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Cad : Ve LEAFLET NO. 498 phe fe 1 “5
DEC 6 - 1961

CURRENT SERIAL REOSRRS

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

_

WHITE CLOVER
for the SOUTH

Information for this publication was furnished by the Crops
Research Division, Agricultural Research Service

White clover’ is grown in most
parts of the United States. Because
of the wide range of conditions to
which the crop is adapted, cultural
practices differ in several ways. Rec-
ommendations in this leaflet apply
to three parts of the South, which are
outlined on the map on page 3.
White clover is the leading pasture
legume in these areas.

White clover spreads by creeping
fleshy stems that root at the nodes.
Most of the leaves are composed of
three leaflets, and they develop from
the crown and from the nodes of the
stems. Flower heads are borne on
separate stalks, and are composed of
40 to 100 or more white to pinkish
florets. White clover seeds are round-
ish and yellow to reddish yellow.
Seeds are very small; there are about
700,000 per pound.

White clover is a perennial legume,
but it may behave as a winter annual
or biennial under certain conditions.
In the lower parts of the region shown
on the map, it generally behaves as a
winter annual. There is some growth
throughout the year in this part of
the region, but normally the seeds

| Trifolium repens.

2

germinate in the fall, and plants grow
throughout the winter and early
spring and they set seed and die in
early summer.

White clover is used primarily as
a pasture plant. Usually, it is grown
in association with grasses and other
legumes. It may be seeded alone
when used as a pasture plant for
swine or poultry or when grown as a
seed crop. It 1s seldom seeded alone
for any other purpose. It may be
made into high-quality hay and silage,
and is an excellent cover and green-
manure crop.

ADAPTATION

White clover grows best in cool,
moist weather. Dry, hot weather
limits growth and plant survival.
It is best adapted to soils rangin
from clay to silty loams. White
clover will grow in low-lying sandy
soils, but it is not recommended for
sandy soils that are droughty or low
in fertility. While it will grow in
slightly acid to medium acid soils,
it yields better and is more persistent
when grown in soils where the pH
reaction is above 6.0.

White clover may not perform

PARTS OF
REGION

NORTHERN |
Pe] CENTRAL
MSQ S OU THERN

Ree

The region to which recommendations in this leaflet apply comprises
three parts of the South, which are outlined on this map.

satisfactorily in any area unless an
adapted variety is planted and culture
includes proper fertilizing, liming,
inoculation, grazing, and clipping.

VARIETIES

Varieties of white clover may be
G@ivided into three types: large,
imenmecaiate, and small. There is
variation within each type; a natural-
ized variety of one type may contain
plants of one or both of the other
types. Bred varieties are usually more
uniform in type. A representative
plant of the large type may have
leaves, stems, and flowers two to
four times as large as those of a repre-
sentative intermediate plant, and
about six times as large as those of
plants of the small type.

Varieties of the large and inter-

mediate types are the most satis-
factory in the region; they perform
better than any of the small-type
white clovers. Following are de-
scriptions of the varieties generally
recommended.

Intermediate Type

Louisiana S—-1.—Developed by the
Louisiana Agricultural Experiment
Station and feleased in 1951) In
trials, it has produced greater yields
of forage than any other strain or
Vatiety of the intermediate type
Stands persist longer into the hot
summer months than other varieties.
It sets an abundance of seed for reseed-
ing in the fall.

Nolin white.—Exact origin not
known, but it occurred in a field
near’ Hambure, la., where: various

3

white clover strains had been planted
for observation. Under some condi-
tions it appears to be more vigorous
than Louisiana white, and more
persistent under grazing.

Ala-Lu.—A naturalized variety that
developed on a farm near Tuskegee,
Ala., by natural selection. It was
named in 1950. It is similar to other
naturalized varieties.

Green Acres.—A natural variety that
originated in western Kentucky.

