Arthropod impacts: Legume

Balansa Clover: A Reseeding Legume Cover Crop for No-Till Systems cover crops are early season
Spring tillage reduced reseeding of Paradana balansa
clover in a cotton production tillage system following
seed production in May 1997 at Holly Springs, MS
hosts of major insect pests First Second Third

S.M. Dabney, D.W. Reeves, K.C. McGregor USDA-ARS, J.L. Douglas USDA-NRCS, including tarnished plant bug
(Lygus lineolaris (Palisot de Tillage
Reseeded
Crop
(% ground
Reseeded
Crop
Reseeded
Crop

System

N.W. Buehring, J.R. Johnson MAFES Beauvois)) and the Heliothine

cover )
December
1997
(number/m2)
December
1998
(number/m2)
December
1999
complex of corn earworm Till 6% 3 6
(Helicoverpa zea (Boddie)) and No-Till 38% 94 84
tobacco budworm (Heliothis
Rational: Adapted reseeding On-farm split-field tests are virescens (F.)). In the Mississippi
legume cover crops can reduce Balansa clover was named Trifolium underway to identify the most First-year reseeded balansa clover at the Delta, tarnished plant bug Spring tillage reduced stand
erosion, suppress weeds and michelianum Savi in 1798 (Flora Anderson farm contained 70 kg N/ha when density, for two reasons: (1) burial
Pisana 2: 159). It is sometimes called
practical ways to incorporate overwinters as adults. The
contribute N at low cost in the reseeding balansa clover cover growth was terminated prior to corn
earliest F1 nymphs appear on of small seed and (2) more rapid
Trifolium balansae Boiss. or Trifolium planting in late Feb 2000 following a
Southeastern U.S. Early maturity michelianum subsp. balansae (Boiss.) crops into cropping systems in the host plants during mid-March. softening of hard seed due to wider
favorable fall and winter.
is needed to avoid delaying main Ponert. A landrace of balansa clover Mississippi Delta. This research Bollworm and budworm over soil temperature fluctuations.
crop planting and to avoid collected in Turkey in 1937 (37.77N
has shown that the largest cost is winter as pupae, and F1 larvae
29.10E ) was released in 1952 by the
development of insect pests. Hard associated with delaying crop begin appearing in mid-April. For
Alabama office of NRCS with the name Location Year
First Bloom Termination Reseeding Biomass

seed may allow volunteer cover ‘Mike.’ Small amounts of seed of this planting until after seed formation the earliest heliothine pest Coffeeville, MS 93
(DBT)
23
(DAFB)
31
(Num/m2)
15
(Mg/ha)
2

crop regeneration for several years accession are available from the PI in one year out of four. (bollworm), termination of cover
Coffeeville, MS
Como, MS
95
93
15
9
28
36
195
0
3.7
3.3
from a single seed crop, increasing Balansa clover bloomed (right) bloomed
station in Athens, GA.
crops prior to 10 May prevents Como, MS 94 22 50 110 2.5

cropping system flexibility and Balansa clover seed is produced Como, MS 95 14 32 245 2.8
earlier than crimson clover in Tiptonville, TN
commercially in Australia. Imported
pupation of the F1 generation. Shorter, AL 93 30 77 nd 3.5

robustness. (zone 6b) after a mild winter. Paradana balansa clover makes
Shorter, AL 94 10 41 768 6.1

Paradana seed sells for about $2.5/kg in Shorter, AL 95 10 40 190 1.4

Seed of several cultivars is the U.S., coated or uncoated. hard seed prior to this date. Stoneville, MS
Verona, MS
95
92
6
12
43
27
8454
53
7.6
2.6
commercially available from Australia. Verona, MS 93 6 35 19 6.9

‘Paradana’ was released in 1985. It Verona, MS 94 7 42 14 8.8

Mean Annual Cover Crop Evaluation Sites was derived from Turkish introductions Cover Crop Species Seed/g
Planting rate
Kg/ha
Mean 13.7 4.3
Zone Minimum
o DBT = Flowering days before Tibbee; DAFB = Days after first bloom
F

