White clover cultivars developed for temperate regions of South America

Abstract

White clover is an important forage legume in temperate areas of South America but the common cultivars used are winter-active, profuse flowering types and only persist for 2-3 years due to frequent moisture stress and hot summer conditions. A breeding programme was initiated to develop new types for intensive dairy and extensive cattle grazed pastures. Wide scale screening and crossing of germplasm from international and local sources revealed the potential of Ladino and ladino x local cultivar material for use in intensive pastures with good soils and grazing management. Improved persistence was a major objective for the extensive pastures and ecotype material collected from local farms together with crosses involving ladino and SE USA ecotypes were the best combinations. Experimental selections were developed for the two target environments and evaluated in 'scope' trials at three contrasting sites to determine herbage production and persistence potential. A ladino x local cultivar selection with large leaves, high herbage yields, extended winter to summer growth and ability to persist for at least 3 years was released as the cultivar 'Goliath' for intensive dairy-type pastures. A local ecotype selection with medium leaf size, slower establishment but high stolon density aiding persistence, and high seed yields was released as the cultivar 'Aquiles' for use in extensive pastures