Collection and characterization of naturalized populations of white clover (Trifolium repens L.) in Argentina

A collection formed from 53 accessions of white clover stolonswas carried out in naturalized populations from Argentina betweenparallels 26° and 37° South latitudes and 58° to 62°West longitude. Almost half of them (43%) wereobtained from grazed sites. Collected samples were grown in the fieldat Pergamino Experimental Station and compared with a local cultivar.Attributes scored or measured were petiole length, width and lengthof central leaflet, relation width/length, height, growing habit,leaf mark, stolon thickness and density, days to flowering,cyanogenesis, seed yield and winter herbage yield. There weresignificant correlations among seven pairs of characters. Allpopulations were cyanogenic within a range from 40 to 100%.Populations from grazed sites had prostrate habit and lower canopyheight than those from non grazed sites. The collection was clusteredin seven groups. Differences among groups were attributed toagroecological differences in sites of collection. Results obtainedencouraged in Argentina further collection missions for naturalizedpopulations of white clover.