Variety traits

Ploidy — Red Clover

Trifolium pratense L.

Ploidy determines whether a red clover cultivar is classified as a diploid (2n=14) or tetraploid (4n=28) form, which significantly impacts productivity, nutritional value, and biological robustness of the crop.

In the reference 252 varieties crop Red clover, where this is mentioned in the description.

Diploid forms of red clover correspond to the natural ploidy level of wild-growing plants. Tetraploid forms, obtained through artificial polyploidization, possess morphological distinctions: larger sizes of flowers, inflorescences, and thousand-seed weight. The corolla tube length in tetraploids ranges from 9–14 mm, whereas in diploids it varies from 8 to 10 mm, which affects pollination efficiency.

The transition to a tetraploid state increases the yield of green mass and dry matter. Such cultivars are characterized by better leafiness, higher protein and carotene content, and a lower proportion of fiber. Furthermore, tetraploids demonstrate advantages in winter hardiness and resistance to root rot and clover rot (Sclerotinia trifoliorum), though they have higher requirements for cultivation conditions.

General information about the subject — on the page Ploidy.

Sources7

Varieties of Red 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.