Abstract
Dry matter (DM) production of sown monocultures of Caucasian and white clovers was compared under irrigated and dryland (non-irrigated) conditions in their third year. Caucasian clover produced 11.9 t DM/ ha when irrigated and 9.4 t DM/ha under dryland conditions, and both treatments exceeded white clover by ~2.5 t DM/ha. This increase in yield reflected ~23 kg DM/ha/day higher production rates in spring and summer. During this period, production rates of irrigated treatments increased by 11 kg DM/ ha/day/oC for Caucasian compared with 8 kg DM/ha/ day/oC for white clover as mean daily air temperature increased from 8-16 oC. In late summer/autumn, production rates of Caucasian clover decreased more than white clover when air temperature dropped from 16-9 oC. Growth (photosynthesis) and development (leaf appearance) characteristics of each species were also examined. Leaf photosynthesis was ~6 ƒÊmol CO2/m2/ s higher for Caucasian than for white clover irrespective of measured air temperatures (7-28 oC) and soil moisture from 1.00-0.39 of water holding capacity (WHC, 512 mm to 1.5 m depth). Both clovers had similar ranges of optimum temperature (21-25 oC) and soil moisture (1.00-0.86 of WHC) for photosynthesis. These results could explain the observed higher production rates for Caucasian clover in spring and summer, under both irrigated and dryland conditions. Lower production rates of Caucasian clover in autumn may be attributed to a similar phyllochron (126 oCd), but higher base temperature (5 oC) than for white clover (1 oC), and hence a slower recovery to canopy closure post grazing. This study shows that Caucasian clover has potential to increase spring and summer legume production, in combination or as the sole legume species in both irrigated and dryland grass/clover pastures in lowland temperate environments of New Zealand. Key words: irrigation, photosynthesis, phyllochron, seasonal production, Trifolium ambiguum M. Bieb, T. repens
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Claims 14
Claim · model-written summary
irrigated Caucasian clover produced 11.9 t DM/ ha.
- Taxon
- Caucasian clover
Trifolium ambiguume0 - Treatment
- irrigatede0
- Outcome
- producede0
- Value
- 11.9 t DM/ hae0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.

Verbatim
e0“Caucasian clover produced 11.9 t DM/ ha when irrigated and 9.4 t DM/ha under dryland conditions”
Claim · model-written summary
dryland conditions Caucasian clover produced 9.4 t DM/ha.
- Taxon
- Caucasian clover
Trifolium ambiguume0 - Treatment
- dryland conditionse0
- Outcome
- producede0
- Value
- 9.4 t DM/hae0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.

Verbatim
e0“Caucasian clover produced 11.9 t DM/ ha when irrigated and 9.4 t DM/ha under dryland conditions”
Claim · model-written summary
Caucasian clover outyielded white clover by about 2.5 t DM/ha under both irrigation treatments.
Verbatim
e0“both treatments exceeded white clover by ~2.5 t DM/ha”
t0“Caucasian and white clovers under irrigated and dryland conditions”
Claim · model-written summary
Higher Caucasian clover yield reflected about 23 kg DM/ha/day higher production rates in spring and summer.
Verbatim
e0“This increase in yield reflected ~23 kg DM/ha/day higher production rates in spring and summer”
t0“Caucasian and white clovers under irrigated and dryland conditions”
Claim · model-written summary
Irrigated Caucasian production rates rose 11 kg DM/ ha/day/oC as temperature increased from 8-16 oC.
Verbatim
e0“production rates of irrigated treatments increased by 11 kg DM/ ha/day/oC for Caucasian compared with 8 kg DM/ha/ day/oC for white clover as mean daily air temperature increased from 8-16 oC”
Claim · model-written summary
Irrigated white clover production rates rose 8 kg DM/ha/ day/oC as temperature increased from 8-16 oC.
- Taxon
- white clover
Trifolium repense0 - Treatment
- irrigated treatmentse0
- Outcome
- production ratese0
- Direction
- increasede0
- Value
- 8 kg DM/ha/ day/oCe0
- Qualifier
- mean daily air temperature increased from 8-16 oCe0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.

Verbatim
e0“production rates of irrigated treatments increased by 11 kg DM/ ha/day/oC for Caucasian compared with 8 kg DM/ha/ day/oC for white clover as mean daily air temperature increased from 8-16 oC”
Claim · model-written summary
Caucasian clover production rates fell more than white clover in late summer and autumn as temperatures dropped.
- Taxon
- Caucasian clover
Trifolium ambiguume0 - Outcome
- production ratese0
- Direction
- decreased moree0
- Qualifier
- air temperature dropped from 16-9 oCe0
- Comparator
- white clovere0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.

Verbatim
e0“In late summer/autumn, production rates of Caucasian clover decreased more than white clover when air temperature dropped from 16-9 oC”
Claim · model-written summary
Caucasian clover leaf photosynthesis exceeded white clover by about 6 ƒÊmol CO2/m2/ s across measured temperatures and moisture.
Verbatim
e0“Leaf photosynthesis was ~6 ƒÊmol CO2/m2/ s higher for Caucasian than for white clover irrespective of measured air temperatures (7-28 oC) and soil moisture from 1.00-0.39 of water holding capacity (WHC, 512 mm to 1.5 m depth)”
Claim · model-written summary
Both clovers had similar optimum temperature ranges of 21-25 oC for photosynthesis.
Verbatim
e0“Both clovers had similar ranges of optimum temperature (21-25 oC) and soil moisture (1.00-0.86 of WHC) for photosynthesis”
t0“Caucasian and white clovers under irrigated and dryland conditions”
Claim · model-written summary
Both clovers had similar soil moisture ranges of 1.00-0.86 of WHC for photosynthesis.
Verbatim
e0“Both clovers had similar ranges of optimum temperature (21-25 oC) and soil moisture (1.00-0.86 of WHC) for photosynthesis”
t0“Caucasian and white clovers under irrigated and dryland conditions”
Claim · model-written summary
Caucasian and white clover had similar phyllochron of 126 oCd.
Verbatim
e0“a similar phyllochron (126 oCd), but higher base temperature (5 oC) than for white clover (1 oC)”
t0“Caucasian and white clovers under irrigated and dryland conditions”
Claim · model-written summary
Caucasian clover had base temperature of 5 oC versus 1 oC for white clover.
Verbatim
e0“higher base temperature (5 oC) than for white clover (1 oC)”
t0“Caucasian and white clovers under irrigated and dryland conditions”
Claim · model-written summary
The authors attribute lower autumn Caucasian clover production partly to slower canopy recovery after grazing.
- Taxon
- Caucasian clover
Trifolium ambiguume0 - Outcome
- Lower production ratese0
- Qualifier
- slower recovery to canopy closure post grazinge0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.

Verbatim
e0“Lower production rates of Caucasian clover in autumn may be attributed to a similar phyllochron (126 oCd), but higher base temperature (5 oC) than for white clover (1 oC), and hence a slower recovery to canopy closure post grazing”
Claim · model-written summary
The authors suggest Caucasian clover could increase spring and summer legume production in New Zealand pastures.
- Taxon
- Caucasian clover
Trifolium ambiguume0 - Outcome
- increase spring and summer legume productione0
- Setting
- New Zealande0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.

Verbatim
e0“Caucasian clover has potential to increase spring and summer legume production, in combination or as the sole legume species in both irrigated and dryland grass/clover pastures in lowland temperate environments of New Zealand”