Three New Berseem and Persian Clover Cultivars

Frick R., Suter D., Hirschi H., Raymond B.

Original article appeared in Swiss Agricultural Research

24.09.24

Photo: Daniel Suter,
Agroscope

Berseem and Persian clover are grown mainly as a catch crop in Switzerland. Three new cultivars from the latest Agroscope trials are to be added to the List of Recommended Varieties of Forage Crops.

Berseem clover and Persian clover originate from the Mediterranean region and are heat-loving, non-hardy annual legumes. They are fast-growing and have an extremely high water requirement. Spring sowings can yield three to four cuts, and summer sowings (catch crops) one to two cuts. The forage from both species is very palatable, protein-rich and highly digestible.

Westerwold ryegrass is the ideal companion plant

Both these species of legume are seldom grown as a sole crop. Most often they are associated with Italian and Westerwold ryegrass, as in Standard Mixtures for Forage Production SM 106 and SM 108, which are often sown as a catch crop. Berseem clover is also used as a cover crop in perennial mixtures.

Fig. 1: Standard mixture SM 106 containing Westerwold ryegrass, Berseem clover and Persian clover is the most widely used forage catch-crop mixture. (Photo: R. Frick, Agroscope)

Multiple field trials of new cultivars

Eighteen Berseem clover cultivars and nine Persian clover cultivars were tested to determine their suitability for forage production. The trials were conducted at seven different sites in the Swiss Plateau. The following characteristics were assessed: juvenile development, vigour, competitive ability, DM yield (first cut and overall), persistence, DM content and disease resistance.

Berseem clover: one new cultivar recommended, one in reserve

With Berseem clovers, a distinction is made between single-cut and multi-cut varieties. Based on strict criteria, none of the new cultivars in the single-cut varieties range met the requirements for inclusion in the Variety List. Nevertheless, Cerro was added to the list to have a second recommended variety in reserve in the single-cut variety range in addition to Tabor. Cerro scored highly on yield, vigour, early growth and competitive ability.

Miriana performed best of all the tested multi-cut varieties. Not only was it the clear winner on first-cut and overall yield; it also scored highly on vigour, rapid early growth and competitive ability. Miriana thus meets the agronomic requirements of the Variety Testing. However, it still has to complete the DUS test (official examination of distinctness, uniformity and stability) before it can be added to the list.

Fig. 2: Small trial plots showing first growth of Berseem clover cultivars. (Photo: H.U. Hirschi, Agroscope).

Persian clover: Celtico instead of Pasat

Among the Persian clovers, the new cultivar Celtico fared significantly better than any of the other tested varieties. It came top in several criteria and was particularly impressive on yield, vigour, competitive ability and early growth. It will be added to the List of Recommended Varieties of Forage Crops immediately, replacing the recommended variety Pasat, which performed poorly in the latest variety test, especially for yield. Pasat will be removed from the list but can still be purchased as a recommended variety until the end of 2026.

Conclusions

Berseem and Persian clover are both important forage legumes for catch cropping. They are mainly grown in mixtures with annual ryegrasses (especially Westerwold ryegrass).
From 2021 to 2023, Agroscope field-tested 18 varieties of Berseem clover and 9 varieties of Persian clover to assess their agronomic suitability.
For Berseem clover, the new single-cut cultivar Cerro has been added to the List of Recommended Varieties of Forage Crop. The multi-cut cultivar Miriana has been earmarked for recommendation. It received the highest score of all the tested varieties.
The previously recommended Persian clover cultivar Pasat will be removed from the list and replaced by the new cultivar Celtico. Like the Berseem clover Miriana, Celtico performed best of all the tested varieties of Persian clover.
Variety testing by Agroscope enables advances in breeding to be incorporated into practice by ensuring that the standard mixture range is continually updated with the best new cultivars. As such, it plays a vital role in the existence of high-quality forage production in Switzerland.