LEAFLET 64
S
2-
BALL CLOVER
C. S. HOVELAND, Associate Agronomist
B,1, 1, (LOX1 iit a iliter alIniial I('('
uic that has attractedi attenition inl Ala-
inito tile L!. iiltcd( States fromi Turkey',
this clov er (Ti ifonll ni lgo'scclis \ iv.)
has, XhNI~XI 1 promise( as a resiceding \vinl
DESCRIPTION
Xlip( ifiu idl lii \ lO (1 h1d i5(ii
iiitiitiediatt XX litici ci(\c. Leaf si!) k
stems arnd leaXves. joXvcX cr, other pii it
eh i ractei is tics nf the tXX- ci lovers are
sti ikililX (Ijftulthlit. Ball ha~s ]oli.o~, SOc-
djtiniis thleseC sins iliX reach "30 iniches
()I- llioit ill iciii.rtl.
Thii thiiee illiiili leaflets nf eacIi
bli clove lea ha e iiiX r1) lliiilied X (ill
na mkjio.s iid ail( emshiapedl N\ itli silhill
Title photo-this dense stand of ball clover
has long succulent stems that are char-
acteristic of the variety. The photo was
mode May 1 at Auburn.
AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION
SEPTEMBER 1960
AUBURN UNIVERSITYE. V. Smith, Director Auburn, Alabama
44r,
FIG. 1. This excellent growth of boll clo-
ver is on Coastal Bermudagross sod.
Some of tile leaflets Imay shoXw tile XX lute
mairkings charac0teristic ofI XX it'' 
clQ(X CI
Figure 1. The Illng, poinlted stipules 
at
Bl] clover produlces manyi1 
fi agrailt.
XX Iite to X tIIIXIiXsh-X Ilte floXX-e 
heaIlds.
IntliX'idulo 1 X ('I are loos~elX 
clus Xter ed
XX itilill ft(lt 1heads, XX1111) ic are 
XIIonCXX bat
smaller thanli those1 of XX iitt' 
cloXver.
Ea of Iths f vr I(XC11X conU ltains i 3 to -I
seed9(. The seed art eg-sh.aped, d.i 
k
RESULTS of EXPERIMENTS
BAI clover has Ieol teste tt 
cat Il1t
ill A]1 parts of tihe Statec. Sice crllXisoi
cer 9 is thet Itl ilg X \\llter( (Iiilull
cloXver il( AIlabamIa, it XXa CX omparedl
XX iti ball. Be(9illtX of tis' Compar)(isonI
a1re gi vcI ill tile tab1lel. Fo ra ge vied 
of(10
10111 c9(love general]Xly X hav been 1l(oXer9
IIOXl thse9l ofa clisij 9cJSIlor Ho11
alever,(i X i talli et prdution ofX 
ll]
111 til i no (9 II 1)011 ( i t ma tt e v shorIltI 
t(I
tilei fo Ii( e is Xson) t'vhat I0XX r th im for
c9rimn(i till', . ThusX, X\l1191 dry maItter
vields of the tXo cIlIoXvers aIre compaired
TOTA L ])l(X' FOilAGEi. YiLlD AND X'X( OD1 I iION (I Ai'i I OFi 
BALiL ANDl CRIMS~ON
CLOVER(9( PLA FED ONl ((X HEP((I~ IlE ShEI 111E (I
Yl ar acet by' April 1
Lb.
1,227
766
54
:367
581
1. 021
1,519
.16-1
4701
1,0)14
4.3 6
GlltCoat SubaiXSon lUt.(irop
IBe~xtll ENb -ilcitU
Lb.
2,621)
822
1,784
1,847
2,346
1,)41
667
1,701o)
1 ,736G
per ae
LI).
882
1,414
5381
2,968
4,36 1
11
1,760
2,974
:3,062
-1,25(1
1,847
:37-.31
2,764
1(0113
4,915
I 11(19
1,701(
218532
2,478
for th fo 91tioe scason., crimlsol oisualix
Ball is a Lite spring (loxver. Forage
prodtio ofC ba1t ll (lov er by April I
listialkx is iit'ii lowxer thanl that of, Crim-
its moajor gi oNN th ablout I mlonth later
ill 5s1 im,( tillcill 'isoll it niax sufferI
sC xCc'l\ (1(111 iii hot, drx sping xxeatlor.
