Berseem

Introduction

• Scientific name: Trifolium alexandrium
• Also known as Egyptian clover or King of fodder.
• Is an annual winter legume with high yielding succulent, palatable and nutritious fodder which can be fed to animals.
• Grown as both a winter and summer crop.
• Highly valued fodder legume because of its rapid growth in cooler winter season, good recovery after cutting, good palatability and nutritive value.
• Flowers heads are round, white to yellowish in color.
• Seed is small sized , egg shaped and bright yellow in color, which turns from brown to chocolate on storage, especially under humid condition.

Climate

• Cool to moderate cool climate is suitable.
• Temperature below 4-5⁰C kills the plant.
• Warm and humid climate is not congenial for the growth of this crop.
• Night temperature reaching 13-15⁰C is conducive for germination and establishment.
• Can’t withstand drought and frost.

Soil and land preparation

• Prefers well-drained, medium loamy to clay loam soils rich in potash, calcium, lime and phosphorous.
• Acidic soils are, however, not conducive for its growth.
• Tolerant to alkalinity and relatively high salt concentration.
• Saline soils adversely affect the germination.
• Seed beds should be fine and well pulverized as the seeds are small and fine.
• Need one ploughing followed by 3-4 harrowing.
• Seed beds are often flooded with 5 cm of water before sowing.

Manuring

• NPK in ratio of 20:30:40 kg/ha.
• 15 Tons of FYM and mixed well 20-30 days before sowing.
• Application of borax @10kg/ha and molybdate @1-1.5 kg/ha increases forage yield.

Sowing and irrigation

• Could be done from the middle of September to October after the end of the monsoon.
• Seed rate is 20-30 Kg/ha for broadcast sowing and may be increased upto 35 kg/ha in late and early sowing.
• First irrigation should be provided immediately after seedling emerge and subsequent irrigation should be given at an interval of 8-10 days.

Harvesting and yield

• First harvested after it attains 5-7 cm height, at around 50-60 days after sowing.
• Subsequent cuts are taken between 35-40 days intervals and totally 4-6 cuts are taken.
• Average seed yield is 500-800 kg/ha.
• Yield is lower in first cut (100-175 q/ha) and highest in second and third cuts (200-225 q/ha).

Toxicities

• Continues feeding can lead to risk of Bloat, or Tympanitis in ruminants, mainly due to foaming hemicellulose, high quantity of soluble leaf cytoplasmic proteins, saponins and pectin.
• Careful drenching with sodium bicarbonate (150-200 g in one liter of water) or any non-toxic oil or mineral oil ( 250 ml for cattle and 10 ml for sheep/goat) is advisable.