alafarmnews

Drought during 2006 weakened and thinned tall fescue stands in pastures on many Alabama farms. The only good thing about this situation is that it may offer some producers an opportunity to get clover established in a fescue field where there was little or no clover prior to the drought. Grass competition is often the primary difficulty encountered in establishing clover, so a thin fescue stand may provide a better-than-usual opportunity for establishing a clover/grass mixture.

The two clovers best suited to be grown with fescue in Alabama are white clover and red clover. White clover is a true perennial, and once established in an area where it is adapted, plants have the potential of living for three or more years under good management. White clover is tolerant of close grazing, and is our most widely used companion species to fescue.

Red clover has a longer growing season, and usually a higher annual yield, than any other clover we grow in Alabama, but even under suitable climatic conditions and good management, will normally live for only two years. Red clover has an upright growth habit, making it especially well suited for use in fields to be cut for hay. It is less tolerant than white clover of close, continuous grazing, but can be a good choice for a pasture if a long clover grazing season is desired. With good soil fertility and adequate soil moisture it can make a surprising amount of growth even in summer.

In experiments done at the Black Belt and Tennessee Valley Experiment Stations years ago, either fall or late winter (early March) planting dates were about equally suitable for red clover and white clover in central Alabama, while late winter plantings were actually slightly more successful in north Alabama. In these studies, broadcast plantings were almost as successful as drill plantings, especially for white clover. Usually the best way to plant red clover in an established perennial grass is to use a sod seeder.

However, simply broadcasting seed in a thin fescue stand between early December and early March can often result in a good clover stand, especially in the case of white clover. The chances of success greatly increase if animals can be used to "trample" or "walk in" the clover seed. The trampling technique is simple, but experience has shown that a definite sequence of events must occur in order for it to be successful. (This technique does not work well when there is a thick, vigorous grass sod; it also will not work well with annual clovers except possibly in autumn.) These steps are as follows:

* A fescue pasture area should be selected that is suited to growing white clover or red clover (this technique is less likely to work in areas dominated by weeds or by warm season grasses). Extremely wet areas should be avoided. The field should be small enough that several head of cattle (or equivalent liveweight of other grazing animal species) per acre can be concentrated within it. If the grass stand is weak in the area to be seeded (as is the case in many fields at present), the chances of obtaining a good clover stand are further increased.

* Phosphorous, potassium, and lime should be applied according to soil test recommendations. However, nitrogen should not be applied to the pasture; otherwise grass growth may crowd out the clover.

* If there is any accumulated forage growth, the field should be grazed or clipped closely prior to seeding. This ensures that the seed will reach the soil and provides a "head start" on reducing grass competition for the clover seedlings.

* About 2 to 4 pounds/acre of properly inoculated white clover seed or 5 to 10 pounds/acre of red clover seed should be broadcast. By seeding during winter, insect problems that sometimes hurt fall clover plantings are avoided.

* The pasture should then be stocked heavily for several weeks. This step is important. The animals trample the clover seed into the soil surface (which should be soft at this time of the year) and also help weaken and suppress the grass enough to give the clover seedlings a chance to become established after the soil warms enough for seed germination. If only a portion of a field is seeded, the animals can be concentrated by feeding hay in the seeded area.

* Once the clover plants are 3 to 4 inches high, the pasture should either be clipped periodically or grazed closely enough that the clover is not shaded out by the grass. (White clover does well in pastures that are grazed closely; red clover tolerates grazing fairly well, but needs periodic rest for best results.)

Although the trampling technique is less dependable than other clover establishment methods, it offers several advantages. It is a practical approach that is easy to use, and no specialized equipment is required. It is done at a time of the year when there are

relatively few demands on a livestock producer’s time (the animals do most of the work anyway), and the cost is so low that a producer can afford a higher-than-normal failure rate on clover establishment.

Given the weakened fescue stands on many farms and the recent increases in nitrogen fertilizer costs, the winter of 2006-2007 may be a particularly good time to do some winter planting of clover. Planting clover by any proven method makes sense, but some producers, especially those with small herds and who find it difficult to justify more sophisticated clover-establishment methods, may be able to use the trampling technique to advantage. Otherwise, planting clover in fescue by other methods in early March could be a good option.

Don Ball is an Extension Forage Crop Agronomist with Auburn University.