Despite the many merits of kura clover, a pasture specialist cautions
that it is not a silver bullet and there are challenges that need to be
managed.
Researchers in Alberta have been trying to learn how the high-yielding
clover species fits as a pasture legume.
Alberta Agriculture pasture specialist Grant Lastiwka said kura clover
appears to have good winter hardiness, based on three years of trials
in Alberta and research in the United States. The hardiness appears
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similar to some of the hardiest alfalfas on the Prairies.
Drought tolerance is almost as good as the alfalfas and better than
other clovers, with the exception of sweet clover.
It is also a fast-growing legume that produces a lot of leafy material.
In trials it has shown the potential to outyield other clovers and
alfalfas when grazed five times during the growing season.
As well, kura clover appears to be good at fixing nitrogen into the
soil, but only after it is well established in the pasture.
“It’s a legume that is very aggressive once it does get established,”
Lastiwka said.
At the same time, producers need to keep some limitations in mind.
Lastiwka said one of the biggest challenges is getting it established.
During its first year, the legume puts much of its effort into putting
down an immense root system, limiting the amount of green canopy it
creates to capture sunlight.
Because of that, it takes longer for kura clover to get established
than Lastiwka would like, and there’s a risk the plant will die in its
first year. He said that unless properly managed, grasses in the
pasture mix can shade out the kura clover.
“It’s crucial to manage the competition during establishment.”
He said other management issues include choice of grass species planted
with kura clover, and the seeding rates of those species.
Research done in Alberta and in Minnesota suggests Kentucky bluegrass
and reed canarygrass are two of the better options to plant with kura
clover. They give kura a better chance to get established than
orchardgrass.
Seed costs are another challenge. Although a promising pasture legume,
kura is not a good seed generator because it produces fewer blossoms.
Seed is now imported, and Lastiwka said it will take at least a year,
and more likely two, before seed grown in Canada will be commercially
available. That means that at least for the time being, seed costs
could be prohibitive for growers wanting to include it in their pasture
mix.
Kura clover should have Trifolium Special 3 inoculant, which is
different from inoculants used in more common clovers.
The clover originated in Russia near the Kura River in the Caucasus
Mountains east of the Black Sea.
Its hardiness and longevity are attributed to its extensive root
system. Creeping rhizomes enable it to thicken in a stand. It puts down
a tap root that can extend more than 90 centimetres deep.
