Factors influencing farmer acceptance and uptake of new white clover cultivars

Abstract

White clover is important to New Zealand pastoral farming yet uptake of new agronomically superior cultivars by farmers is slower than expected. Three main areas which explain why this is occurring are: 1. The need to demonstrate economic benefits due to superior agronomic performance of new cultivars to overcome barriers such as price and farmers satisfaction with existing products. 2. Farmers are influenced by advice of seed retailers/extension personnel, their knowledge of white clover cultivars, local research, and their economic situation. 3. White clover seed quantity and quality has been adversely affected by poor weather conditions at flowering and harvest over the last 3 or 4 years. Seed availability is also being affected by the cultivar change regulations and the changing land use patterns of Canterbury. The problem is magnified by the increasing number of white clovers being grown on a decreasing land base. For greater uptake and use of new white clovers, strategies that deal with all three areas are required. Keywords: buying decision, economic benefit, farmer use, seed availability, white clover