Cultivation

Forage use of white sweet clover

Melilotus albus Medik.

White sweet clover is a high-protein forage crop suitable for use on saline and depleted soils. Its value is limited by its coumarin content, which requires strict adherence to harvesting technologies to prevent the formation of toxic dicoumarol.

In the reference 8 varieties crop White sweet clover, where this is mentioned in the description.

White sweet clover contains coumarin, which gives the plant a specific bitter taste, requiring an adaptation period for animals when switching to this type of feed. If hay or silage spoils, coumarin transforms into dicoumarol, an anticoagulant that causes blood clotting disorders in animals.

In terms of nutritional value, the crop is comparable to alfalfa and clover, possessing high levels of protein, calcium, and carotene. A key advantage in pasture use is the low risk of bloat in livestock, as well as the plant's ability to grow productively on arid and solonetzic soils.

General information about the subject — on the page Forage purpose.

Sources8

Varieties of White sweet clover mentioned in the description

Selection based on the description text, not on official evaluation: these data are absent from registers. For specific variety details, please refer to its profile.