Inoculant for clover
01-30-2003, 06:32 PM
#1
Fork Horn
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Lexington NC USA
Posts: 459
Inoculant for clover
I've been doing alot of reading on clover and alfalfa lately and I keep hearing about using an inoculant with them. How important is it to use an inoculant when planting clover and alfalfa? I've got 3 different food plots started back in the fall but will need to reseed this spring so I'm looking for a little more info. I will be sewing ladino and yuchi arrowleaf clover along with some type of alfalfa and maybe another type of legume to go along with it too. Will I need to use an inoculant for better results?
01-30-2003, 06:57 PM
#2
Fork Horn
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: SE Wisconsin
Posts: 448
RE: Inoculant for clover
http://www.agric.gov.ab.ca/crops/forage/fsets6.html
Liming to achieve a pH of 6.0 or using lime-pelleted seed is recommended. Adequate levels of potassium, phosphorus, and sulfur should be available, as white clover requires a high level of fertility for high production. Properly inoculated and nodulated white clover-grass pastures will not require the addition of nitrogen. Early spring application of small amounts of nitrogen (30-40 lbs.) will stimulate early growth of grass but will favor the grass over the legume. For specific fertilizer recommendations based on soil test data, consult OSU Fertilizer Guides 1, 21, and 58.
Inoculation:
Alfalfa and sweet clover and other legumes can fix nitrogen from the air but will use nitrogen from the soil first if it is available. When the soil nitrogen supply is depleted, legumes fix nitrogen from the air if they have been inoculated with the right strain of bacteria (rhizobia). The inoculum should be mixed with the seed at planting time. If the seed has been treated with a fungicide, check to see if it is compatible with the inoculum.
Nitrogen fertilzer will feed the weeds and grass ..... along with the clovers .... but the grass and weeds will win without intervention of time and money.
Liming to achieve a pH of 6.0 or using lime-pelleted seed is recommended. Adequate levels of potassium, phosphorus, and sulfur should be available, as white clover requires a high level of fertility for high production. Properly inoculated and nodulated white clover-grass pastures will not require the addition of nitrogen. Early spring application of small amounts of nitrogen (30-40 lbs.) will stimulate early growth of grass but will favor the grass over the legume. For specific fertilizer recommendations based on soil test data, consult OSU Fertilizer Guides 1, 21, and 58.
Inoculation:
Alfalfa and sweet clover and other legumes can fix nitrogen from the air but will use nitrogen from the soil first if it is available. When the soil nitrogen supply is depleted, legumes fix nitrogen from the air if they have been inoculated with the right strain of bacteria (rhizobia). The inoculum should be mixed with the seed at planting time. If the seed has been treated with a fungicide, check to see if it is compatible with the inoculum.
Nitrogen fertilzer will feed the weeds and grass ..... along with the clovers .... but the grass and weeds will win without intervention of time and money.
01-31-2003, 11:21 AM
#4
Typical Buck
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Munising MI
Posts: 501
RE: Inoculant for clover
I don't know if others have done this, but I've dampened the seed with a little milk, and mixed the clover innoculant in before planting. Seemed to make the innoculant stick as I never had any remaining in the mixing pan. I've herd of others using some pepsi as well. There are seperate clover and alfalfa innoculants. Like lunchbucket said, they are very cheap, and also go a long way.
Jeff...U.P. of Michigan
Jeff...U.P. of Michigan
01-31-2003, 12:51 PM
#5
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Bonnots Mill Missouri USA
Posts: 237
RE: Inoculant for clover
Yes it can be important. Some mixes like Imperial whitetail clover already has the innoculant present. If you buy your seed at the local farm coop, ask them about the innoculant. It is relatively cheap (about $3-8 for a bag which is enough for 50lbs of legume seed) compare to the price of the seed.
The innoculant is a bacteria which grows on/in the roots of legumes. It makes Nitrogen available to the plant as someone said above. It does occur naturally in the soil, but don't count on it. Milk (first time I heard of anyone using this before), a sweet soda, or anything sticky (sugar water) is added to the seed along wiht the innoculant, mix thoroughly and given some time to dry to prevent clumping of seed if necessary. The sticky agent allow the innoculant to adhere to the seed. I mix the seed and the innoculant in a barrow or 5 gallon bucket, generally by adding a layer of seed, an ounce or two of the sticking agent, the innoculant and then hand mix. Don't add too much sticking agent. Don't throw the innoculant package on the dash of your car on a warm day because heat can damage it.
