Cool Season Legumes

PLSC 211 - Lecture 7

what are cool season annual legumes most commonly grown for in the south?

forage

what are annual legumes most commonly planted with?

annual grasses

how are annual cool season legumes planted?

either on prepared seed bed or overseeded in Bermuda or Bahia grass during autumn

bloat

a serious condition in cattle that occurs when excess gas builds up in the rumen of the animal

what is bloat caused by?

the consumption of highly digestible plants (legumes); the plant particles create a foam that prevents the release of gas

Alfalfa

known as Queen of Forages, perennial

pH of 6.5 or higher is required

alfalfa pests

Blister beetles produce cantharidin which causes a wide range of issues in horses; they are most common in Midwest and southern ranges

Alfalfa weevils (biggest pest for alfalfa)

Arrowleaf clover

annual; not adapted to wet areas; bloat rarely a problem

Ball Clover

annual; tolerates poor drainage; high bloat potential

Berseem Clover

annual; tolerant of wet soils; rarely causes bloat; requires high fertility and boron

Birdsfoot Trefoil

short lived perennial; tolerant of drought and moderate soil acidity; non-bloating legume

Black Medic

annual; tolerates acidic soil (south has acidic soil)

Button Clover

annual; needs a pH above 6.0

Singletary Pea

annual; grows on soils too wet for clovers, tolerant of acidic soil; seed pods are toxic

Crimson Clover

annual; doesn’t tolerate calcareous (alkaline) or poorly drained soils (most recognized clover in the South); green manure

on average, will produce more forage than any other clover*

Large Hop Clover & Small Hop Clover

annual; tolerant of soil acidity and low fertility

large hop clover has bigger flowers than small hop clover

Persian Clover

annual; tolerates poor drainage and does well in South; requires a pH of 6.0 or better; bloat can be a problem

Red Clover

short lived perennial; in south, an annual

drought tolerant, tolerates acidity and poor soil

Rose Clover

annual, pH of 6 or 7 required

Spotted or Southern Burclover

not a true clover, different genus

annual; grows best in soils with a pH above 6

Vetch (Hairy, Common and Bigflower)

annual; green manure; tolerant of soil acidity, but have a high phosphorous requirement

White Clover

long-lived perennial in upper south; short-lived perennial or annual in lower South

high quality grazing plant; bloat can be a problem; pH of 6.0 or higher

Austrian Winter Pea

annual; green manure; high nutritive value; intolerant of soil acidity; not adapted for pasture (cannot be planted in rows*) doesn’t tolerate trampling or close grazing, too difficult to cure for hay

green manure crop

take plants in their succulent stage (most nutritious) and till them into the soil, giving the soil tons of nutrients

crimson clover is used as a green manure crop