Agronomy of White Clover

This chapter focuses on agronomy of white clover (Triflium repens L.). White clover is the most important pasture legume in temperate zones of the world. It is of value because of its wide climatic range, the high nutritional quality and digestibility of its herbage, and the significant contribution it makes to the economy of grass/white clover pastures by fixation of atmospheric nitrogen, especially in the absence of fertilizer nitrogen. White clover is normally described as a creeping, much-branched perennial. White clover grows on roadside verges and in natural pastures throughout the world where climatic and soil conditions are suitable, but it is seeded deliberately in pastures mainly in North America, New Zealand, and northern Europe. White clover is used principally as a component of mixed grass/clover swards, which are usually grazed in situ. It is not grown in monoculture because of the difficulties of keeping such swards weed free, low annual herbage production, its short growing season, and concern about bloat and possible reproductive problems in grazing livestock. In the European Economic Community (EEC) countries, about 3,000 tons of white clover seed is used each year, of which the United Kingdom sows about one-third. This chapter is based largely on work in northwestern Europe and New Zealand, but literature on work from other countries is also cited where relevant.