G18 WHITE CLOVER - A NEW CULTIVAR FOR LOWLAND PASTURES

Abstract

G18 white clover (trifolium repens L.), a larger leaved, more upright growing clover than 'Grasslands Hula'and'Grasslands Pitau', has been bred for intensive lowland farming, particularly dairy farms. It originated from crosses between 'Grasslands Pitau' and Ladino plants, selected in soil infested with stem nematode (Ditylenchus dipasci (Kuhn) Filipjev). G18 has produced more than both Pitau and Huia in trials in Northland and Manawatu Total pasture production has often been similar for the three cultivars, but clover DM has increased 25.84% over four years compared with a Huia pasture in Northland, the superiority being greatest under laxer rotational grazing. G18 has persisted well, even after more than 3 1/2 years of continuous sheep grazing, with some spells for yield cuts. Keywords: white clover, Trifolium repens L., G18, Ladino, Pitau, stem nematode, production, persistence.