Red clover is raising some eyebrows
By DIETER KRIEG
HINKLETOWN - Alfalfa
may be the queen of forage
crops in Pennsylvania, but
red clover is the'most widely,
grown, says Penn State’s
forage crop specialist John
Baylor.
Red clover isn’t as popular
as what it used to be, but
advances in research in
dicate that m the next couple
years the crop may have
greater impact on forage
production in Pennsylvania.
Penn State and other
universities have been
taking a very close look at
red clover and are finding
that it has much more
potential than many people
previously realized.
While admitting that red
clover is lower in feed value
than alfalfa, Baylor noted
that red clover’s protein
content may reach as high as
20 per cent, and TDN up to 38
percent.
Baylor, who has been
BARBER OIL CO.
[TEXACO]
Fuel Chief
HEATING OIL
* OIL HEATING EQUIPMENT
AIR CONDITIONING
MOUNT JOY, PA.
Ph. 653-1821
ELIMINATES THE EPOXY AND OTHER YEARLY COSTLY MAINTENANCE TO WALLS AND CEILINGS
'/ >r~>
». > J „-*■
GLASBORD® IS TOUGH
• ACID SCRATCH AND ABRASION RESISTANT
GLASBORD® INSTALLS EASILY
- MILKING PARLORS. HOLDING ROOMS, OFFICES.
SLAUGHTER HOUSES
GLASBORD® RESISTS DIRT
- WILL NOT STAIN, CORRODE
- RESISTS ANIMAL WASTES
- CLEANS WITH ORDINARY METHODS
talking about red clover to
various farm groups across
the state, finds his audiences
very much interested in the
crop. -At a small meeting
here earlier this year, for
example, Baylor was kept
busy for over an hour while
farmers from the area
bombarded him with
questions.
Red clover is second to
alfalfa in most forage
programs despite the fact
that an estimated one
million acres are planted to
red clover each year. In
comparison, Pennsylvania
once had 3 million acres of
red clover. Alfalfa acreage
is currently around 825,000.
Red clover has become a
neglected legume, says
Baylor. It has been relegated
to poorer soils and interest in
it was dropping for years.
But that may soon change,
predicts Baylor.
Red clover has a lot going
for it, and with new varieties
such as Redman, Florie,
Redland and Kenstar, in
terest in red clover is likely
to escalate again.
Red clover has more shade
tolerance than any of the
-other forage crops, and as
such it is more readily
established in an already
growing crop such as wheat.
Plant breeders - both in the
public and private sectors -
have come up with a number
of breakthroughs with red
clover, including the
»development of varieties
6LASBORD®
FIBERGLASS REINFORCED PLASTIC PA
which offer greater disease
resistance. The Chesapeake
and Pennscottvarieties have
been greatly improved,
noted Baylor, a man who
does not camouflage his
enthusiasm for these
breakthroughs.
Interest in red clover is
increasing, says Baylor,
because it’s easier to
establish than alfalfa, 'has
fewer management
problems than alfalfa, fewer
pests, is adaptable to a wider
range of field conditions,
requires a little less
management than alfalfa,
and it has more seedling
vigor.
But despite all of these
advantages, red clover plays
second fiddle to ' alfalfa
because it is generally short
lived and is much Jess
productive than alfalfa on
soils which are suited to
alfalfa. Also, red clover is
susceptible to diseases such
as anthracnose (southern
and northern), and mildew.
The clover root borer can
also be a problem. Com
plicating the disease picture
is the generally accepted
fact that red clover
problems aren’t as easily
detected by the producer.
According to Baylor, red
clover is a perennial plant
under ideal conditions. But it
dies off after even two years.
With good managment, a
farmer can grow a nice
productive stand for three or
four consecutive years.
m'
FOR
FARM
BUILDINGS
i —CLEAN ABLE
Nov/ that the harvest season is just about over, educators are offering the
latest in research and management to interested farmers. One of the subjects
John Baylor, right, has been discussing is red clover. The often neglected crop is
making gains on the forage scene. Reasons include its adaptability*to “poorer
soils” and lower pH ranges. With Baylor is Bob Anderson, adult farmer advisor
with the Eastern Lancaster County School District.
• The best of all varieties of
red clover, opiniomzes
Baylor, is Redman. But it
may not be readily
available. Another variety
with “real potential” is
Arlington, which is also
difficult to obtain. Seed
shortages will continue to
hamper hay crop produc
tion.
In yield comparisons.
DURABLE — : ►
Lancaster Farming, Saturday, December 24,1977
Penn State research scores during its first year have
Pennscott at 100, followed by high impact on crop per-
Kenstar at 130, Redland at formance. If red clover was
137, Florie at 162, and sown in wheat last Fall, it
Redman at 167. should have been cut
“We have some real op
portunities here, although
we must wait on the
availability of the seeds,”
remarks Baylor.
Methods of seeding and the
management of red clover
V * \
• -
>%'*& ** V^4\:
1 , \o ’'
'V.'* ~
ELS & ROLLS
IN STOCK - AVAILABLE NOW
3/32 & W’ THICKNESS.
4xB FT. PANELS
3/32 & Vs". 4x40
AND 4 x 45 FT. ROLLS
ALL CORNER f] (1 fnl
MOLDING AND (] M* L U
FASTENERS
FASTEN TO WALLS & > /7
CEILINGS WITH NON-RUSTING, / #
NON-CORRODING TYPE / # #
FASTENERS.
VINYL MOLDINGS ARE AVAILABLE
TO GIVE A FINISHED APPEARANCE
& A WATERTIGHT INSTALLATION.
sometime during the period
from mid August to mid
September. To allow it to
grow uncut would mean
sacrificing yields of around
one-half to three-quarters of
(Turn to Page 32)
t'4 V
" > v s V '“N >
r* >•"**< >** s \ ■>
} < X N N>-<, >■»<* **■ K .*.> ■'v v l4 V -V <• V
. >, <- 0\ -v *
N„*■- * < v >* , *
n . ' <Sv ,c»
15