White Clover

October 7, 2024/in Legumes/by admin

Trifolium repens

White clover is recommended for grazing, cutting-and-carrying, ensiling, and making hay. Lower digestible stems are not harvested with white clover crops, leading to a slower decline in quality over time than other clover species.

Elevate dairy cow milk yields by including 25% – 50% clover content in diets. Replacing maize silage at 50% with fresh white clover will better utilize excess N reducing ammonia and N urinary excretion without reducing milk yield. White clover can partly replace concentrate in a straw-based diet by up to 50%, and a standard milk production rate of 19.6 kg/d – 31.5 kg/d can be maintained without supplementation. Although not necessary, increased production can occur when supplementing with cereal grain or a mixed concentrate. Beef steers demonstrate a higher dry matter intake on clover silage than pure rye silage.

Needing additional fiber content, and superior to alfalfa for weight gain, ensiling white clover with 10% wheat bran is highly palatable to pigs. Although white clover is rich in protein, maturity will decrease crude protein content. Mineral content includes calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, and soluble carbohydrates.

The establishment of white clover into existing cool-season grasses is simple, and both feed quality and animal acceptance are high. White clover has a long stand life and is tolerant of a wide range of soil and climatic conditions (notably cold and wet). White clover still maintains seed production under grazing. High digestible protein, a heavy nitrogen fixer, simple establishment, and moderate winter hardiness are all qualities that make white clovers attractive in forage operations.

Able to grow in wetter, acidic soils where red clover and alfalfa cannot, the disadvantages of white clover are poor summer growth and lower yields than other legumes. When seeded into endophyte-infected tall fescue, it can mitigate the endophyte dangers to animals and still allow for significant gains.

Raising chickens on white clover is recommended due to its high protein content and palatability throughout the season. Reductions in protein supplements result in reduced feed costs. White Clover is not suitable as a ground cover for free-range or organic chickens as the stand will degrade rapidly due to grazing. Chickens fed a commercial diet with access to a pasture of white clover or subterranean clover will achieve higher body weights than broilers fed only a commercial diet. Both geese and common quails have positive responses to white clover as well.

Growth Pattern	White Clover develops a taproot that dies after the first year and is replaced by a secondary, shallow root system grown from stolons. These creeping stolons can reach between 4 – 16 inches long and can produce roots, leafy branches, or flower head stalks. Slow to start, white clover has vigorous growth once established. Heart-shaped, smooth-surfaced leaves are arranged in an irregular pattern around the margin, usually with a V-shaped watermark and a yellowish to reddish color. Plants develop between 8 – 12 inches tall, and the leaves and stems are not hairy.
Interseeding	When interseeding white clover into established grass, attempt to weaken the grass by grazing, haying, or waiting until after a freeze for the best opportunity at establishment.
Did You Know?	Seeds/Lb: 700,000 – 800,000

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Adaptation Establishment Management Considerations

Adaptation

Soil Conditions

White clover grows best in mild temperate climates but is also tolerant of temperature extremes. The growth habit of white clover enables it to colonize bare ground. While not heat or drought-tolerant, white clover can persevere in many harsh environments with ladino types doing better in warmer areas. White clover enjoys numerous habitats, including dry meadows, mudflats, wood margins, open woods, river banks, plains, semi-desert regions, mountains, and subalpine meadows. Frost resistant, white clover does best on clay or loam soils vs. sandy soils. Colder, moist conditions with rainfall or irrigation of around 25 – 40 inches will help white clover thrive. White clover is tolerant of flooding that can last between 7 – 30 days especially when dormant. It is moderately sensitive to soil salinity. Dry, swampy, acid, high-alkaline, or high-saline areas should not be planted with white clover unless utilizing a specialized cultivar. Avoid shady areas when considering suitable pasture land for white clover.

Soil pH: 5.5 – 7.0

Growth

Optimum Growth Range: 68°F – 77°F

Establishment

Planting

Best planting conditions occur for most areas between July 25 – August 10 or March 20 – April 20. Soil temps under 85°F with adequate moisture will enable adequate stand growth. Plow in the fall, followed by a light working of surface soil in the spring. Seed to allow 4 – 6 weeks of growth before a dry season arrives or before a first freeze.

Seeding Depth: ¼” – ½”

Monoculture: 3 – 5 lb/A

Germination

Min Time To Emergence: 10 days

Ideal Temp: 50°F – 85°F

Management

Grazing	Pigs should be raised in a confined system vs. a pasture system when raised on white clover to ensure maximum weight gain. Able to withstand both continuous stocking and rotational grazing, small leaf cultivars are best suited for constant sheep grazing. In contrast, broad-leaf types excel when rotationally grazed. Grazing should always be heavy enough to prevent shading. Earliest Time To Graze: 6″ – 8″
Fertilizing	A starter fertilizer application of up to 60 lb/A phosphorous and 20 lb/A Potassium can assist in the establishment. At Planting: 20 lb/A N During Grazing Season: 30 – 40 lb/A N
Hay/Silage	Pre-wilting, along with chopping and additives, is recommended to maximize hay and silage quality from white clover. A variable range of between 20% – 50% white clover should be used in pasture mixes depending on conditions and goals. If using pure white clover fresh or as silage, use cereal grain or maize silage as a supplement. Use caution, as fresh white clover does carry the potential for bloat. Utilization as silage will lower the risk of bloating. Timing: 30 days Cuttings During Season: 4 – 5 in well-suited areas.
Recovery	Minimum Graze Height: 1 ½” – 3″
Mixes	Saponins, Tannins, and Isoflavones can all be present in white clover and increase the need to pair white clover with other mixture components. Companion grasses can improve white clover drought tolerance. White clover, alfalfa, and red clover are considered the best pastures for all classes of pigs. Bromegrass Cocksfoot (better daily weight gain in lambs) Tall Fescue Timothy Kentucky Bluegrass Dallis Grass Bermudagrass Paspalum Orchardgrass
Yield	Tons of Dry Matter/A: 9 – 12

Considerations

Delay clover seeding until after grass establishment to allow the usage of broadleaf herbicides while grasses establish.

Competition	Thick stands of established white clover can be extremely competitive with interseeded forages such as tall fescue and orchardgrass seedlings.
Risks	Utilize supplements of hay or straw to avoid issues with bloat. Alternatively, a reduction to under 30% of the mixture can also help prevent bloating issues. Additional concerns include low levels of phytoestrogens that could affect reproduction, hydrogen cyanide poisoning, and prussic acid poisoning. Some varieties of white clover can cause issues for lactating animals. White clover can also lack resistance to weed infestations, lack persistence, and have highly variable yields. The most often cause of stand loss, white clover is very susceptible to drought.
Diseases	Alfalfa Mosaic Red Clover Mosaic Aphanomyces Root Rot Clover Rot Common Leaf Spot Root Rot
Pests	Alfalfa Weevil

Please Note:

All information provided is the result of research, our own experience, or the experiences shared by our customers.

We strongly encourage consulting additional resources before planting to ensure the best fit for your location and needs.

For questions or advice or to share your experience, contact us.