Difference Between White Clover And Alfalform

Results and Discussion The annual yield of different mixtures and or pure grasses differed over from one another over the course of the experiment. The three mixtures had a greater annual yield than pure grasses in all three seasons. White clover mixtures had similar yields in all seasons, however they were less productive than alfalfa mixtures in year 2 and 3. Also, grass yield in mixtures was greater than in pure cultures for all seasons despite its half-sowing density, and it was precisely greater in white clover mixtures than alfalfa mixtures. Legume yield increased from year 1 to 3 in all mixtures except for white clover-tall fescue, which retained a similar legume yield over the experiment. Legume proportion and yield was the greatest in alfalfa-tall fescue mixtures,
Although fine root biomass was similar in both species in the top 0-20 cm soil horizon, white clover had a smaller total root biomass than alfalfa. Also, white clover invests a greater proportion of its biomass into fine roots than alfalfa, which invests more in a large taproot. Taproots have a C/N ratio of about 25, which is larger than fine roots (~16), but a lower fiber and lignin concentration. As a result, the root system of alfalfa has a greater C/N ratio (19.3) and a lower lignin and fiber concentration than white clover (C/N ratio=13.9). When the C/N ratio is greater than 20, net immobilization of nitrogen occurs, meaning that it gets stored in soil microorganisms instead of being mobile in the soil and useable by plants. The lower this ratio is, the more nitrogen is available to meet the demands of decomposers, and the faster nitrogen is mineralized in the soil in a useable form. The lower C/N ratio and higher amount of N-rich fine roots suggest that white clover roots have a faster decomposition and turnover than alfalfa, and that more of this nitrogen gets mineralized in