EVALUATION OF CLOVERS IN DRY HILL COUNTRY .11. SUBTERRANEAN AND WHITE CLOVER ON THE HOKONUI HILLS, SOUTHLAND, NEW-ZEALAND

Nine subterranean clover (Trifolium subterraneum L.) cultivars and 10 white clover (T. repens L.) lines were evaluated in small plots for production and persistence at a hill country site in Southland. The late-flowering subterranean clovers 'Nangeela' and 'Tallarook' and the mid-season flowering 'Woogenellup' showed the highest seedling regeneration and herbage yields in the first year. However, regeneration declined to 20% of levels recorded in the first year and yields fell from 1700 to 50 kg DM/ha by the second year. Continued low production was expected as none of the cultivars developed hard seed. The New Zealand white clover lines ('Grasslands Kopu', 'Grasslands Huia', 'Grasslands Pitau', 'Italy X New Zealand' and 'Hill Country') showed the best herbage yields and persistence. The overseas lines ('Haifa', 'Tamar', 'Clarence Valley', and 'Louisiana S1') were consistently poor. These types were unable to sustain active growth because of low stolon numbers per unit area of pasture. Re-seeding was unimportant over the evaluation period at this site.