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Effect of Bermudagrass Height on Clover Establishment
Author(s) -
Springer T. L.
Publication year - 1997
Publication title -
crop science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.76
H-Index - 147
eISSN - 1435-0653
pISSN - 0011-183X
DOI - 10.2135/cropsci1997.0011183x003700050042x
Subject(s) - cynodon dactylon , tifton , trifolium repens , biology , agronomy , cynodon , forage , cultivar , legume , hay , growing season
Interseeding cool‐season forage legumes into bermudagrass [ Cynodon dactylon (L.) Pers.] can extend the grazing season and increase forage quality. Common (cultivar unknown) and ‘Regal’ white clover ( Trifolium repens L.) and ‘Dixie’ and ‘Tibbee’ crimson clover ( T. incarnatum L.) were sown at 7000 pure live seed/plot into ‘Tifton‐ 44’ bermudagrass sod. The experimental design was a 4×4 Latin square with bermudagrass height (2, 7, 12, or 17 cm) as main plot treatments and legume cultivar as subplot treatments. There was a linear response in percentage legume ground cover with increasing bermudagrass heights. For every 5‐cm increase in bermudagrass height there was approximately a 2% reduction in ground cover for crimson clover and 10% for white clover. Crimson clover establishment (89%) was greater than white clover (51%), but stands of crimson quickly declined suggesting that it should be reseeded in years with excessive summer rainfall.