WHITE CLOVER’S CONTRIBUTION (Trifolium Repens L.) TO THE INCREASE OF YIELD AND QUALITY OF TEMPORARY HIL PASTURES

Abstract

Researches were performed at the Station of Research-Development for Sheep and Goat Breeding Caransebes, at an altitude of 280 m, under the conditions of a pseudogleyed albic luvisoil, during 2001-2004. To make evident the white clover’s contribution to the achievement of dry matter yield and forage quality, we carried out our studies on 6 variants of associations between white clover and perennial graminaceous: V1 = Trifolium repens (100%); V2 = Trifolium repens (0%) + Festuca pratensis (25%) + Lolium perenne (25%) + Phleum pratense (25%) + Poa pratensis (25%); V3 = Trifolium repens (20%) + Festuca pratensis (20%) + Lolium perenne (20%) + Phleum pratense (20%) + Poa pratensis (20%); V4 = Trifolium repens (40%) + Festuca pratensis (15%) + Lolium perenne (15%) + Poa pratensis (15%) + Phleum pretense (15%); V5 = Trifolium repens (60%) + Festuca pratensis (10%) + Lolium perenne (10%) + Poa pratensis (10%) + Phleum pretense (10%); V6 = Trifolium repens (80%) + Festuca pratensis (5%) + Lolium perenne (5%) + Poa pratensis (5%) + Phleum pretense (5%). The biological materials used at seeding were represented by Romanian varieties. The capitalization of all variants was made through direct grazing with sheep. The results achieved, as mean for the three experimental years, showed that the biggest dry matter yield (8.26 t/ha) was achieved in the variant V5, consisted of the following type of association: Trifolium r. (60%) + Festuca p. (10%) + Lolium p. (10%) + Poa p. (10%). During the years of production, we achieved the following production growths compared to the variant V2, consisted only of graminaceous species: 15.9% in the first year, 18.3% in the second and 15.2% in the third year (growths that are statistically assured). The studies and observations performed showed that if, during the first two years of production, the percentage of white clover participation depends on the percentage established at seeding, it will increase in the third year. So, for the association with the initial percentage of 40%, white trefoil’s percentage of participation in the third year is 53%, for an initial percentage of participation of 60%, it increases up to 63%, and for 80% participation, the percentage is 71%. Depending on the white clover’s percentage of participation within the floristic structure of the associations studied, as mean for the three experimental years, we observed an increase of the crude protein content from 12.08% (the variant consisted only of graminaceous) to 17.21% (the variant in which white clover has a percentage of 80%), a decrease of the crude cellulose content (from 24.61% to 18.10%), and an increase of the coefficient of digestibility from 64.95% to 78.18%. With the white clover’s participation into the associations destined for temporary pastures in hill areas, we may achieve an increase of the economic indices, too. So, in the variant V5, considered to be the best one, we achieved a net income of 416 €/ha compared to only 290 €/ha in the variant V2, consisted only of graminaceous species.