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Organic Red Clover Silage LeysHigh yielding silage crops that last 1 - 4 years |
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Red clover leys produce high yields of around 15t DM/ha and are most commonly used for silage production (Red clover mixtures are also used as fertility building crops in stockless systems). Red clover is an upright plant which can yield up to 30% more than white clover. These leys are cut for silage at the end of May. Two or three more silage cuts follow throughout the summer and autumn. Depending on varieties these leys can be expected to last between 1 and 4 years. Red clover seed grows well on most soils and is drought resistant.
 Red clover is low in dry matter and contains a low amount of water soluble carbohydrates. This means that for satisfactory fermentation in the silage to take place it will need to be properly wilted. It is usually worthwhile fine chopping the wilted material and applying an effective additive. Red clover can also be made into hay. Leaf loss can be a problem if hay is on the ground for too long. Home Grown Protein Red clover silage has a high crude protein content at around 20%. This is a fifth more than grass only silage. This extra protein coupled with high animal intakes, results in higher milk yields and higher liveweight gains compared with grass only silage. Establishment In common with other small seeded legumes it is good practice to sow red clover seed either in spring, usually April, or by early September if autumn sowing is preferred. Although there are some exceptions late autumn sowings are not recommended. Spring sowings can be undersown to spring cereals. The sowing rate of cereal seed should be reduced by one third. The cereal can then be wholecropped or harvested for grain. Soils will ideally be pH 6 or above and P & K indices of 2. Red clover production will be severely restricted if these elements are too low. Sowing Clover Seed Small seeds need surface sowing otherwise results, as this chart shows, will be unreliable.
Source:ITEB and EDE Types of Red Clover Red clovers can be broken down into two distinct types; early and late flowering. There is a difference of around 10-14 days between the two with the earlier types flowering (67D) in England at the end of May. Generally the early red clover varieties such as Milvus and Global are the most commonly used for red clover silage as they re grow well to provide a second and third cut. The late variety Altaswede is slightly lower yielding but is really good on late or wet ground or where just a single cut is required. Red Clover Seed Mixtures At Cotswold Seed we think it is important to obtain the correct balance between the grass and red clover. One quarter of the seed mixture should be red clover seed with the remainder grass seed. The overall sowing rate should be 12-14 kg per acre (30-35 kg per hectare). Red clover seed is very competitive and is best grown with aggressive, high yielding short term grasses such as the Italian or hybrid forms of ryegrass. When grown with red clover these high yielding grasses significantly increase annual yield and this is the reason why red clover is not sown alone. When red clover is sown at high proportions in a ley and with less productive grasses, such as late heading ryegrasses, meadow fescue or timothy, red clover can create a canopy and dominate the sward. |
'Short Term' Red Clover Ley
One-Two Year Mixture Ref. MIXCGO3ORG 65% Organic Two years maximum production of silage without the need for artificial nitrogen fertiliser. First cut silage is to be expected during the third week of May.
3.00 kg certified MILVUS red clover
7.80 kg certified STAR ORGANIC italian ryegrass 1.20 kg certified FABIO tet. Italian ryegrass 12.00 kg per acre (30 kg/ha )
'Milvus' Red Clover Ley
Three-Four Year Mixture Ref. MIXCGO6ORG 65% Organic A persistent and high yielding, this ley has proved to be highly successful. It is usually cut in the third or fourth week of May and incorporates the best red clover and hybrid and perennial ryegrasses and gives yields nearly as high as our two year red clover ley.
3.00 kg certified MILVUS ORGANIC red clover
1.20 kg certified ABERECHO tet. hybrid ryegrass 4.80 kg certified ABEREXCEL tet. hybrid ryegrass 3.00 kg certified CALIBRA ORGANIC tet. per. ryegrass 12.00 kg per acre (30 kg/ha)
'Single Cut' Red Clover Ley
Late Mixture for Heavy Land Ref. MIXCGO9ORG 65% Organic A ley lasting for between two and three years to provide one large cut in mid June. The mixture has more 'bottom' than our other red clover leys and is therefore better for grazing later in the summer with sheep or cattle.
3.00 kg certified MILVUS ORGANIC red clover
2.50 kg certified ALTASWEDE red clover 0.50 kg certified ALICE white clover 3.90 kg certified CALIBRA ORGANIC tet. per. ryegrass 3.90 kg certified PASTOUR ORGANIC per. ryegrass 1.20 kg certified IDEAL tet. per. ryegrass 12.00 kg per acre (30 kg/ha)
 Place in Rotation When red clover seed mixtures were at the height of popularity thirty years ago some farms had a problem with clover sickness. This was a combination of sclerotinia and stem eelworm. Both are soil borne. Like many crops, problems can build up if the same species follow too closely in a rotation. Cotswold Seeds advise to avoid this problem allow a five year gap between leys containing red clover. Oestrogen & Livestock Fertility Red clover contains oestrogen which increases disease resistance within the plant. However, oestrogen can, if fed at the wrong time and at high levels, reduce conception rates of breeding animals. It is a potential problem for breeding ewes grazing red clover leys and, to a lesser extent cattle, as they generally receive less red clover in the ration in the form of silage. It has little or no effect on male animals. The best way to avoid any potential problems is not to graze or feed silage made from red clover to females at or around conception. For ewes, this means not using forage with a high content of red clover one month before and after conception. In practice, it is unusual to come across cases and avoidance at conception minimises the risk. |
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