OREGON STATE UNIVERSITY
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Long-lived, rhizomatous perennial legume also called Caucasian clover. Prostrate to erect stems, 1.5 feet (46 cm) in length, branching from the crown. Strong rhizomes form a dense mat of roots and daughter plants. Hairless oblong leaves with serrated margins, often with white V-shaped markings. Inflorescence is a head with mostly white to pink flowers. Used primarily for grazing, but first spring growth cycle can be harvested for hay or haylage. A valuable source of nectar for honey production. Tolerates close grazing due to extensive rhizomes and deep-seated crowns, which can be 2 inches (5 cm) below the soil surface. Kura tolerates stresses including cold, drought, low-fertility acid soils, and hard grazing. Poor seedling vigor, but persists once established. Production areas similar to white clover although it is most productive in the northern US with available summer moisture.
Inflorescence is a large pink head.
Flowers are white, turning pink-purple after anthesis.
Stems are solid, oval in cross-section with few or no hairs.
Leaves are palmately trifoliolate. Leaflets are soft, smooth, with a variable pale green leaf marking, numerous branched veins and toothed margins. Stipules are broad at the base and gradually tapering to a point.
Roots are highly branched with extensive rhizomes.
Kura requires cross-pollination by bees (honey, bumble, leafcutter, alkali) to produce seeds. Seed pods are brown and oval-shaped with one or two seeds. Seeds are yellow or red-brown, about 1.2 mm long and average about 670/g, roughly the same size as red clover (T. pretense) and larger than white clover (T. repens), varying from 450,000 to 880,000/kg depending on cultivar.
Low growing, spreading perennial.
Very winter-hardy, surviving extreme winter conditions in Minnesota and Wisconsin; suited to plant hardiness zones 3a-8. Greatest productivity with 25-40 inches (635-1000 mm) of precipitation or irrigation. Excellent drought tolerance, becomes dormant and regrows when soil moisture is replenished.
Persists well on poorly drained to well-drained soils and tolerates strongly acid pH (5.1-7.3) and somewhat tolerant of aluminum (persists at 1-2 ppm Al3+). Tolerates long spring flooding periods (7-30 days, depending on temperature); is moderately sensitive to salinity (1.5-3 dS/m).
Kura (Caucasian) Clover Suitability Tolerance Values
|
Suitability Class |
Ave Annual Extreme Min (°C/°F)* |
July Max (°C/°F) |
Annual Precip (mm/in)** |
Soil pH*** |
Soil Drainage† |
Soil Salinity (dS/m)# |
|
Well-suited |
-37/-35 |
30/86 |
760/30 |
5.8-7.3 |
MWD-WD |
<2 |
|
Moderately suited |
-40/-40 |
31/88 |
660/26 |
5.5-7.5 |
SPD-SED |
2-3 |
|
Marginally suited |
-43/-45 |
32/90 |
560/22 |
5.0-8.0 |
PD-SED |
3-4 |
*Tolerates extreme winter conditions of MN and WI. USDA Plant Hardiness Zones 3a-8a.
**Precipitation requirement: 25 inches (650 mm).
Rooting: extensively rhizomatous; depth to two feet (75 cm).
*** Soil pH tolerance: NRCS Range and Pasture Handbook, Chapter 3 classification is Strongly Acid: 5.1-7.3.
† Soil drainage: NRCS Range and Pasture Handbook, Chapter 3 classification for alsike clover is PD-WD. Soil drainage class abbreviations: 1=VPD, very poorly drained; 2=PD, poorly drained; 3=SPD, somewhat poorly drained; 4=MWD, moderately well drained, 5=WD, well drained; 6=SED, somewhat excessively drained; 7=ED, excessively drained.
Class values relative yield for Kura clover: 5, 20, 55, 100, 100, 55, 20.
Flooding Tolerance: Long (7-30 days)
#Soil salinity tolerance: NRCS Range and Pasture Handbook, Chapter 3 classification for clovers (alsike, Berseem, white, red, strawberry) is Moderately Sensitive (1.5-3 DS/m).
Kura is not listed in NRCS documents. MN Forage legumes table lists tolerance as Fair.
Historically, maps have been drawn based on primary use areas, showing broad geographic areas, e.g. Compendium of Common Forages maps within Forages: An Introduction to Grassland Agriculture, 7th ed. (2018), John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
(Kura clover adaptation and use map.)
More highly detailed maps, based on quantitative climatic and soil factor tolerances and using GIS spatial grids, provide information on where species are suitable for a variety of intended uses.
The following collection of maps were developed by a group of Oregon State University scientists, using the PRISM-generated collection of climate factor grids and the NRCS soil characteristics database.
| Climate Factors | Soil Factors | Combined Factors |
|
Minimum Temperature |
pH |
Climate and Soil |
|
Maximum Temperature |
Drainage |
All Soil |
|
Precipitation |
Salinity |
All Climate |
| Climate Factors | Soil Factors | Combined Factors |
|
Minimum Temperature |
pH |
Climate and Soil |
|
Maximum Temperature |
Drainage |
All Soil |
|
Precipitation |
Salinity |
All Climate |
| Climate Factors | Soil Factors | Combined Factors |
|
Minimum Temperature |
pH |
Climate and Soil |
|
Maximum Temperature |
Drainage |
All Soil |
|
Precipitation |
Salinity |
All Climate |
| Climate Factors | Soil Factors | Combined Factors |
|
Minimum Temperature |
pH |
Climate and Soil |
|
Maximum Temperature |
Drainage |
All Soil |
|
Precipitation |
Salinity |
All Climate |
First growth in spring contains an elongated stem that can be harvested for hay or silage. Subsequent growth is prostrate and leafy, with petioles supporting leaves originating from crowns and rhizomes. Greatest yields in spring, less in summer and fall.
‘Rhizo’ was released in 1990 by the NRCS and University of Kentucky. Improved cultivars with greater seedling vigor and forage potential include ‘Endura,’ ‘Cossack,’ and ‘NF-93.’ All cultivars are free of estrogenic compounds.
Very leafy and high in feed value. Provides high quality summer forage with white clover, alfalfa, and fescue or phalaris grass species.
Low seedling vigor, often taking several years to establish. Similar bloat hazard as white clover and alfalfa.
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