Abstract
Forage cutting management recommendations emphasize early and frequent harvests to maximize forage nutrient yields. This study was conducted to determine forage yield, quality, and persistence of five modern red clover ( Trifolium pratense L.) cultivars harvested at different frequencies and stages of maturity throughout the growing season. Red clover plots were established at Arlington, Marshfield, Spooner, and Ashland, WI, in 1989 and at Marshfield, WI, in 1990. During the establishment year, forage was removed once or twice when red clover plants reached 20% bloom. Five cultivars were harvested for 2 yr after the seeding year under five harvest management systems (HMS): A = 3 summer cuts at bud stage + late fall cut; B = 3 summer cuts at bud stage; C = 2 summer cuts at 20% bloom + late fall cut; D = 2 summer cuts at 40% bloom + late fall cut; E = 2 summer cuts at 40% bloom. Cutting red clover twice at 20% bloom and once in late fall (HMS C) produced maximum seasonal forage yield during both harvest years at all locations. In the northern Wisconsin locations, HMS D and E yielded the same as HMS C, while southern locations favored the earlier, more frequent cutting schedules (HMS A, B, and C). Fall harvest of red clover before the second winter did not significantly reduce forage yield in the third year. When comparing forages cut at bud stage, 20% bloom, or 40% bloom, maximum red clover yield is attained by 20% bloom. Forage quality of spring growth forage was lower than subsequent summer harvests as measured by crude protein (CP), neutral detergent fiber (NDF), and acid detergent fiber (ADF). Forages cut at bud stage had the highest concentration of CP and lowest concentration of NDF and ADF, and forage quality declined with increasing maturity. Persistence of red clover was not greatly affected by HMS, but where differences occurred, plant stands and fourth year yields were highest for management systems C, D, and E where plots were cut less frequently or at later growth stages. Current red clover cultivars should be harvested three times (2 summer cuts + 1 late fall cut) during the year when plants are between bud stage and 20% bloom stage for optimum forage yield, quality, and persistence. Research Question Red clover cultivars developed during the 1970s and 1980s are higher yielding, more disease resistant and persistent than those developed prior to 1970. Forage cutting recommendations emphasize early and frequent harvests to maximize forage nutrient yields. This study was conducted to determine forage yield, quality, and persistence of five modern red clover cultivars harvested at different frequencies and stages of maturity throughout the growing season. Literature Summary Red clover has been characterized as a biennial or short‐lived perennial that is harvested two or three times per season. Under hay harvesting systems, red clover typically produces its greatest forage yield in the year after establishment. When three cuttings are made in the second year of growth, third year yields will be lower compared with a two‐cut harvest system. To obtain higher quality forages, forage producers must harvest forages at an earlier stage of maturity and harvest more frequently. Both earlier and more frequent harvesting can reduce persistence of forage legumes. However, cultivars of red clover that have been developed during the last two decades are more disease resistant and persistent than those developed prior to the 1970s. These more persistent cultivars may be better adapted to frequent and early cutting systems. Study Description Five red clover cultivars were seeded at Arlington, Marshfield, Spooner, and Ashland, WI, in 1989 and at Marshfield, WI, in 1990. Plots were harvested for 2 yr after the seeding year under five harvest management systems (HMS): A = 3 summer cuts at bud stage + late fall cut B = 3 summer cuts at bud stage C = 2 summer cuts at 20% bloom + late fall cut D = 2 summer cuts at 40% bloom + late fall cut E = 2 summer cuts at 40% bloom Red clover stands and first cut forage yields were measured in the fourth year to determine persistence of cultivars and treatments. Applied Questions At what stage and how many times should red clover be cut for maximum yields during production years and yet maintain persistence? Cutting red clover twice at 20% and in late fall (HMS C) produced maximum seasonal forage yield during both harvest years at all locations. In the northern Wisconsin locations, HMS D and E yielded the same as HMS C, while southem locations favored the earlier, more frequent cutting schedules (HMS A, B, and C). When is the optimum time to harvest red clover forage for maximum nutrient yield? Forages cut at bud stage had the highest concentration of crude protein and lowest concentration of neutral detergent fiber and acid detergent fiber, and forage quality declined with increasing maturity. When comparing forages cut at bud stage, 20% bloom, or 40% bloom, maximum red clover yield is attained by 20% bloom. Maximum nutrient yields will be obtained by harvesting red clover when the plants are between bud stage and 20% bloom. Does earlier, more frequent cutting affect red clover persistence? Forage stands were high (> 60%) in the second year after seeding and produced > 3 tons dry matter/acre at all locations. Persistence of red clover was not greatly affected by harvest system, but when differences occurred, plant stands and yields in the third year after seeding were highest for systems C, D, and E where plots were cut less frequently or at later stages of maturity.
