Red clover is a short-lived
perennial legume grown for hay, silage, pasture and green manure crop. Red
clover is better adapted than alfalfa to soils that are somewhat poorly drained
and slight acidic; however, greatest production occurs on well-drained soils
with high water-holding capacity and pH above 6.0. Red clover is not as
productive as alfalfa in the summer. Red clover is one of the easiest legumes to
establish using no-till interseeding or frost-seeding techniques. Most of the
improved varieties are medium types and have good levels of disease resistance
to northern and southern anthracnose and powdery mildew. These and other
diseases can reduce stands quickly.
Summary of 2003 Red Clover Performance
Red clover yields were lower than
alfalfa yields at South Charleston in 2003. Significant stand loss was observed
in all varieties over the season, as demonstrated by the dramatic change in
stand density ratings from April to September (Table 10). Essentially complete
stand loss was observed in some varieties. This trial was kept for an additional
year to test varieties with good stands at the end of 2002. By the end of the
2003 growing season the stands have declined as well as yield but demonstrate
improved genetics in new red clover varieties over older varieties. Several
varieties persisted and performed very well in this fourth year of the stand,
which is remarkable for red clover. This is the first time we have maintained
red clover stands for more than three years, with no reseeding.
| Variety | Marketer |
|---|---|
| ZR9906R | Americas Alfalfa |
| ZR9908R | Americas Alfalfa |
| Royal Red | Land O’ Lakes |
| RC9803G | Land O’ Lakes |
| Solid Red | Caudill Seed Warehouse |
| NARN | CISCO Seed Co. |
| StarFire | Ampac Seed Co. |
| Impact | Speciality Seed Co. |
| CW5049 | Cal/West Seeds |
| BESKY | DLF Trifolium |
| Amos | DLF Trifolium |
| Dollna | DLF Trifolium |
| Vesna | DLF Trifolium |