Annual clover
Annual clover (Trifolium resupinatum).
Annual clover — a group of annual species of clover (Trifolium sp.) used as forage crops; they belong to the annual leguminous plants.
The annual clovers include the following species: crimson clover, Persian clover (shabdar), and Alexandrian clover.
They are cultivated mainly in southern Russia and Transcaucasia, but, unlike perennial clover species, they have not become widespread in cultivation.
Crimson clover
Crimson clover (Trifolium incarnatum L.) is an annual plant.
The root is a taproot with a large number of lateral roots.
The stems are thick, well developed, and softly hairy. Plant height is 50–60 cm.
The leaves are large.
The inflorescence is a conical head. The corollas of the flowers are bright red.
Crimson clover is a heat- and moisture-loving crop. It grows well on aerated soils.
Under wet spring conditions, it grows and develops quickly.
Yields in Transcaucasia and on irrigated lands of southern Ukraine reach 5 t/ha of hay and 300–500 kg/ha of seed.
It can be used as green manure, primarily in horticulture.
It is sown in spring, without a cover crop. The seeding rate when grown for green forage is 30–35 kg/ha; for seed, 20–25 kg/ha. After sowing, it is recommended to roll the field.
Usually one cut is obtained.
Harvesting for seed begins when the heads turn brown, by direct combining.
Persian clover, or shabdar
Persian clover, shabdar (Trifolium resupinatum L.), is an annual plant with a spring or winter type of development.
The root system is moderately vigorous.
The stems are sparsely branched and ascending. Plant height is 20–30 cm, sometimes taller.
The inflorescence is a spherical head. The flowers are pink.
It is a honey plant.
The growing season lasts 80–135 days. Under the conditions of Central Asia, when sown early in spring, it flowers in June.
Under irrigation, it produces 3–4 cuts. In experimental conditions in Transcaucasia, hay yield reached 8–10 t/ha; near Tashkent, 6.5–7 t/ha. The hay is of high quality, with a protein content of 17–18%.
Sowing is carried out early. The seeding rate under irrigation is 15 kg/ha. The sowing depth is 1–2 cm. In Transcaucasia, autumn sowing in October is possible.
Hay harvesting begins at the beginning of flowering. For seed, harvesting begins when 70–80% of the heads have turned brown, by two-phase harvesting. In seed crops, shabdar is mowed with mowers and the mass is placed in windrows. When the mass has dried, it is threshed with a combine. Seed harvesting by direct combining is also possible.
Persian clover is well suited for post-harvest sowings. In the Ararat Valley, the green matter yield in post-harvest sowing was 24 t/ha (Armenian RI of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Medicine).
Alexandrian clover
Alexandrian clover (Trifolium alexandrinum L.) is an annual plant.
The root system is well developed.
The stems are erect and branching; plant height is 25–60 cm.
The inflorescence is an oval-conical head. The flowers are yellowish-white. The 1000-seed weight is 2.5–3.0 g.
The growing season lasts 90–120 days.
It is sown in autumn or early spring. The seeding rate is 15–18 kg/ha. The sowing depth is up to 2 cm.
It allows 2–3 cuts to be obtained. Under experimental conditions, it produced a green matter yield of 12 t/ha. Hay and green matter of Alexandrian clover are readily eaten by all types of animals. It grows well in Transcaucasia and the countries of Central Asia.
List of sources
- Vavilov P. P., Gritsenko V. V., Kuznetsov V. S. et al. (1986). Crop Production. Edited by P. P. Vavilov. 5th ed., revised and enlarged. Moscow: Agropromizdat.
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