Abstract from the paper’s OpenAlex record, shown for indexing and research. Copyright remains with the authors or the publisher. Read at the source ↗
The text the model read, with the source record’s inline markup (italics, sub- and superscripts) rendered and its character entities decoded; quote offsets refer to the raw text.
Claims 15
Claim · model-written summary
System C produced maximum seasonal forage yield in both harvest years at all sites.
- Taxon
- red clover
Trifolium pratensee0 - Treatment
- Cutting red clover twice at 20% bloom and once in late fall (HMS C)e0
- Outcome
- seasonal forage yielde0
- Direction
- maximume0
- Qualifier
- both harvest years at all locationse0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Cutting red clover twice at 20% bloom and once in late fall (HMS C) produced maximum seasonal forage yield during both harvest years at all locations”
Claim · model-written summary
In northern Wisconsin, systems D and E yielded the same as C.
- Taxon
- Red CloverTrifolium pratenset0
- Treatment
- HMS D and Ee0
- Outcome
- yieldede0
- Direction
- the samee0
- Comparator
- HMS Ce0
- Setting
- northern Wisconsin locationse0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“In the northern Wisconsin locations, HMS D and E yielded the same as HMS C, while southern locations favored the earlier, more frequent cutting schedules (HMS A, B, and C).”
t0“Red Clover”
Claim · model-written summary
Southern locations favored earlier, more frequent systems A, B and C.
- Taxon
- Red CloverTrifolium pratenset0
- Treatment
- HMS A, B, and Ce0
- Outcome
- favorede0
- Direction
- favorede0
- Setting
- southern locationse0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“southern locations favored the earlier, more frequent cutting schedules (HMS A, B, and C)”
t0“Red Clover”
Claim · model-written summary
Fall harvest before the second winter did not significantly reduce third-year forage yield.
- Taxon
- red cloverTrifolium pratensee0
- Treatment
- Fall harvest of red clover before the second wintere0
- Outcome
- forage yield in the third yeare0
- Direction
- did not significantly reducee0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Fall harvest of red clover before the second winter did not significantly reduce forage yield in the third year”
Claim · model-written summary
Harvest by 20% bloom gave maximum yield among bud, 20% and 40% bloom stages.
- Taxon
- red cloverTrifolium pratensee0
- Treatment
- 20% bloome0
- Outcome
- red clover yielde0
- Direction
- maximume0
- Comparator
- bud stage, 20% bloom, or 40% bloome0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“When comparing forages cut at bud stage, 20% bloom, or 40% bloom, maximum red clover yield is attained by 20% bloom. Forage quality of spring growth forage was lower”
Claim · model-written summary
Spring growth forage quality was lower than summer harvests across CP, NDF and ADF measures.
- Taxon
- Red CloverTrifolium pratenset0
- Treatment
- spring growthe0
- Outcome
- Forage qualitye0
- Direction
- lowere0
- Qualifier
- crude protein (CP), neutral detergent fiber (NDF), and acid detergent fiber (ADF)e0
- Comparator
- subsequent summer harvestse0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Forage quality of spring growth forage was lower than subsequent summer harvests as measured by crude protein (CP), neutral detergent fiber (NDF), and acid detergent fiber (ADF)”
t0“Red Clover”
Claim · model-written summary
Bud-stage forage had the highest crude protein concentration.
