The Role of Red Clover in United Kingdom Pastures

There is growing interest in extensive environment-friendly systems of animal production from pastures whose nitrogen economy relies upon biological sources rather than fertilizer. With their undoubted production potential and suitability for silage, red clover swards should have an important role to play. Lack of sward longevity and unpredictability of production have militated against their use in the past although the review indicates that many of the agronomic limitations to their successful exploitation have been overcome. The main problem lies in how livestock farmers can integrate red clover swards into their farming systems to best advantage. The time is ripe for a reappraisal of red clover's role before the decline in its use and associated research consign it to the museum.