Improving red clover persistence under grazing

Abstract

Red clover (Trifolium pratense L.) offers a number of advantages as a forage legume, but is constrained by poor persistence under grazing. The objective of this research was to test the growth and persistence of 18 populations among a wider set of 142 New Zealand and overseas accessions of red clover, in a mixed-sward replicated plot trial under rotational grazing by cattle in the Manawatu. We also measured plant morphological trait expression in a row trial using samples of the same red clover populations evaluated in the plot trial. Most red clover populations showed a marked decline in growth score after two years under grazing. The new variety 'Grasslands Relish' showed significantly (P