so that light is able to penetrate to the clover stolons and flower initiation is not inhibited.…”