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Arrowleaf Clover:
T. vesiculosum
Savi
| Arrowleaf
clover, one of the most popular forage legumes in eastern Oklahoma, is
generally used with bermudagrass, tall fescue, and small grains for pasture
and hay. This clover produces abundant growth during spring, resulting in
high-quality forage for stockers and cow-calf operations. |
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Arrowleaf clover is a cool-season annual. Seedlings are somewhat
slow-growing, delicate, and sensitive to drought. Growth slows in June, and
plants begin to die by mid July. |
| Arrowleaf
clover was introduced from Italy and became popular in the southeastern USA
during the 1960's. Like most forages from Mediterranean environments (no
summer rainfall, mild winter temperatures, and abundant winter rainfall),
arrowleaf clover has its major growth period in spring and prepares for hot
summers by producing seed as soils begin to dry. As a survival mechanism
during dry periods, a high percentage of the seed is dormant because of an
impermeable seed coat. Few seeds germinate during the first fall, and most
seeds germinate during the second, third, and fourth falls following seed
production. |
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Use and Management:
Establishing
this forage should be viewed as a "several-year undertaking". Care should be
exercised during the first fall to optimize the seed germination and emergence.
Grazing should be deferred during early fall and during seed production the
following summer. This approach enables plants to develop strong root systems
during the fall and to produce an abundant supply of seed in the soil for
subsequent years. Once established and productive, arrowleaf clover pastures
seldom need special renovation practices. Practices to encourage reseeding are
necessary, however. These include allowing good seed production and removal of
thick thatch by grazing and/or haying in September.
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