No‐Till Seeding of Red Clover into Tall Fescue as Influenced by Grass Suppression, Fungicide, and Nutrients

Abstract

No-till planting of red clover (Trifolium pratense L.) is recommended for improving the nutritive quality and seasonal production of endophyte-infected tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea Schreb.) but fungal diseases can cause stand and yield losses. The objective of this research was to determine the effect of grass suppressant, fungicide, and nutrients (P and K) on red clover no-till planted in September during 3 yr. Six field experiments were conducted in the northern Georgia limestone valley area near Calhoun, and in the Southern Appalachian mountains near Blairsville. 'Redland III' red clover was no-till planted in September using factorial combinations of the following treatments to examine their effect on first year stand and forage yield: paraquat herbicide, vinclozolin [3-(3,5-dichlorophenyl)-5-ethenyl-5-methyl-2,4-oxazolinedione] fungicide, and nutrients (50 lb P 2 0 5 /acre and 50 lb K 2 O/acre). No-till planting of red clover with no sod treatment resulted in first-year tall fescue-red clover dry forage yields (3-yr average) of 7380 lb/acre, of which red clover comprised about 50%. Sod suppression or nutrients alone had no effect (P > 0.05) on clover stands or yield. Monthly fungicide application alone increased (P < 0.05) red clover yields 120% in 1 out of 3 yr. Suppressant + fungicide increased (P < 0.05) yield 44% over the check in 2 out of 3 yr. Fungicide + suppressant + nutrients increased (P < 0.05) yields over that of the check with a 3-yr average increase of 75% at the two locations. The higher yields obtained with fungicide, grass suppressant, and nutrients over 3 yr at two locations suggest that disease losses in no-till planted red clover may be over 40%.