Louisiana white-—Any common
white clover, the seed of which is
harvested in Louisiana, is given the
name Louisiana white. Seed lots
could be from naturalized white clover
that has been growing in Louisiana
many years; lots also could be from
plantings made the previous fall with
seed of other origin. Probably most
seed sold as Louisiana white is from
adapted plants; it is unlikely that seed
from other sources would produce a
seed crop worth harvesting. Most
plants in a lot of Louisiana white
clover are of the intermediate type;
there are some plants of the small and
large types. Other naturalized vari-
eties are similar to Louisiana white
in performance and persistency.

New Zealand white, Idaho white,
Wisconsin white, and other varieties
that originate 1n cooler climates are
sometimes seeded inthe region. They
are not recommended for the southern
and central parts of the region because
they do not yield well and they do not
develop enough seed for reseeding.

Large Type

Ladino and Pilgrim are the only
large-type varieties that are important

4

Use of both varieties
is restricted because in some parts of
the region they do not set sufficient
seed for satisfactory fall reseeding.

in the region.

e Ladino does not reseed satisfac-
torily in the southern part of the
region.

@ Ladino does not reseed satisfac-
torily in the central part of the region
unless the seed is from the correct
source: south central California.

@ Pilgrim does not reseed satisfac-
torily in the southern or central parts
of the region.

In the northern part of the region,
the Ladino and Pilgrim varieties will
produce crops that satisfactorily re-
seed themselves.

Ladino is the most extensively used
variety in the central and northern
parts of the region. It produces high
yields in the southern part of the
region, but if used there it should be
reseeded each fall. Most commercial
seed production of Ladino is in the
Western States.

Get variety recommendations for
your area from your county agricul-
tural agent or your State agricultural
experiment station. None of the vari-
eties have seed that can be distin-
guished from the seed of any other
variety; certified seed must be used to
insure trueness to variety.

SEEDBED PREPARATION

White clover seedings may be made
in tilled soil or in established grass
sod. For either type of seeding, pre-
pare a seedbed that 1s firm, smooth,
and free of weeds.

To prepare tilled soils—

@ Plow, disk, and harrow.

e@ Compact the surface with a cor-
rugated roller.

To prepare established grass sod—

@ Clip the grass or permit livestock
to graze it closely, or burn the
grass if there is heavy accumula-
tion of top growth.

@ Cut the sod with a disk.

. SEEDING

Broadcasting and drilling are satis-
factory methods of seeding. Broad-
cast seed may be covered by rolling
with a corrugated roller or left un-
covered—the first rain will wash soil
Over tie seed’ and cover it. Drilled
seed should be deposited on the surface
or planted shallow; depth of planting
should be not more than one-eighth
inch.

Sod seeders usually work well ex-
cept on exceptionally thick turfs. On
such turfs it may be better to thor-
oughly disk, roll, then broadcast the
seed.

In the southern part of the region,
summer-growing perennial grasses in
which white clover seedings are made
include dallisgrass, bermudagrass,
bahiagrass, pangolagrass, and carpet-
grass.

In the rest of the region most sod
seedings are made in bluegrass, or-
chardgrass, or tall fescue. These and
other tall grasses should be closely
grazed or clipped, or burned, the fall
preceding the seeding.

In most years the best seeding date
in each part of the region will be in
the following range of dates:

In the southern part of the region,
between October 1 and December 1.

In the central part of the region,
between September 15 and Novem-
ber 1.

In the northern part of the region,
between February 20 and March 15.

The best time to seed within the
tange of dates listed for your part

of the region depends primarily on
Soil ;moisture; _ seed). whem «there ‘is
enough moisture in the soil to germi-
nate the seed and to give the young
seedlings a strong start. Seedings
will succeed on clay soils with less
rainfall than seedings on sandy soils;
Clay, soils’. fetai, moisture) better
Adequate moisture is particularly im-
portant in most of the southern part of
the region; sandy-soil types are wide-
spread there.

Recommended rates of seeding vary
from 1 to 7 pounds per acre. Consult
with your county agricultural agent
for recommended seeding rates for
your area.