6B 0 to -5
crossed and tested at Kangaroo Island, Austrian Winter
Pea
Pisum arvense L. 11 30-90 Stand density of planted and reseeded balansa clover
NSW, Australia. Ungrazed, it grows up in the Mississippi Delta during December 2000
7A 5 to 0 Hairy Vetch Vicia villosa Roth 36 20-40

to 1 m high and produces thick hollow Suberranean Planted First Second

7B 10 to 5
stems that are palatable and of good
Clover
Trifolium subterraneum L. 120 20-25
First-year reseeded stands were Farm or (broadcast) Reseeded Reseeded
8A 15 to 10 Field Seed Crop Crop Summary:
8B 20 to 15
feed value. It becomes more prostrate
Burclover Medicago hispida Gaertn. 300 15-20
~2000 plants/m2 on the Walker (number/m2) (number/m2) (number/m2)
(1) Allowing balansa clover to grow for 40
Crimson Clover Trifolium incarnatum L. 320 15-25
when grazed. Seed yields over 600 farm. This cover contributed 70 kg Anderson 196
Nursery evaluations of hardiness Red Clover Trifolium pratense L. 600 8-13 days past first bloom every 3 to 4 years
and reseeding ability
kg/ha have been obtained. Established
On-farm testing of management
alternatives.
stands are tolerant of waterlogging,
Strawberry
Clover
Trifolium fragiferum L. 640 4-11 N/ha to a following cotton crop. Walker 1990 will allow stands to persist indefinitely in
Arrowleaf
Watson 90 no-till systems.
moderate salinity, and soil pH from 4.5 Clover
Trifolium alexandrinum L. 880 4-9
Balansa clover seeded following corn
(2) Seed cost is minor compared to
to 8.0. Other cultivars include ‘Bolta’ Balansa Clover Trifolium michelianum Savi
990 3-5
harvest in the Mississippi Delta (Anderson JB West 115
690 (coated) 5-8
opportunity cost and risk associated
(1998) that is 1 to 2 weeks later than Persian Clover Trifolium resupinatum L. 1400 4-8 farm, zone 8a) was at full bloom in early Charlies 32
with delaying main crop planting past
Paradana and ‘Frontier’ (2000) that is 2 Alsike Clover Trifolium hybridum L. 1500 3-9
April 1999. Growth was terminated May
Approach: Cover crop adaptation was tested In Denwood, AR, ‘Paradana’ balansa clover White Clover Trifolium repens L. 1500 2-4
Stowers 18 the optimum date.
to 3 weeks earlier. 13, 1999 and soybean was planted.
by screening collections with cooperators at a produced more than twice the biomass of Source (except for balansa): Martin, J.H., W.H. Leonard, and D. L. Stamp. 1976.
Principles of Field Crop Production, 3rd Ed.; Rincker C.M. and H.H. Rampton. 1985. In
Snipes 96 (3) Reseeded (regenerated, volunteer)
climatically diverse sites. ‘Tibbee’ crimson volunteer winter weeds (background) and as Agronomy No. 25. Clover Science and Technology stands are denser, bloom 5 to 7 days
clover (Trifolium incarnatum) was used as a much as ‘Rymin’ rye (farther background) earlier, and are more productive than
phenological check. Growth was terminated when it started to bloom in early April. planted stands because of higher
Because of its small seed size (from 1000
2 to 3 weeks after Tibbee bloomed at each seedling density and growth beginning
to 1400 per gram), only 5 kg/ha gives a
location to identify adapted cover crops that whenever conditions are favorable.
dense stand. We plant 5 kg/ha of plain or 8
were earlier to reseed than Tibbee. On farm (4) Nitrogen accumulation in above ground
kg/ha coated seed. Ideal planting depth is
field trials are used to identify practical biomass is about 25 kg/ton or about 70
7 to 10 mm. Good stands have been
management systems. Balansa clover is open pollinated. obtained by broadcasting seed into low
kg/ha at full bloom.
Flowers vary from white to pink and (5) Regeneration is best when spring tillage
residue crops like cotton. Heavy residues
is minimized and soil retains moderate
Results: spotted burclover (Medicago are attractive to bees. Leaflets are impair stand establishment.
Following corn, a dry fall, and a cold winter, residue cover.
arabica) and balansa clover (Trifolium variable, with about 40% having second-year reseeded balansa clover (6) Heliothus pest will not be increased if
michelianum Savi) were the best reseeding Seed is imported by Kamprath Seed Co.
markings. Leaf margins are (800-466-9959), Manteca, CA, and is sold
growth was small on the Anderson farm in growth is terminated 40 days after first
legume cover crops that were hardy early February 2001. Note henbit (Lamium bloom, but the cover crop will contribute
throughout zone 7A. Of these, only balansa commonly serrated. with or without Rhizo-Kote XL coating
amplexicaule L.) was not shaded out yet. habitat for F1 plantbug nymphs.
clover is currently commercially available. applied by CelPril Inc. of Manteca, CA.