The pastoral significance, adaptive characteristics, and grazing value of white clover (Trifolium repens L.) in dryland environments in Australia: a review

Abstract

The importance of white clover as a pasture legume of international significance has led to major investment in research on ecophysiology, germplasm conservation, and white clover improvement. Despite the agronomic merit and economic significance of white clover, Australia lacks white clover cultivars that possess adaptive characteristics for persistence in mixed swards under sheep and cattle grazing. The major problem with contemporary white clover cultivars is that clover biomass fluctuates widely from year to year. This lack of reliability, particularly in dryland environments, is largely due to poor survival during summer moisture stress that is common to much of the Australian white clover zone. Factors such as edaphic constraints, intolerance of grass competition and close grazing, and lack of winter growth in cold environments also influence the contribution of white clover to pasture performance. This paper considers the mechanisms of regeneration, adaptive characteristics, and significance of white clover for animal production, and reflects on breeding objectives for white clover improvement.