Plant seed that has been inoculated
with appropriate inoculation culture.
Information about legume — seed
inoculation is given in USDA Farmers’
Bulletin 2003, ‘“Legume Inoculation:
What It Is—What It Does.’’

MANAGEMENT
Grazing

Competition from the companion
crop is usually the primary manage-
ment problem while white clover
is: in the carly stases of growth.
Companion crops may compete
strongly enough to reduce the white
clover stand. If the companion crop
dominates the white clover, grazing
or clipping should help the white
clover to become established. If the
young plants are grazed, permit
animals to graze only enough to
reduce competition from the coms
panion crop. After the white clover
seedlings become well established
and the stolons develop, grazing may
be more intense.

Maintaining a balance between
white clover and other plants in the
mixture remains a management pro-

blem throughout the life of the
5

pasture. If the associated plants be-
come too tall and rank, they will
inhibit growth of the white clover.
If growth is more rapid than can be
utilized by grazing, the excess can
be made into either hay or silage.
An occasional clipping to make
growth more uniform and to control
weeds is desirable.

Following is a summary of practices
and conditions that affect the composi-
tion of white clover plants and grass
plants in a mixed pasture.

Practices or conditions that tend to
cause the plant population to shift
more to grass:

® Application of nitrogen fertilizer.

® Undergrazing that permits grass

to grow above clover.

® Lack of lime, phosphate, and

potash.

@ Permitting grass to mature seed.

© Overgrazing during drought.

Practices or conditions that maintain
white clover or cause the plant popu-
lation to shift to more clover:

@ Preventing grass from growing too
tall, either by grazing or by har-
vesting forage for hay or silage.

® Withholding nitrogen fertilizer.

@ Adequate applications of lime,
phosphate, and potash.

@ Mowing to eliminate weeds and

undergrazed tall grass.

Scattering animal droppings with a
disk or harrow will result in a more
uniform growth of the pasture. If
you want the white clover to reseed
itself, however, do not scatter the
droppings until after the seed heads
contain many mature seeds. Animals
do not graze around their droppings.
Thus, leaving droppings undisturbed
until after the seed crop is mature
assures an abundance of seed required
in the establishment of the volunteer
stand.

6

Preventing Bloat

White clover will cause bloat in
cattle and sheep, but in this respect
it is not different from many other
legumes. The exact cause or causes of
bloat are not known. Until more
information is available and control
methods developed, care must be exer-
cised at all times.

In general, the incidence of bloat is
greatest when the growth is succulent
and is three or more inches in height.
In some locations the incidence of
bloat is highest during bright, warm
weather immediately following
cloudy, rainy periods. Less bloat
occurs when animals graze grass-
legume mixtures that contain at least
40 percent grass, than when they graze
straight clover.

Do not turn hungry cattle or sheep
into a rank, lush stand of clover; give
them a fill of dry hay or straw first.
Keep a rack of grass, hay or straw in
each field where the animals have
ready access to it.

Consult your State agricultural ex-
periment station for recommendations
on the use of antibiotics and other
preventative methods which have re-
duced the incidence of bloat for at
least short periods.

LIMING AND FERTILIZING

When lime ts needed to make the
soil less acid and to supply calcium,
it is generally applied at rates of 1
to 4 tons per acre. The amounts of
phosphorus and potassium needed
generally are in the range of 300 to
600 pounds of 20 percent superphos-
phate and 60 to 250 pounds of muriate
of potash, or their equivalents. In
certain sections minor elements are
necessary for the highest yields of
forage and seed.

Recommended rates of application
vaty widely; consult your county
agricultural agent or State agricultural
experiment station for recommenda-
tions for your fields.

ine sand™ fertilizer generally are
applied shortly before the seedbed
is prepared; they are then worked
into the soil during seedbed prepara-
tion.

DISEASES AND INSECTS

Many organisms produce diseases
of white clover that reduce yields and
persistence. Diseases of the foliage
are the most conspicuous, but usually
they are not as destructive as diseases
of the roots and stolons.

Fungi cause foliage diseases and
stolon, root, and crown rots.

