WHITE CLOVER (Trifolium repens), one of the most useful forage legumes in eastern Oklahoma, is generally used with grasses for pastures and hay. This perennial clover produces abundant growth during spring and early summer and can be stockpiled for winter grazing.DESCRIPTIO N: All types of white clover are leafy, with short, almost prostrate stems. They bear white flowers in spherical clusters that are on stems slightly longer than the leaf petioles. New plants develop vegetatively on stolons near the soil surface.White clovers are classified into 3 fairly distinct types. Small types, normally less than 3 inches tall, are often found in lawns and other areas frequently mowed or grazed short. Large types, sometimes 2 feet tall, are the most productive and sometimes called "ladino" clover. Intermediate type white clovers, sometimes called "common" or "white dutch," have plant heights, leaf size, petiole size, flowering date, and growth habit midway between the others
ESTABLISHMENT: White clovers are often sod seeded with 3 to 4 lb. of seed per acre but can be sown in fine firm prepared seedbeeds. White clover requires good soil moisture and is not productive under droughty conditions. Production is best on fertile, well-drained soils where rainfall is abundant. White clover tolerates wet soils better than many other legumes. In wet sites, white clover survives summer droughts better than legumes that are intolerant of wet soils. Seed should be placed in contact with the soil and covered with no more than 1/4 inch of soil. INOCULATION of seed with correct Rhizobium bacteria (strain B) is essential for nitrogen fixation in areas where white clover has not been grown. Normally 3 to 4 oz. of inoculant is adequate for 50 lb. of clover seed. A sticker (commercial products, sugar water, or cola) on seeds avoids wasting inoculant and ensures quick bacterial action. YIELD POTENTIAL: White clover may produce more than 10 tons of dry matter per acre in favorable environments. White clover/bermudagrass pastures in eastern Oklahoma yield more than 5 tons of hay per acre without nitrogen fertilizer. Forage production during summer is dependent on summer rainfall. QUALITY: Pure white clover can be more than 20% protein at early bloom; however, pure stands are difficult to cure as hay. Producers, however, can expect hay with 11-15% protein in mixed stands of clover and bermudagrass or fescue without N fertilization. Stocker gains of 2 lb. per day or more during spring is reasonable from well-managed grass/clover pastures. Mother cows with calves can remain in excellent condition on white clover pastures for more than 200 days per year. MANAGEMENT: Although individual white clover plants live only a few years, stands remain productive for many years because of natural reseeding and spread by stolons. White clover is more tolerant of continuous stocking than many other forage legumes; however, large white clover persists best if hayed or rotationally stocked because repeated harvests before flowering will not produce enough seed for reseeding.Animals should graze white clover mixed with grass fairly close to prevent competition for light as a limiting factor for white clover. However, frequent very short mowing grazing reduces reproduction by stolons.White clovers are susceptible to several diseases; however, individual diseases seldom cause stand losses without simultaneous environmental stress. Likewise, insect pests are seldom severe enough to warrant chemical control. The combination of good soil fertility and competitive legume and grass species, grazed or hayed in a timely fashion, reduces the need for special weed control practices. Consequently, there is little for pesticides in well-managed white clover pastures.Renovatio n: Once established and productive, white clover pastures seldom need special renovation practices. Allowing good seed production every 2 or 3 years and reducing canopy height by grazing and/or haying in September help prolong stand life. Broadcasting 1 or 2 lb. of seed per acre in the fall may be necessary if natural reseeding does not effectively extend the life of a stand.Stand persistence is encouraged primarily by managing pastures for clover rather than associated grasses. Soil pH near neutral and adequate soil fertility contribute to long-lived stands.Harvesting: Grazing white clovers pastures between seedling emergence and early December can be detrimental to the clover. They are normally ready to graze in March or April, depending upon growing conditions during fall and late winter. While no single harvesting height is ideal, light grazing should begin when plants are 4 to 6 inches tall. One problem associated with initiating grazing late is that vigorous cool-season grasses shade white clover and reduce production. Continuous stocking of white clover can be profitable, but requires stocking rate adjustments. Too few animals leads to spot grazing, and too many animals reduces forage production and animal productivity. Few flowers develop for good seed production if grazing is continuous and heavy. Rotational stocking provides assurance of efficiently utilizing forage and maintaining good stands year after year. White clover should be grazed with enough animals to remove all but 2 to 3 inches of growth, followed by 2 to 3 weeks of regrowth and regrazing. Sometime before mid summer, producers should defer grazing for 2 or 3 extra weeks to allow seed set. Pastures can be cut or grazed after that time, shattering much of the seed onto the soil. NITROGEN FIXATION: White clover’s nitrogen contributions can be equivalent to applying 150 to 180 lb. per acre of nitrogen fertilizer to the associated grasses. White clover production of 5 tons per acre of hay, containing 18% protein (1800 lb. per acre protein), represents more than 200 lb. per acre of nitrogen fixed and used by the clover. This nitrogen is available first as forage, much of which is recycled through urine and manure. Later as clover roots, stems, and leaves decay, some nitrogen becomes available to associated grasses. Some fixed nitrogen is also available to grasses directly from clover. BLOAT is probably the most important deterrent to using clovers in pastures; however, few animals are lost because most producers effectively avoid the problems by using suggestions listed in the box below.
ADDITIONAL REFERENCES: Forage Legumes for Oklahoma.
1995. Larry Redmon, John Caddel and
Jim Enis. O.S.U. Extension Facts No. 2585. OSU Equal Opportunity Statement and OSU Disclaimer Policy Regarding Endorsements
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