USA RED CLOVER PER KG COATED RVD

USA Red Clover generally refers to seed of red clover (Trifolium pratense L.) produced in the United States. It is a cool-season forage legume used for grazing, hay, silage, pasture improvement and nitrogen fixation. USDA describes red clover as a short-lived perennial/biennial forage species, with medium (double-cut) and mammoth (single-cut) types. UUSDA Plants+1

Description

• Botanical name: Trifolium pratense L.
• Common name: Red Clover
• Origin of seed: USA, depending on supplier and lot.
• Plant type: Short-lived perennial/biennial legume.
• Leaves: Three leaflets, typically with a pale/inverted V-shaped marking.
• Flowers: Pink to reddish-purple flower heads.
• Growth: Upright, leafy and relatively tall compared with white clover.
• Root system: Develops a taproot initially, followed by branching lateral roots.
• Uses: Grazing, hay, silage, pasture mixtures and soil nitrogen improvement. UUSDA Plants+1
• Seed size: USA red-clover material can vary considerably by variety; USDA data show roughly 196,000–258,000 seeds/lb for several named cultivars. NNatural Resources Conservation Service
• Climate: Best suited to cooler, higher-rainfall environments. Agriculture Victoria lists red clover among the legumes suited to areas receiving approximately 600–1,100 mm rainfall, subject to soil and local conditions. AAgriculture Victoria

Planting time in Australia

For Australian conditions, autumn is generally the preferred planting period because there is usually better moisture and the plants can establish before winter. Agriculture Victoria specifically states that autumn sowing of pastures generally gives the best results. AAgriculture Victoria

A practical guide is:

The key is to sow when there is reliable soil moisture and enough time for seedlings to establish before severe winter conditions.

Suggested sowing rates

For a pure red-clover pasture, a reasonable starting range is approximately:

• Broadcast: 8–12 kg/ha
• Direct drilled: 6–10 kg/ha
• Pasture mixture: approximately 2–5 kg/ha, depending on the amount of grass and other legumes in the mix.