1 box, pi odiotiol 1(001l yetar to ye~ar wxill
probablx\x ox (\1(11(9 for ball thaii hor
prob1lemtl be'toiits CxveI llmore' aculte oil
ofiroII gliItx "v Soils. Illoxx c (9, xx 11(911 soil
flioixtiiie is adlC(latc', fll ciloxver Call
lnnu-1ish high quality' gra/Iimg to 11(911
bridige the(ilt .il) 111 prodluctionl lbetxx (e91
('1 imsoll cloxver and~ slimmer erra/inl
Ball (cloxver1 ix best adalpted o00 itiai
to1 (lax soils. Onl Sanl( soils, cr1im1s0n
Clox Cl has [perfor1med b~etter. For age
x'itelds ofi 1bal tcloxver at Bi exxtoii .111(
Hecad laii o( il sandyCl soil hiaxve beeni low
both oill Pr'epa red land and xxhen
seededt)( o11 a1 gI 115 soCd. Hoxwexveir, ball
xwill toler ate xxwctter solils tli) clrimson.
Like other c'loxvers, it wxill n1ot grow xx'1)
((ti eneix acid sol. Effect oft soil acidity
on gi (lxx th of ball clovert) is slloxxii inl
Fi nrc' 2.
Ball cloxver is :1(1 ex\cellenOt r19s19(9er.
It pro(d(lces all al)buCoC' it of9(see.,xxitli
a1 high p'rC'eiit 11g( iiax illg h ardl 5C't)
c'oats. Seed xyieldls (It 150) pIounds per
acre have( beenl olttlnedl l)V Clirect ('((n-
FIG. 2. Ball clover is sensitive to sc aid
ity, as shown by these plots. Good growth
at right was obtained at pH 6.0. With pH-
4.8, left, growth was poor.
FIG. 3. Ability of ball clover to produce
seedheads under close grazing is illustrated
in above photograph.
Ililill g (It stainilg cltove(91. Ili the fall
of 1 958 ball clove'r xxas seeCded onl
Coa~stal Be'imd so(11 d at the Wireerrass
Subhstation, 171eadli11id. Foirage y ie'ld s
xxere1 loxw the first yea9:r lbut thet cloxv('r
reseededl xx ill ill the fall tf 1959 imdc
seCcI \ vear vie'ic was highe~r. Div lmat-
tcer fo II'age x ield(s of bal1:11t~'ll and (111oy
cloxe ci Ith He [cadlalnd test follow:
Cliinsotl clox (r
} ic( pier o1rc, 1b.
19.59 1960
822 1.191
(661 1,6574
St 91(1,1 Xi rodu'i~lctioni iof ball1 cex r
Wa':s frltl) self r7S('s''lixxll ('rt'.tC7 S crimltonI
c'loix'r xx :1' rcplaintcd'il n e fal' of11t 1959.
Plaintintgs oil falms hav e alsoil ox
thiat b~all is 1 an o''Cci 1 t re sc'lC1. Onl
at sceed Ill (11ctil 111fiC'ld i (111 Sel'1 i a ll:1
11.1 It'scC'(c'l iitlrallx for' 5 xci '. \vxith-
ou(t thec soil being~y distturbed'C. '[bin
stalCds tell(1 ttt thlekci illI stitc'ec'linl9
Years.
C'lttver lic ad mx(t llay he a1 p)11(1
fel'l) oiCC ba'l'l xlover (Is. c. oit l sii 51s
i-,llis.( Seedixcr tlt'. itio gI .1/1114 xelI
Sllc Isim10arkto thei 'ilse o'isc il tb t'ol
talinling itst'lf, Figuire 3.
As with most clovers, bloat can be a
problem. Several cases of bloat were re-
ported on this clover in Alabama dur-
ing 1960.
SEEDING
Usually 2 to 4 pounds of ball clover
seed per acre will give a good stand.
Best planting date on prepared land is
early September when moisture nor-
mally is available. On sods, ball clover
is planted after the summer grass has
ceased growth. Good seedbed prepara-
tion with lime and fertilizer applied ac-
cording to soil test recommendations
will help to ensure a stand and good
growth. Seed should be inoculated with
a true clover (Trifolium) inoculum.
Stand failures or poor stands of ball
clover on sods of Coastal Bermudagrass
and Pensacola Bahiagrass can be ex-
pected when a dense growth of un-
grazed grass is left in the fal. Under
these conditions, insufficient light is
available for growth of the small ball
clover seedlings. Removal of grass by
close mowing or grazing in the fall will
increase chances for good stands.
SUMMARY
Ball clover is a reseeding winter an-
nual legume that is useful for pasture
and soil improvement. This clover
makes little growth early in the season
when forage production is generally
critical. It makes its greatest produc-
tion during a relatively short period in
late spring when crimson clover is nor-
mally on the decline. Total forage pro-
duction is usually less than from crim-
son clover. When moisture is adequate
ball may remain productive a month or
more after crimson clover has matured.