Clover Grows Up To 10 Ft. Tall
An unusual package showed up in our office the other day – an 8-ft. long, vacuum-packed plastic bag containing a brand new kind of tall clover.

    FIXatioN Balansa Clover is being commercially released by SalGrassland Oregon, a pioneer in the research, development and promotion of forage and cover crops.

    According to the company, the new clover outperforms all other clovers in hardiness, biomass, nutrient fixing and crude protein levels. It can grow to 10 ft. tall in the field, although the crop collapses on itself as it grows to stand approximately 3 ft. tall.

    The small-seeded annual legume features rapid germination and a lot of biomass. The biomass produced completely shades the ground, smothering the majority of weed and crop species. In Oregon field trials, FIXatioN was able to outgrow and smother rogue radish plants that hadn’t winter-killed.

    According to the company, the plant’s deep tap roots also contribute to long-term soil health and conservation, creating channels for rainfall to penetrate deep into the soil, breaking up compacted soil and preventing erosion.

    FIXatioN yields high crude protein levels ranging from 22 to 28.4 percent. And, as the plant matures, it produces blossoms that are attractive to pollinators.

    The plants retain actively growing leaves from the tip of the stem to the rosette at the soil surface, allowing for better recovery than Crimson, Arrowleaf and other annual clovers, says the company.

    The new clover performs best when fall seeded and has been proven to withstand snow covering or temperatures as low as 5 degrees F without snow.

    It can also be used as silage, by itself, with small grains or in rotation with corn silage.

    “A lot of people are interested in this clover for producing hay, and we’re trying to determine whether it will dry down, adequately,” says the company.

    Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Grassland Oregon, LLC, P.O. Box 17219, Salem, Ore. 97301 (ph 503 566-9900; www.grasslandoregon.com).


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2014 - Volume #38, Issue #5