Effect of cultural practice on potential seed yield components of ‘Grasslands Huia’ and ‘Grasslands Pitau’ white clover

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Abstract
‘Grasslands Huia’ and ‘Grasslands Pitau’ white clovers (Trifolium repens L.) were autumn sown in rows 15, 30, and 45 cm apart (together with ‘Grasslands 18’ (G18) white clover at 30 cm only) at the same within-row seeding rate and closed to flower in either mid October or mid November of the first productive season. G18 had lower stolon tip densities at harvest than the other cultivars but had a higher percentage of flowering stolons which produced more inflorescences/stolon. Pitau had a lower stolon tip density than Huia but produced more inflorescences/stolon. In G18, number of florets/inflorescence was higher but seed set/floret was lower than in other cultivars, giving similar potential seed yield/inflorescence in all cultivars. Each increase in distance between rows not only gave higher stolon tip number/row m by harvest but also a higher percentage that had flowered and produced more inflorescences/stolon. Greater numbers of crown inflorescences gave November closing a 10% advantage over October closing in potential dressed seed yield per row m. Potential dressed seed yield/ha at 30 cm row spacing was superior to that from the other spacings (1200, 1410, and 1180 kg/ha for 15, 30, and 45 cm spacing respectively).