‘AU Red Ace’, a Red Clover for the Lower South

‘AU Red Ace’ (Reg. No. CV‐30, PI 657696) double‐cut red clover ( Trifolium pratense L.) was developed and released in 2008 by Auburn University and the Alabama Agricultural Experiment Station. It was released because it has a consistently high forage yield. Restricted phenotypic recurrent selection was used in the first cycle of selection in the development of this cultivar. Subsequent cycles of selection used mass selection with male‐ and female‐plant selection. Initial selection criteria were individual plant biomass, vigor, 2‐yr survival, and susceptibility to northern anthracnose [caused by Kabatiella caulivora (Kirchn.) Karak.], southern anthracnose (caused by Colletotrichum trifolii Bain), and powdery mildew (caused by Erisyphe polygoni DC). Subsequent cycles focused on selecting for mid‐ to late‐summer plant survival and plant vigor. Thus, selected plants were those that survived southern anthracnose and stress caused by high temperatures and/or drought. The cultivar ‘Cherokee’ was the standard of comparison. Forage was harvested when about 20% of the stems had flowers, and additional cuttings were made when the plants began to flower again. On the average, AU Red Ace had a total forage dry‐matter production 12 to 26% higher than Cherokee and has the potential to provide high levels of forage throughout the spring and often into the summer season. AU Red Ace plants are erect with pubescent stems that flower in the seeding year. Flowering can be the same as or up to 6 d earlier than Cherokee. AU Red Ace is well adapted to Alabama and probably other southern states in the Deep South region.