Productivity and persistence of Kura clover and white clover mixtures with grasses

Abstract

AbstractThere is a lack of persistent forage legumes for permanent pastures in eastern Canada. Kura clover (Trifolium ambiguum M. Bieb.; KC) is a long‐lived species, with demonstrated potential in various regions, however, there is a lack of information on its performance in mixtures with grasses and no comparisons with white clover (Trifolium repens L.; WC), the main legume species recommended for pastures in eastern Canada. Objectives were to evaluate the potential of KC when grown in mixtures with grasses and compare its performance with WC based‐mixtures and N‐fertilized grass monocultures. Twenty treatments that included KC, WC, and six perennial grasses species (Kentucky bluegrass [Poa pratensis L.; KB], meadow bromegrass [Bromus biebersteinii Roem. & Schult., MB], orchardgrass [Dactylis glomerata L., OR], smooth bromegrass [Bromus inermis L.; SB], tall fescue [Schedonorus arundinaceus (Schreb.) Dumort.; TF], and timothy [Phleum pratense L.; TI]) seeded alone and in binary mixtures were seeded in 2 yr at two sites and monitored for up to four production years. During the first production year, WC‐based mixtures yields were overall greater than those of KC‐based mixtures, while in the second production year and onwards, KC treatments had similar or greater yields than WC, illustrating the greater persistence of KC. Adding KC to grasses also increased total forage yields by 13% on average compared to N‐fertilized solo‐seeded grasses. The performance of specific KC–grass mixtures was variable across sites‐years with no specific mixture being consistently more productive. Kura clover is adapted to contrasting environments of Québec and appears to be a suitable alternative to WC.