SEASONAL VARIATION IN THE VERTICAL DISTRIBUTION OF WHITE CLOVER (Trifolium repens L.) STOLONS IN TWO CONTRASTING PASTURES

Abstract

Swards under rotational grazing by cattle (RGC) and under set stocking by sheep (SSS) were sampled every 2 months for 3 years, and white clover stolon dissected into 3 vertical classes; aerial, surface and buried. Despite large differences in yearly herbage production, sward structure, white clover content, total stolon weight and proportioning of stolon among the vertical classes between the sites, the greatest differences in distribution of stolon among the vertical classes were associated with month of sampling and this was consistent among years at both sites. These results indicate that over a 3-year period, in both swards studied, the white clover component underwent an annual cycle of burial of stolons in winter, re-emergence of growing points in spring and surface stolon development over summer. Keywords: white clover, Trifolium repens, stolons, vertical distribution, seasonal variation.