Trifolium repens
Description
Morphology
It is a small herbaceous, perennial plant, with radicant lying stems that form stolons. The leaves are hairless, trifoliate with long hollow cylindrical petioles. Clear chevrons (or leaf marks) are present on the leaflets. The varietal types are classified according to the size of the leaflets: small for the dwarf types, very large for the Ladino types and intermediaries (or Hollandicum). The inflorescence heads have extended peduncles or flower stalks and bear 50-100 white flowers with short pedicels. The seeds are heart-shaped and yellow in colour for a PMG of 0.6 g. This is a crosspollinating species, entomiphilous and allotetraploid (2n = 4x = 32).
Geography
Culture
Chemical Composition
| In % | Water | Nitrogen | Fat | Soluble carbohydrates | Fibrous carbohydrates | Ashes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Forage: green | ||||||
| Forage: hay |
Usage
Benefits
- Species combines well with perennial ryegrass or Tall Fescue for use in pastures
- Grows well in the summer
- Very palatable
- Highly digestible and rich in protein
Limitations
- Requires soil rich in potash
- Sunlight is necessary for growth
- Weathers in the case of excessive presence in the grassland (do not exceed 40 to 50% of the vegetable biomass)
Techniques
| Seedlings | Period | Spacing | Depth | Amount sown | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| In rows | – cm | – cm | – kg/ha |
| In q/ha | In green | In hay | In grain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yield | 0-0 | 0-0 | – |