Several viruses infect white clover.
Some viruses are spread by insects,
and the degree of infestation may de-
pend on kind and number of insects
present.

Species of root-knot nematodes are
among the most common of the many
kinds of nematodes that parasitize
white clover. Nematodes cause swell-
ings or galls on the roots that resemble
the nodules produced by nodule bac-
teria.

Few disease control measures can
be recommended. Two general rec-
ommendations are—

@ Grow adapted varieties.

® Rotate crops when feasible to
control root and stolon rots and
nematodes.

Many foliar diseases can be con-
trolled if livestock are permitted to
graze heavily enough to prevent ac-
cumulation of heavy top growth.
Grazing or clipping foliage heavily
attacked by leafspot organisms often
reduces the number of diseased leaves

inthe regrowth. Damage from crown
rot can be reduced somewhat by graz-
ing or clipping in late fall to remove
infected leaves and reduce the amount
of foliage that mats down on the
stolons and crowns over winter.

Insects that damage white clover
include the clover leaf weevil, the
lesser clover leaf weevil, the clover
head weevil, lygus bugs, the potato
leafhopper, the garden fleahopper, the
clover root curculio, and the green
June beetle.

Spider mites often damage white
clover.

Slugs, although not insects, may
cause damage.

For information regarding the con-
trol of white clover insects, consult
your county agricultural agent or your
State agricultural experiment station,
or write to the U.S. Department of
Agriculture, Washington, 25, De:

SEED PRODUCTION

Seed. setting usually is -heavy., i@
there is an abundance of bees for cross-
pollination, and if weather is warm
and dry during the flowering period.

The white clover flower 1s self-
sterile; 1t will not develop seed unless
it is cross-pollinated. Bees, in col-
lecting nectar and pollen, do the
cross-pollinating. Cloudy, rainy
weather over prolonged periods te-
duces flowering and retards bee visits
to flowers.

Northern varieties do not flower, or
flower only sparsely, in the central and
southern parts of the region. Most
frequently in the southern part of the
region, northern varieties do not even
set enough seed during the summer to
establish a stand of volunteer plants
in the fall.

If the crop is grazed, during, tie

7

bo

winter and early spring, remove the
animals in late March or early April.
If the crop is not uniformly grazed,
clip it. Removing uneven and exces-
sive top growth at this time, which
is about 6 weeks before full bloom
normally occurs, assures more uniform
flower and seed development. It also
reduces weed growth.

Using selective herbicides in late
March or early April is recommended
if there are many weeds or other crops
that may produce seeds that will
contaminate the white clover seed.
lixis “better to use herbicides’ .early.
in the season than to depend solely
upon cleaning and processing after
harvest. Consult your State agricul-
tural experiment station for chemical
weed control recommendations.

Since white clover blooms over a
long period, ripe seed and florets in
full bloom occur on the same plant.
Harvest the seed crop when the
greatest number of seed heads are
light brown in color. This condition
usually occurs 25 to 30 days after full
bloom.

Cut the seed crop with a mower.

Let it cure in the swath or in small
windrows. During showery weather,
the mowed crop cures better in swaths
than in windrows. Windrowing is
better during clear, warm weather
because it reduces harvesting losses.
Handle the cut crop as little as possi-
ble; each handling causes shattering
losses.

Pick up the swathed or windrowed
crops with a combine equipped with a
pickup attachment. Operate the com-
bine carefully to do a good harvesting
job and to reduce harvesting losses.
Travel at the correct rate of forward
speed and properly adjust the concave
and screens and the cylinder speed.
For instructions, see your operator’s
manual.

Artificial drying or drying by
spreading the seed thinly under cover
improves the quality of the seed. If
the seed is spread thinly under cover,
turn it every few days until it is
completely dry. Rough cleaning re-
duces the time required for drying and
improves quality.

Defoliation of the seed crop is not a
dependable practice.

Growth Through Agricultural Progress

Washington, D.C.

Issued November 1961

U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE: 1961

For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office
Washington 25, D.C. - Price 5 cents