The flowering of annual legume pasture species and cultivars in Western Australia

Abstract

A total of 31 separate annual medic species or varieties of subterranean clover was sown at three planting dates April, May and June, at six sites and for two consecutive years; the time to commencement of flowering was recorded. With each species or variety there were major differences according to site and planting date. There were also agronomically significant interactions between species or variety, site, and planting date. The differences are ascribed primarily to temperature variability but there was some evidence also of a latidude effect perhaps due to day length. There were some varieties, e.g. Dinninup, with unusual flowering patterns not explainable on the basis of vernalization requirement alone.