- Taxon
- Red CloverTrifolium pratenset0
- Treatment
- bud stagee0
- Outcome
- concentration of CPe0
- Direction
- higheste0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Forages cut at bud stage had the highest concentration of CP”
t0“Red Clover”
Claim · model-written summary
Bud-stage forage had the lowest neutral detergent fiber concentration.
- Taxon
- Red CloverTrifolium pratenset0
- Treatment
- bud stagee0
- Outcome
- concentration of NDFe0
- Direction
- loweste0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Forages cut at bud stage had the highest concentration of CP and lowest concentration of NDF and ADF”
t0“Red Clover”
Claim · model-written summary
Bud-stage forage had the lowest acid detergent fiber concentration.
- Taxon
- Red CloverTrifolium pratenset0
- Treatment
- bud stagee0
- Outcome
- ADFe0
- Direction
- loweste0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Forages cut at bud stage had the highest concentration of CP and lowest concentration of NDF and ADF”
t0“Red Clover”
Claim · model-written summary
Forage quality declined with increasing maturity.
- Taxon
- Red CloverTrifolium pratenset0
- Organ / stage
- maturitye0
- Outcome
- forage qualitye0
- Direction
- declinede0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Forages cut at bud stage had the highest concentration of CP and lowest concentration of NDF and ADF, and forage quality declined with increasing maturity.”
t0“Red Clover”
Claim · model-written summary
Harvest management did not greatly affect red clover persistence.
- Taxon
- red cloverTrifolium pratensee0
- Treatment
- HMSe0
- Outcome
- Persistence of red clovere0
- Direction
- not greatly affectede0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Persistence of red clover was not greatly affected by HMS”
Claim · model-written summary
When persistence differed, systems C, D and E had the highest stands and fourth-year yields.
- Taxon
- Red CloverTrifolium pratenset0
- Treatment
- management systems C, D, and Ee0
- Outcome
- plant stands and fourth year yieldse0
- Direction
- higheste0
- Qualifier
- cut less frequently or at later growth stagese0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“plant stands and fourth year yields were highest for management systems C, D, and E where plots were cut less frequently or at later growth stages”
t0“Red Clover”
Claim · model-written summary
Second-year stands exceeded 60%.
- Taxon
- Red CloverTrifolium pratenset0
- Organ / stage
- second year after seedinge0
- Outcome
- Forage standse0
- Value
- > 60%e0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Forage stands were high (> 60%) in the second year after seeding”
t0“Red Clover”
Claim · model-written summary
All locations produced more than 3 tons dry matter per acre.
- Taxon
- Red CloverTrifolium pratenset0
- Outcome
- producede0
- Value
- > 3 tons dry matter/acree0
- Setting
- all locationse0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“produced > 3 tons dry matter/acre at all locations”
t0“Red Clover”
Claim · model-written summary
The authors recommend three annual cuts between bud and 20% bloom for yield, quality and persistence.
- Taxon
- red cloverTrifolium pratensee0
- Outcome
- should be harvested three times (2 summer cuts + 1 late fall cut)e0
- Qualifier
- between bud stage and 20% bloom stagee0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Current red clover cultivars should be harvested three times (2 summer cuts + 1 late fall cut) during the year when plants are between bud stage and 20% bloom stage for optimum forage yield, quality, and persistence”
The same questions in other papers
pruning · yield · Trifolium pratense (red clover)Positive and negative results
5 papers in the same direction as this paper · 4 in the opposite direction
- negative
- no effect
- negative
6 papers more in this group
See all 10 papers →cultivation system · yield · Trifolium pratense (red clover)Results agree
1 paper in the same direction as this paper
- positive
Claims are grouped by organism, treatment and what was measured or targeted. A paper counts as positive when any of its claims in the group is positive.