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New Zealand Journal of Agricultural Research abstracts
Development of subterranean clover (Trifolium subterraneum L.) genotypes
for New Zealand pastures
1. Whatawhata persistence evaluation
M. B. DODD
G. W. SHEATH
S. RICHARDSON
AgResearch
Whatawhata Research Centre
Private Bag 3089
Hamilton, New Zealand
Abstract A 3-year experiment to evaluate the performance of a number of selected subterranean clover (Trifolium subterraneum L.) lines and cultivars was carried out in grazed hill country pastures in the northern North Island of New Zealand. Seedlings were transplanted into existing swards on easy (15-20deg. slope) and steep (25-35deg. slope) contoured paddocks. Flowering times, spring cover, summer/autumn seedling emergence, and winter plant populations were measured with a particular emphasis on annual regeneration of the lines. Herbage production over the final season and soil seed reserves were also measured. Important factors in the success of subterranean clover genotypes were identified as late maturity, strong autumn regeneration, a long growing season, and prostrate habit. Six lines were identified as performing consistently better than the standard cultivars included in the trial. All have in common a flowering date close to that of `Tallarook', the ability to regenerate winter plant populations of over 200 plants/m2, spring yields of over 1000 kg DM/ha in a mixed sward, and formononetin levels less than 0.15% of dry weight. These lines were therefore considered suitable for further development towards a suitable cultivar for New Zealand summer-dry hill-country pastures.
Keywords cultivar; evaluation; genotypes; hill country; persistence; subterranean clover; Trifolium subterraneum
New Zealand Journal of Agricultural Research, 1995, Vol. 38: 33-47
0028-8233/95/3801-0033 $2.50/0 (c) The Royal Society of New Zealand 1995
PDF file of entire paper: medium quality (1162K); (scanned from paper original: notes about this process)
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