Crop Science Journal of Natural Resources and Life Sciences Education
HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS
QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced]


     

Published online 16 January 2008
Published in Crop Sci 48:1-13 (2008)
© 2008 Crop Science Society of America
677 S. Segoe Rd., Madison, WI 53711 USA
This Article
Right arrow Figures Only
Right arrow Full Text
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrow reprints & permissions
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Taylor, N. L.
PubMed
Right arrow Articles by Taylor, N. L.
Agricola
Right arrow Articles by Taylor, N. L.
Related Collections
Right arrow Crop Genetics
Right arrow Clover

A Century of Clover Breeding Developments in the United States

Norman L. Taylor*

Dep. Plant and Soil Sciences, Univ. of Kentucky-Lexington, KY, Kentucky Agric. Exp. Stn., Lexington, KY, 40546

* Corresponding author (nltaylor{at}uky.edu).

The perennial clovers, red (Trifolium pratense L.) and white clover (T. repens L.), have been important legumes for livestock feeding in the United States during the past century, particularly in the eastern United States. Recently, sustainable agriculture, organic farming, integrated crop–livestock systems, and high nitrogen prices have stimulated interest in forage legumes. This paper describes the present status of clover improvement programs—their objectives, successes, short falls, and challenges for the future. One goal of most clover breeding programs is increased persistence (longevity of individual plants) because of its association with general adaptability and yield. Persistence, which limits life of clovers to about three to four years, is largely governed by programmed senescence but can be influenced somewhat by breeding for general adaptation to the area of use. New, more-adapted red clover cultivars have been bred in Wisconsin for use in the northern states, in Kentucky for the middle states, and in Florida for the southern states. For white clover, researchers in several states in the southeast have cooperated in the development of improved cultivars. The unique qualities of these improved species along with high seedling vigor, ease of establishment, and general competitiveness ensure that red and white clover will continue to be the major forage legumes of the United States and justify continued breeding efforts.

Abbreviations: 2,4-D, 2,4-dichlorophenoxy acetic acid • AMV, alfalfa mosaic virus • BYMV, bean yellow mosaic virus • CYVV, clover yellow vein virus • PSV, peanut stunt virus • SRVR, Southern regional virus resistant

All rights reserved. No part of this periodical may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher. Permission for printing and for reprinting the material contained herein has been obtained by the publisher.

Received for publication September 27, 2007.




HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS
The SCI Journals Agronomy Journal Vadose Zone Journal
Journal of Plant Registrations Soil Science Society of America Journal
Journal of Natural Resources
and Life Sciences Education		 Journal of
Environmental Quality
Copyright © 2008 by the Crop Science Society of America.