The innoculant is a bacteria which grows on/in the roots of legumes. It makes Nitrogen available to the plant as someone said above. It does occur naturally in the soil, but don't count on it. Milk (first time I heard of anyone using this before), a sweet soda, or anything sticky (sugar water) is added to the seed along wiht the innoculant, mix thoroughly and given some time to dry to prevent clumping of seed if necessary. The sticky agent allow the innoculant to adhere to the seed. I mix the seed and the innoculant in a barrow or 5 gallon bucket, generally by adding a layer of seed, an ounce or two of the sticking agent, the innoculant and then hand mix. Don't add too much sticking agent. Don't throw the innoculant package on the dash of your car on a warm day because heat can damage it.
01-31-2003, 06:40 PM
#6
Fork Horn
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Lexington NC USA
Posts: 459
RE: Inoculant for clover
Thanks for all the info!!! The inoculant seems cheap enough and sounds like I need it. Most of the seed I use comes from the local fees store and I'm almost positive it's not preinoculated. The people that work there are no help at all and are only a few IQ points ahead of the seed I buy.
I'm going tomorrow to clear more area and start discing it up to get rid of the grass and weeds that are growing.
I'm going tomorrow to clear more area and start discing it up to get rid of the grass and weeds that are growing.
01-31-2003, 07:16 PM
#7
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Ontario Canada
Posts: 2,059
RE: Inoculant for clover
I found that dilute Coca Cola works well to attach the innoculant to the seed. Remember that you've got to add the specific innoculant for the crop that you're growing. One that works on alafalfa won't be good on clover unless it's a broad spectrum mixture of bacteria.
Dan O.
Dan O.
01-31-2003, 07:27 PM
#8
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: cazenovia, NY USA
Posts: 2,973
RE: Inoculant for clover
One more thing about an innoculant. If one is not used, and not in the soil in quantity, it does not mean the clover will not grow. This fools some people into thinking that they do not need it for a food plot, because they planted "and it came up just fine".
The problem however, is that the clover plant is then entirely dependent on residual Nitrogen in the soil for growth, without the bacteria to help it "fix" nitrogen from the air. As the N is depleted, the clover will thin out, and weeds are better able to compete - and squeeze the clover out altogether. This can happen very fast on soils low in Nitrogen. (As a side note - this is why some people recommend some N at planting - especially on poor soils - because it takes time for the clover to be able to develop roots large enough to fix N.)
Lastly, if you do not innoculate, and plan to follow the legume with corn or a grain - The clover will not add N to the soil, like it otherwise would have - saving you the cost of the seed in most cases.
The problem however, is that the clover plant is then entirely dependent on residual Nitrogen in the soil for growth, without the bacteria to help it "fix" nitrogen from the air. As the N is depleted, the clover will thin out, and weeds are better able to compete - and squeeze the clover out altogether. This can happen very fast on soils low in Nitrogen. (As a side note - this is why some people recommend some N at planting - especially on poor soils - because it takes time for the clover to be able to develop roots large enough to fix N.)
Lastly, if you do not innoculate, and plan to follow the legume with corn or a grain - The clover will not add N to the soil, like it otherwise would have - saving you the cost of the seed in most cases.
02-01-2003, 04:36 AM
#9
Fork Horn
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Lexington NC USA
Posts: 459
RE: Inoculant for clover
Farm hunter, sounds like you've seen my food plots. I started last year in late March working lime into the soil. I can't get a trailer in to the area because of ditches so everything has to be hauled in on the atv. Planted the clover and alfalfa in late September and seeded a little heavier than called for. The soil pH was between 6 and 6.5. Everything came up but was fairly thin and pale. I hit it with a few light coats of 10-10-10 which helped but it never really came on good. One of the plots is in a 3 year old cut over and the other is in a new cut over. They will get another 1000 to 1500 lbs of lime and a little more 10-10-10 this spring along with an inoculant when reseeding. Thanks again!!
02-01-2003, 01:58 PM
#10
Fork Horn
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: SE Wisconsin
Posts: 448
RE: Inoculant for clover
10-10-10 is ok, but there is not much to it. To get 100 lbs of potassium on your plot, you need 1000 lbs of 10-10-10.
If you could find 20-20-20, or 0-20-20 you would only have to carry in half as much. Locally I have a source of 8-20-28 in 50lb bags at $7.99 that I use alot. But you also may be able to find some 0-0-60 and 0-46-0, to minimize work, cost, and application time on your plot.
Urea bassed high Nitrogen fertilizers should be avoided. Though they contain very high consentrations of Nitrogen they are very acidic to the foodplot soil, and should not be in contact with germinating seeds.
If you could find 20-20-20, or 0-20-20 you would only have to carry in half as much. Locally I have a source of 8-20-28 in 50lb bags at $7.99 that I use alot. But you also may be able to find some 0-0-60 and 0-46-0, to minimize work, cost, and application time on your plot.
Urea bassed high Nitrogen fertilizers should be avoided. Though they contain very high consentrations of Nitrogen they are very acidic to the foodplot soil, and should not be in contact with germinating seeds.