Taking stock of annual clovers

摘要

SUBTERRANEAN clover is the most important annual pasture legume in Australia with about 20 million hectares sown to the species. This is because it has a range of maturities, which can be grown in areas ranging from less than 350 millimetres annual rainfall to more than 700mm Another aspect that improves its all round adaptability is that there are three sub-species of sub-clover which are adapted to different soil types/situations. These are: Trifolium subterraneum, a black seeded species, which iswell-adapted to acid light soils; T. yanninicum a white seeded species with a reputation for tolerating winter waterlogging and heavy soils; and T. brachycalycinum a black seeded species with good adaptation to alkaline cracking clays.