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Trifolium resupinatum L. |
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Leguminosae
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Author: J. M. Suttie (1999) |
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Persian clover, Shaftal (N.B. "shaftal" can be a general term for clover-like forages in its traditional area) An annual, with the appearance of a typical clover, the cultivated form can reach 60 cm but when grazed is rosette-forming; it recovers well from mowing and usually gives two to three cuts and tolerates grazing. Stems are mostly furrowed and hollow, ascending or erect, branching from the lower part. The trifoliate leaves have glabrous or hairy petioles; stipules are membranous, ovate-oblong, united below, free portion as long or longer than the united part, those of the upper leaves much shorter. Leaflets are 1 – 2.5 cm long, rhomboidal or ovate-oblong, tapering at the base, spinulose-dentate, apex round-tapering. Peduncles usually much longer than the leaf. Flowerhead axillary, many-flowered, 1 – 1.5 cm across. Flowering calyx lobes linear-lanceolate, much shorter than the tube, unequal, the upper ones much longer. Corolla resupinate, deep pink to purple, fragrant; standard oblong, notched at apex and apiculate in sinus, 6 – 8 mm long; wings longer than keel and about one-half the length of standard. In Canada 30% of self pollination is reported; insects are desirable for tripping the flowers to ensure high seed yields. Honey bees or leaf-cutter bees Megachile rotundata are effective pollinating agents. Fruiting calyces inflated, ovoid or elliptical up to 8 mm long with prominent reticulate venation, diverging from one another. Pods membranous, lenticular, dehiscing at thickened sutures, one-seeded. Seed ovoid, brown, about 1.2 mm long. Persian clover is an annual, glabrous or glabrescent herb, 20 – 60 cm in height. It is native to Central and Southern Europe, all the Mediterranean countries and S. W. Asia as far as Punjab. It has three sub-species, one T. resupinatum L. Var. majus Boss (syn. T. suaveolens Willd.) is traditionally cultivated in Iran, Afghanistan and Northern Pakistan and is now being widely tested elsewhere; the others T. resupinatum L. Var. resupinatum Gib & Belli. and T. resupinatum L. Var. microcephalum Zoh. are smaller types but locally important in natural grazing. It is a very important hay crop in Iran, Afghanistan and similar Asian areas of cold winters. Formerly it was common in Punjab as a winter fodder, but has been replaced by Egyptian clover (T. alexandrinum) in frost-free areas, since the latter’s introduction to the sub-continent early in the twentieth century and is a common contaminant of berseem seed there; usually in small weedy types which colonise waterlogged or saline patches in the field. It is a minor fodder in southern Europe, Australia and USA. There is now considerable research interest in the T. resupinatum; this follows two paths: some for the large types for arable forage, others are looking for self-regenerating annuals for pasture, especially in the Mediterranean climate areas of Australia. It is grown as a fodder often under irrigation, for hay in its traditional areas. Young shoots are eaten as a vegetable in Afghanistan where, in higher areas, they may be dried for use during the long winter. It is very important locally, in areas with cold winters, and on saline or waterlogged soil. In Afghanistan it is grown for hay in seasonally irrigated land where year-round water cannot be assured for lucerne. It is highly melliferous. In the wild it occurs mostly on heavy soils, on fallows and in natural grazing, on roadsides and waste ground. It is traditionally grown as a winter annual but is now under test as a summer crop in cooler climates. It withstands hard frost but generally is very slow-growing at low temperatures. In the higher parts of the western Himalaya and in Afghanistan, however, it is grown both as an overwintering annual and as a summer catch-crop. The young shoots are used as spinach in Pakistan and Afghanistan. In upland Afghanistan it is grown, autumn-sown, to above 2,500 metres altitude where winter temperatures fall below -12° C; under such conditions the plant is dormant, and snow-covered for months, but grows rapidly when temperatures rise in spring. It is usually cultivated as a winter annual, sown in Autumn but produces little before spring; it can be grown as a summer forage. Shaftal is a long-day plant, flowers and matures sooner at the high temperatures combined with a long photoperiod It thrives on a wide range of soils but is best grown under conditions of high fertility; it prefers neutral to alkaline soils and is tolerant of high pH