Seeding rate effects on yield components and forage quality of Agaitti Berseem-2002: an improved variety of berseem clover

The poor availability and high cost of quality forage seed provide a major limitation to the productivity of resource-poor dairy farmers in Pakistan. The cost can be minimized if such seeding rates are used to provide optimal forage and seed yields. A field experiment was therefore conducted to investigate the effect of different seeding rates (10, 15, 20, and 25 kg/ha) of Agaitti Berseem-2002 on forage and seed yield components, and forage quality. The results revealed that the seeding rate significantly (P < 0.05) affected number of seeds/m², seed weight, seed yield and acid detergent fiber (ADF). However, seed rate effects on all the remaining forage and seed yield traits, and quality parameters were found to be non-significant (P > 0.05). The highest value for number of heads/m² (471) was achieved at a seeding rate of 25 kg/ha, whereas the highest thousand seed weight (3.99 g) and estimated seed yield (687 kg/ha) were obtained at 20 kg/ha, and ADF of forage (20%) was found at a seeding rate of 15 kg/ha. The lowest values for number of heads/m² (287), seed weight (3.33 g) and estimated seed yield (328 kg/ha) were recorded at a seeding rate of 10 kg/ha. There was no significant difference found between 15 and 20 kg/ha seeding rates in relation to forage yield and quality parameters. Therefore, a seeding rate of 10 kg/ha is recommended to attain the highest forage yield of better quality, whereas a seeding rate of 20 kg/ha provided higher seed production than 10, 15, and 25 kg/ha.