Nutrient elements in the herbage of white clover, red clover, lucerne and sainfoin

Abstract

White clover, red clover, lucerne and sainfoin were grown in the field, and the mineral composition and cation/anion balance of the herbage were determined on samples taken at advancing stages of growth on eight occasions from 29 April to 18 July.The elements which showed the greatest differences in content between species were calcium, sodium, and molybdenum. White clover was consistently higher than the other species in nitrogen, phosphorus, chlorine and molybdenum. Sainfoin was consistently and substantially lower in calcium and sodium than the other species.Evidence based on the total contents of cations and inorganic anions and on determinations of ash alkalinity indicated that white clover and red clover had the highest contents of organic acids, sainfoin having substantially lower, and lucerne intermediate, levels.

Micronutrient concentrations in relation to phenological development of red clover (Trifolium pratense L.), perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.) and timothy (Phleum pratense L.)

“…For red clover, we found that Cu, Mo and Zn concentrations decreased with advancing phenological stage whereas Co, Fe, Mn and Ni concentrations were more stable over time. With regard to Mo and Mn, this is in agreement with earlier studies (Whitehead and Jones, ; Anke et al ., ) but for Co this contrasts with earlier findings (Whitehead and Jones, ; Bakken et al ., ). For the other micronutrients, previous results are less clear and suggest decreasing Fe, Ni, Zn (Anke et al ., ) or more stable concentrations of Cu, Fe, Zn (Whitehead and Jones, ).…”

“…With regard to Mo and Mn, this is in agreement with earlier studies (Whitehead and Jones, ; Anke et al ., ) but for Co this contrasts with earlier findings (Whitehead and Jones, ; Bakken et al ., ). For the other micronutrients, previous results are less clear and suggest decreasing Fe, Ni, Zn (Anke et al ., ) or more stable concentrations of Cu, Fe, Zn (Whitehead and Jones, ). It is possible that the divergent results are due to differences in the proportions of stems, leaves and flowers in the plant samples analysed, as these were not reported in the previous studies.…”

“…However, much less is known about phenological development of forage species with regard to concentrations of micronutrients. Data from grasses and legumes sampled at regular intervals during phenological development (Anke et al ., ; Brink et al ., ) or at specified stages (Fleming and Murphy, ; Whitehead and Jones, ) suggest that the concentrations of many micronutrients decrease with phenological development. This could be explained by an increased DM accumulation causing dilution or a decreased micronutrient uptake (Jarrell and Beverly, ) which may differ between species.…”

The Effect of a Ryegrass Companion Grass and the Variety of Red Clover on the Productivity of Red‐clover Swards

“…It is a rich source of N, Ca, Mg and K and although P content may be below the optimum for dairy cows it is likely to be satisfactory for growing cattle; Na and S contents tend to be poor (8,12,13,27,39). Cattle fed on dried grass plus red clover had greater intakes and higher liveweight gains than when fed on an all-grass diet (30).…”

The potential of tetraploid red clover and its role in the United Kingdom

“…It is a rich source of CP and of the minerals calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg) and potassium (K), and although phosphorus (P) content may be below the optimum for high-yielding dairy cows, it is likely to be satisfactory for growing cattle; sodium (Na) and sulphur (S) contents tend to be poor (Davies, 1964;Davies et al, 1966;Davies et al, 1968;Kivimae, 1959;Whitehead and Jones, 1969). It is a rich source of CP and of the minerals calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg) and potassium (K), and although phosphorus (P) content may be below the optimum for high-yielding dairy cows, it is likely to be satisfactory for growing cattle; sodium (Na) and sulphur (S) contents tend to be poor (Davies, 1964;Davies et al, 1966;Davies et al, 1968;Kivimae, 1959;Whitehead and Jones, 1969).…”