Evaluation of aluminium-tolerant white clover (Trifolium repens) selections on East Otago upland soils

Growth of 15 legumes was monitored for 3 years on 3 Otago upland soils with 11, 45, or 70 mug g(-1) extractable soil aluminium (Al). Lotus pedunculatu s and L. corniculatus produced the greatest dry matter over the 3 years, wi th L. pedunculatus producing superior yields at intermediate and high soil Al sites. Within white clover, types selected for Al tolerance produced sim ilar yields to types selected for Al susceptibility, and four commercial wh ite clover cultivars and an alsike clover (Trifolium hybidum). Caucasian cl over (T. ambiguum) spread by rhizomes at the high Al site, but neither Lotu s species spread from the planted row. Some white clovers showed limited sp read. It is concluded that optimising performance of Lotus and Caucasian cl over on these soils will be a more productive strategy than breeding for Al -tolerance in white clover.