Flowering dynamics of five white clover cultivars

Abstract

The flowering behaviour of the white clover (Trifolium repens L.) cultivars: BR-1-Bagé, Yi, Guaíba S₁, Jacuí S₂ and Regal was studied in a field trial at the Estação Experimental Agronômica - UFRGS, Eldorado do Sul, RS, Brazil. Intensive weekly sampling was conducted from July 1983 to January 1985 where floral buds, flower heads, inflorescences at the pod filling period and inflorescences with ripe seeds were counted. The white clover showed a cyclic pattern of flowering, with several peacks of floral bud emission. The first peack of floral buds presented the highest seed yield on both years. The best harvesting time was around the 14 th of December on both years for all cultivars, but BR-1-Bagé that antecipated for one week for the first year. The best harvesting time corresponded to six to seven weeks after the first peack of maximum emission of floral buds. However, the cultivars BR-1-Bagé and Yi during the second year exibited a second peack of floral buds emission on January 4 th and December 28 th, respectively.