a 



Circular No. 625 



Rev«ed» 

 follows 



November 1941 • Washington, E».lCS, Dep*r*- 



UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 



Birdsfoot Trefoil and Big Trefoil 1 



By Roland McKee, senior agronomist, and H. A. Schoth, agronomist^ Division 

 of Forage Crops and Diseases, Bureau of Plant Industry 



CONTENTS 



Page 



Introduction 1 



General description 2 



Climatic requirements 3 



Soil and moisture requirements 3 



Value for forage 4 



Chemical analysis 4 



Seed setting 5 



Seed characteristics 5 



Source of seed f> 



Inoculation.. 6 



Pago 

 Fertilizer and lime needs 



Growing in mixtures 6 



Seeding : 



Harvesting for forage 7 

 Harvesting for seed.. 



Pasturage . 10 



Enemies li 



Description of varieties and forms ll 



Literature cited 



^ WMM MW M M 



INTRODUCTION 



For a hundred years or more birdsfoot trefoil (Lotus corniculatus 

 L.) and big trefoil (Lotus uliginosus Schkuhr) have been used in small 

 plantings in the British Isles and hi the countries of continental 

 Europe. They have recognized forage value and are grown in France, 

 Italy, Denmark, Germany, and elsewhere. In the more southern 

 countries they have been used for both forage and seed, whereas in 

 the north they are used principally for pasturage, but nowhere have 

 they gained major importance. In Australia and New Zealand 

 birdsfoot trefoil and big trefoil have been grown and have proved well 

 adapted in limited regions. According to Levy (2) 2 it has been within 

 the last quarter of a century that these perennials have been grow n 

 commercially in these countries. Birdsfoot trefoil is most extensively 

 used, although big trefoil is recommended for certain situations. 

 Both of these plants are native to the Mediterranean region and 

 northward to the Scandinavian Peninsula. 



In the past few years birdsfoot trefoil (Lotus corniculattLs) has 

 attracted attention in two widely separated sections of the United 

 States. Just how and when it was introduced and became established 

 in these areas is not known. In eastern New York and in western 



i Cooperative investigations of the Division of Forage Crops and Diseases. Bureau of Plant [ndustry, 

 TJ. S. Department of Agriculture, and the Oregon Agricultural Experiment Station. 

 2 Italic numbers in parentheses refer to Literature Cited, p. 13. 



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