Publication Date
1989
Description
Establishment of white clover for agricultural purposes is invariably by seed. However, natural regeneration is almost entirely vegetative (Chapman, 1987), and flowering may be restricted to a small proportion of individuals within a population (Burdon, 1980) When white clover is present in the soil seedbank, there is potential for both intra- (between classes) and inter-varietal contamination of seed crops. Lancashire et al., (1985) have commented that genetic contamination of white clover seed is a world-wide problem. Volunteer seedlings may be removed from between the crop rows mechanically, but there remains an untreatable area close to the crop which is available for volunteer establishment. At recommanded row widths (30 cm) the untreatable zone is 50 % of the land area (Clifford et al., 1985). This paper describes a technique in which sections of clover stolon (ramets) were planted instead of seed and herbicide selectivity between ramets and seedlings was exploited to enable volunteer seedlings to be controlled throughout the crop.
Citation
Newton, P C.D and Popay, A I., "Vegetative Propagation of White Clover an Application in White Clover Seed Production" (2025). IGC Proceedings (1989-2023). 5.
https://uknowledge.uky.edu/igc/1989/session5/5
Included in
Agricultural Science Commons, Agronomy and Crop Sciences Commons, Plant Biology Commons, Plant Pathology Commons, Soil Science Commons, Weed Science Commons
Vegetative Propagation of White Clover an Application in White Clover Seed Production
Establishment of white clover for agricultural purposes is invariably by seed. However, natural regeneration is almost entirely vegetative (Chapman, 1987), and flowering may be restricted to a small proportion of individuals within a population (Burdon, 1980) When white clover is present in the soil seedbank, there is potential for both intra- (between classes) and inter-varietal contamination of seed crops. Lancashire et al., (1985) have commented that genetic contamination of white clover seed is a world-wide problem. Volunteer seedlings may be removed from between the crop rows mechanically, but there remains an untreatable area close to the crop which is available for volunteer establishment. At recommanded row widths (30 cm) the untreatable zone is 50 % of the land area (Clifford et al., 1985). This paper describes a technique in which sections of clover stolon (ramets) were planted instead of seed and herbicide selectivity between ramets and seedlings was exploited to enable volunteer seedlings to be controlled throughout the crop.
