Comparative performance of three early-flowering red clovers under sheep grazing in Southland

Abstract

Abstract Three early-flowering red clovers (Trifolium pratense L.) were evaluated under nyo grazing frequencies either as monocultures or WIth Bromus willdenowii Kunth ‘Grasslands Matua’ prairie grass or Lolium perenne L. ‘Grasslands Nui’ perennial ryegrass for herbage prorductivity and persistence. In monoculture, the diploidexpenmental hybrid G21 (released as ‘Grasslands Colenso’) and tetraploid G22 gave better cool-season growth than ‘Grasslands Hamua’. G22 gave superior spring and summer growth and persisted longer than the diploids. G21 showed more susceptibility to alfalfa mosaic virus than either Hamua or G22. With a companion grass, clover growth and persistency were higher with Nui ryegrass. G22 was inferior to G21 and Hamua when associated with either grass but was more affected by Matua prairie grass. Red clover yields were greater under infrequent grazing.