Rouse subterranean clover

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Rouse is a mid to late flowering variety of the waterlogging-tolerant “white-seeded” yanninicum subspecies of sub clover. It is suited to soils prone to waterlogging in areas with 550-900 mm annual rainfall and where the growing season extends to mid-late November.

It results from a five-year joint venture between the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD) and pasture seed company, Seed Force.

Rouse is a more productive and persistent replacement for the variety Gosse. Across all trials Rouse produced higher total biomass, higher seed yields and higher seedling regeneration densities than Gosse. It also has higher resistance to both Races 1 and 2 of clover scorch disease and to leaf rust than Gosse. Rouse is suitable for permanent and semi-permanent pastures and to mixed farming. Its upright, vigorous growth makes it well suited to hay and silage production, as well as grazing by cattle or sheep. 

Origin

Rouse is derived from a cross between the variety Riverina and a wild plant collected in Greece. It was the most productive and persistent of 13 ssp. yanninicum breeding lines and five commercial varieties in trials in WA at Manjimup and Mt Barker and two sites in eastern Australia.

Varietal characters

Rouse flowers approximately 131 days from an early May sowing in Perth (Table 1). It has only a very low level of the oestrogenic compound, formononetin, and will not cause infertility problems in ewes. Rouse is also more hardseeded than Gosse and Trikkala, resulting in greater persistence, particularly after a year in crop.

Table 1 Characteristics of Rouse and other ssp. yanninicum varieties

Variety

Flowering time

Formononetin

Hardseededness

 

(days from sowing in Perth)

(% of dry matter)

(% hard seeds in laboratory measurements)

Rouse

131

0.1

23.9

Gosse

128

0.1

16.1

Monti

115

0.1

21.7

Napier

140

0.1

41.7

Riverina

122

0.1

24.3

Trikkala

117

0.1

14.0

Yarloop

113

1.2

12.0

*Percent hard seeds remaining after 4 months in a 60/15 °C diurnally fluctuating temperature cabinet

Disease resistance

Rouse is highly resistant to both Race 1 and 2 of clover scorch (Kabatiella caulivora), leaf rust (Uromyces trifolii-repentis) and cercospora leafspot (Cercospora zebrina) (Table 2). Field observations suggest Rouse has similar susceptibility to powdery mildew (Oidium sp.) as Gosse, Monti, Trikkala, Riverina and Napier. Rouse has resistance to Race 001 and Race 173, two of the major races of the important root rot pathogen (Table 2), but screening has not been conducted for resistance to other root rot pathogens.

Table 2. Disease resistance ratings* of Rouse and other ssp. yanninicum varieties

Variety

Clover scorch

Rust

Cercospora

Phytophthora root rot*

 

Race 1

Race 2

 

 

Race 001

Race 173

Rouse

HR

HR

HR

HR

R

MR

Gosse

R

R

R

HR

n.a.

n.a.

Monti

R

n.a.

MR

n.a.

n.a.

n.a.

Napier

HR

R

HR

HR

R

R

Riverina

MR

MR

HR

HR

R

R

Trikkala

MR

R

MR

MR

R

S

Yarloop

HS

MS

 MR

HR

 n.a.

n.a. 

* HR= highly resistant, R = resistant, MR = moderately resistant, MS = moderately susceptible, S = susceptible, HS = highly susceptible, n.a. = not available

Field performance

Across all sites and years Rouse produced 15% more total biomass than Gosse, 26% more than Riverina, 16% more than Monti, 12% more than Trikkala and 9% more than Napier (Figure 1). In terms of seasonal distribution, Rouse produced 28% more autumn-early winter biomass than Gosse, 15% more winter biomass and 11% more spring biomass.

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Figure 1 Total biomass across all sites and seasons of Rouse and other ssp. yanninicum varieties, expressed as a percentage of Gosse 

Figure 1 Total biomass across all sites and seasons of Rouse and other ssp. yanninicum varieties, expressed as a percentage of Gosse

Seed availability and PBR status

Seed of Rouse can be purchased through Seed Force agencies.

Rouse is protected under the Plant Breeders Rights Act 1994. Under the Act sale of Rouse seed can only be carried out by agreement with the licensee, Seed Force Pty Ltd. However, this does not restrict sale of produce, such as hay or silage, provided seed was legally purchased.

For seed sales information visit seedforce.com.au

Seed Force

Contact information

Paul Sanford
+61 (0)8 9892 8475

Authors

Clinton Revell
Phil Nichols

Regions