and salinity pH range of 5.5 – 9 is given for cv ‘Kyambro’. The wild forms are widespread to about 40o N, their southerly limit is the Sahara. Shaftal is under test far outside its traditional area as both a winter and summer crop. Trials have been noted from Sweden, Poland, Canada, several states of Australia and South Africa. In traditional areas cultivated up to at least 2500 metres in the Afghan uplands. As a fodder shaftal is usually sown in pure stand or with a nurse crop of oats to provide bulk early in the season. It is usually cut and carried, or made into hay, in smallholder systems. It is considered a soil-improving crop in Pakistan and Afghanistan. It requires a fine, firm seed-bed, preferably with few weeds; for irrigated crops fine levelling is desirable. Propagation is by seed. One kilogramme contains about 1 480 000 seeds. Wild and pasture types generally have a high percentage of hard seed. This is much less in the fodder cultivars. Hardseededness is desirable in cultivars selected for self-reseeding pasture. As noted below seed is often pre-soaked before broadcasting into shallow water but this is at least in part to avoid the seed floating which leads to irregular distribution. In traditional areas T. resupinatum nodulates freely. In Australia it nodulates with either Group B or Group C Rhizobium inoculum, although Group C is more effective. The wild and pasture forms spread easily where conditions are suitable; it also invades crops of T. alexandrinum, usually through contaminated seed or from hard seed in the field. Planting : 1) As a fodder. In its main areas shaftal is broadcast at 5 - 10 kg/ha in autumn into a firm level seedbed. Phosphatic fertiliser should be incorporated at 125 kg/ha P2O5 (but this is only given occasionally in traditional systems). An irrigation is given immediately prior to seeding. The seed is soaked over-night and sown (often mixed with sand to aid even distribution) broadcast into shallow standing water. In its traditional areas most is from locally-grown seed which has had little or no quality control and in some places farmers use much higher seed rates. Shaftal may be broadcast into standing rice at the time of the last irrigation. This can give a reasonable stand for minimal effort if the crop is a thin one (as is often the case with ‘basmati’ cultivars) with poor ground cover; in any well-grown crop, however the clover seedlings are likely to be shaded out and the resulting crop is often late and poor. As a summer catch crop on high altitude sites in Afghanistan it is sown in ripening wheat in late spring. It can be mixed with oats provided they are at a light seed rate; the cereal is drilled and the clover broadcast and covered lightly. 2.) In pasture it is usually broadcast in mixtures with other self-reseeding legumes. The seedlings are susceptible to shading by weeds (and too densely sown nurse crops); control is usually by mowing. Seed Production : Shaftal is a free seeder; commercial data are not available but yields of 780 – 1800 kg ha are reported from Italy (Tuoro ecotype); the c.v. Kyambro yielded 800 kg/ ha in Australia. As a smallholder crop seed is often taken from part of the last cut set aside; the crop is mown, dried on a threshing floor and hand-threshed. Mechanical harvest is simple, usually the crop is windrowed before threshing. In its traditional area tall landraces are used and appear to be well adapted. Some "improved" cultivars are available. ‘Maral’ has been on the market for many years. ‘Sh-69,’ ‘Sh-72’ and ‘Wardan’ are reported from Punjab (India); ‘Persian Prolific’, ‘Kyambro’, and ‘Nitro Plus’ are Australian cultivars for rainfed pasture. Fodder types are mown, autumn growth is slow and first harvest is usually in spring; they regrow rapidly as the weather warms up and give two to three cuts. Shaftal can be grazed but when it is in pure stand it has a bad reputation for causing bloat. As a green feed it is often chaffed and fed mixed with chopped straw. It is highly palatable fresh or dried. For pasture improvement it is used in areas of Mediterranean climate. Conservation : Shaftal makes good hay and is easy to cure, although the usual care must be taken to avoid leaf-loss. Traditional practice in parts of Afghanistan is to tie the crop into small trusses as soon as it is wilted, dry those first on the bunds, turning from time to time, and then in loose stacks before final storage. Most of the leaves are, thus, retained within the trusses. It is not suitable for ensiling because of its high protein and moisture contents. Nutritional Quality and Animal Production Feeding value
Bhatti M.B. & Sartaj Khan 1996 ; Kernick M. D. 1978 ; Zohary M. & Heller D. 1984 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||