Cultivation

Forage value of subterranean clover

Trifolium subterraneum L.

Subterranean clover is a valuable annual legume intended for pasture grazing due to its prostrate growth habit, tolerance to intensive grazing, and ability for annual self-regeneration via the mechanism of geocarpy.

In the reference 4 varieties crop Subterranean clover, where this is mentioned in the description.

The crop is adapted to arid regions where it outperforms other clover species in survival. The plant is an obligate self-pollinator, which eliminates the dependence of productivity on the presence of pollinating insects. Its low-growing form and early growing season allow for providing high-quality forage to livestock, especially during the lactation period of sheep, although the small size makes hay or silage harvesting difficult.

An important biological characteristic is geocarpy, where flower stalks bend toward the ground, protecting the seed material in the soil from summer drought. To maintain the population, it is necessary to remove residual herbage before the start of the rainy season, which stimulates seed germination. When used as forage, the risk of estrogenic activity associated with high levels of isoflavones in older breeding lines should be taken into account.

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

Sources8

Varieties of Subterranean 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.