PERFORMANCE OF WHITE CLOVER LINES ON NEW ZEALAND HILL COUNTRY

Abstract

Eighty-two white clover lines from overseas and 13 hill country collections from within New Zealand have been examined on a hill country site for their persistence and production potential under sheep grazing on infertile soils. By the third year of the trial only seven lines were equal to or better than Huia. These included only two overseas lines (one cultivar from France ('Crau') and a line from New Hampshire, U.S.A.) and five of the 13 collections from New Zealand hill country. This is considered to be a strong argument for the use of New Zealand material in breeding white clover for New Zealand hill country conditions.