Small-leaved white clover (Trifolium repens L. form microphyllum) as a component of a lawn mixture Jadwiga Andrzejewska, Roman Iwicki University of Technology and Life Sciences in Bydgoszcz, Poland

Prescription for excellent lawn every month every week every day and to repeat these activities during 100 years or longer! N P K

It is simple but …. it is time-consuming and expensive!

Non-irrigated lawn in dry summer

White clover is still green

White clover in lawns is usually treated as a weed.

Small-leaved white clover: Fixes atmospheric nitrogen Tolerates variable soil conditions Grows and develops well with grasses Has an ability to survive periodic droughts Thickens the sward and reduces invasion by weeds

Questions to answer: Does the mixture with small leaved-clover perform well on light, non-irrigated soil? How to control the proportion of clover in the sward and lawn quality: By strategic N application? By cutting height?

The objectives of this research were: 1.To determine if this grass-clover mixture will perform well on light textured, non- irrigated soils in central Poland. 2. To determine if N fertilizer or cutting height can be used as tools to control clover proportions and lawn appearance.

The experiment conducted in the vicinity of Bydgoszcz, Poland; Experimental factors: mixtures without small-leaved white clover and with small-leaved white clover nitrogen fertilization rate: 0, 40, 80, 120, 160, 200 kg. ha -1 per year, cutting height 2.5 cm, 5.5 cm

Mixtures used in our experiment Standard mixture Lolium perenne Festuca rubra Poa pratensis Our mixture Lolium perenne Festuca rubra Poa pratensis Trifolium repens cv. Rivendel (3%)

Management details Nitrogen fertilization was split-applied in each season on four dates. The sward was cut when the plants reached a height of 10 cm and clippings were removed from the plots. Irrigation was not applied.

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Assessment time APRILMAYJUNEJULYAUGUSTSEPTEM- BER OCTO- BER

We evaluated the proportion of clover in the sward as % green intensity sward compactness plant health general aspect 9-degree scale (1= the poorest state, 9 = the best state)

R E S U L T S

Proportion of white clover in the sward depending on N fertilization % N kg. ha -1

Proportion of white clover in the sward depending on cutting hight %

Quality of lawns in spring N kg. ha -1 SUMOFDEGREESSUMOFDEGREES FeaturesMaxMin -green intensity91 -compactness91 -plant health91 -general aspect91 Sum364

Quality of lawns in summer SUMOFDEGREESSUMOFDEGREES N kg. ha -1

Quality of lawns in autumn SUMOFDEGREESSUMOFDEGREES N kg. ha -1

The addition of small-leaved white clover to a typical lawn mixture improved turf quality of lawns grown on light soil with no N fertilizer or irrigation. The implications are substantial savings associated with elimination of N fertilizer use, and elimination of the risk of environmental contamination by N fertilizer leaching or runoff. In spring low cutting (at 2.5 cm) is recommended to enhance the proportion of clover. Conclusions

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