Evaluation of clovers in dry hill country 7. Subterranean and white clovers at Porangahau, Hawkes Bay, New Zealand

Abstract

Abstract Nine subterranean clover cultivars (Trifolium subterraneum L.) and 10 white clover lines (T. repens L.) were evaluated for 5 years under conditions of regular summer drought and winter water-logging. Grazing management initially allowed an assessment of growth potential; regenerative ability was more realistically assessed under typical farm management during the last 3 years of the experiment. Erect, open growing subterranean clover cultivars (e.g., ‘Clare’, ‘Woogenellup’) yielded the most under lenient cutting managements and where populations were artificially boosted by transplanting. After 3 years of farm grazing, ‘Tallarook’ had achieved the greatest seed and seedling numbers (7500 and 330/m2 respectively). All cultivars except ‘Seaton Park’, ‘Trikkala’, and ‘Woogenellup’ achieved pasture cover in excess of 30% by the end of the experiment. This indicates the general suitability of subterranean cover to these site conditions. Despite replanting and lenient defoliation management during late spring–summer, no white clover lines satisfactorily persisted after 3 years.