Improvement of White Clover

Abstract

The need to reduce economic and environmental costs of livestock agriculture has led to a resurgence of interest in forage legumes, particularly white clover, However, despite a recognition of the benefits accruing from its high herbage quality and the nitrogen fixation from its symbiosis with the Rhizobium bacterium, the widespread use of white clover by farmers has been inhibited by several perceived Problems. Foremost amongst these have been a reputation for unreliable yield, lack of persistency under intensive grazing and propensity to cause bloat in cattle.

Conventional breeding techniques coupled with extensive genetic resources and a growing understanding of the physiological basis of variation in yield and persistency have already resulted in the development of new reliably productive varieties. These varieties will provide a cornerstone for sustainable livestock agriculture in upland and lowland areas of the UK and Europe.

The successful application of techniques of biotechnology to white clover has accelerated in recent years. An array of approaches is now available which will open the way for its genetic manipulation and subsequent germplasm enhancement. These approaches range from the routine maintenance and propagation of plants in vitro to the production of transgenic plants, and offer possibilities of altering radically the nature of white clover in the future.