Renovation

White Clover

It's time to renovate your pastures.

Simply plant a small amount of this long-living white clover to increase pasture productivity, attract and feed wildlife, reduce fertilizer cost, capture free nitrogen, dilute toxic fescue pastures, and control erosion.

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Features

Increased Longevity

Renovation was bred for increased stolon density utilizing a combination of long-living Southern Plain ecotypes and disease resistant ladino types. The result is increased persistence, even under grazing.

Wider Leaves

Renovation has wider leaves, closer to ladino-type clovers. This means more forage and less weed pressure, even under grazing.

Pasture Improvement

Renovation is an excellent choice to improve and maintain healthy productive pastures. Renovation is ideal for all livestock.

Wildlife Attractant

Renovation is an ideal legume for wildlife food plots, as a three-fold contributor: providing a high-protein food source, acting as a seasonal attractant, and contributing nitrogen to surrounding plants.

Fescue Toxicosis Mitigation

When planted into toxic endophyte pastures, Renovation can help lessen the effects of endophyte toxicity and contribute to overall herd health.

Early Growth

See the early growth habits of Renovation.

Uses

Forage

Renovation is an excellent choice to improve and maintain healthy productive pastures. For optimal animal performance a good pasture should maintain 20% or more of legumes by dry matter measurements. Renovation makes this goal achievable!

In 2009, Renovation was planted into a deteriorating tall fescue stand and compared to a nitrogen-only fertilized control plot. Not only did Renovation maintain clover coverage above 25%, it also provided an additional 0.40 lbs. ADG over the fertilized control.

When planted into toxic endophyte pastures, Renovation can help lessen the effects of endophyte toxicity and contribute to overall herd health. Renovation is an ideal companion legume for orchardgrass, perennial ryegrass, tall fescue, and other cool season grass, promising years of productivity. Renovation can also be planted into warm-season pastures, where it may act either as a short-lived perennial or a self-seeding annual, based on location and weather.

Mississippi State

Animal Performance Study¹

Response Variable	Ave Daily Steer Gain (lbs/day)	Accumulated Herbage (lbs/day)	Clover % (basal area basis)	Clover % (dry matter basis)
Renovation	1.67	14.7	26	31
N Only²	1.29	7.6	0	0
¹A 2-acre paddock grazed by Angus crossbred steers for 56 days from mid-April to mid-June. ²60# N/a applied in spring.
Complete trial data available upon request.

Wildlife

Renovation is an ideal legume for wildlife food plots, as a three-fold contributor: providing a high-protein food source, acting as a seasonal attractant, and contributing nitrogen to surrounding plants. Renovation works extremely well in mixes with chicory, cereal rye, wheat, brassicas (turnips, radish, kale), peas, and other clovers.

Pollinators

Thanks to its abundance of flowers, and extra longevity, Renovation can provide a safe, natural habitat for pollinators. Honeybees and other pollinators can easily access the nectar in the short florets.

Erosion Control/Soil Stabilization/Living Much

Renovation’s ability to aggressively spread makes it perfect for erosion control and slope stabilization. Renovation is also ideal for use as a living mulch in vineyards, vegetable beds, and other area where living ground cover is desired. Work at the University of Georgia is evaluating low-growing aggressive white clover use in corn production.

NEWS RELEASE

New white clover variety developed, released to market

Issued - September 22, 2016

ARDMORE, Okla. — Researchers at The Samuel Roberts Noble Foundation and University of Georgia (UGA) have developed a new white clover variety called Renovation to help agricultural producers improve and maintain healthy, productive pastures.

Renovation is the first white clover released by the Noble Foundation and the first commercial product of the joint breeding effort. The goal for the Noble-UGA forage breeding program was to develop new white clover (a legume) varieties that could help restore perennial grass pastures throughout the southern United States.

"Renovation was developed to extend the life of perennial grass pastures and improve forage quality," said Mike Trammell, Noble Foundation plant breeder. "Its genetic makeup results from a southern clover variety bred with a large-leaf variety to produce excellent overall persistence and animal performance."

Renovation white clover is ideal for grazing livestock and wildlife food plots, and helps maintain healthy soils by controlling erosion and providing slope stabilization.

"This white clover variety can also be used in other areas around the world that have similar ecological systems," said Joe Bouton, Ph.D., retired Noble Foundation Forage Improvement Division director who led the initial research. "We believe the new variety will have a positive impact for agricultural producers and the longevity of their pastures."

Once established and properly managed, Renovation can provide protein-rich food for livestock and wildlife while reducing fertilizer costs thanks to the legume's ability to fix its own free nitrogen. Users can plant Renovation with cool-season and warm-season grasses.

This is a photo of single-row white clover plots which were seeded into Tifton-85 bermuda grass on 3-foot centers in October 2008. Renovation white clover is the plot in the center surrounded by other experimental clover plots. There is a plot on each side and three plots behind the Renovation plot. The Renovation line has completely spread over the whole plot area and started invading the neighboring plots. Photo was taken on June 3, 2009, by Brian Motes.

This field was established in 2006, and this photo was taken in April 2009, by Brian Motes. This is a seed-increase field located in Gene Autry, Oklahoma (a few miles north of the Noble Foundation).

Close up of prior field. Photo was taken in April 2009, by Brian Motes.

See article and photos

Breeding History

Developed by Dr. Joe Bouton, and released by the University of Georgia and The Samuel Roberts Noble Foundation, Renovation was bred using traditional non-GMO breeding methods, crossing naturally selected highly stoloniferous Southern Plain wild ecotypes with proven large-leafed ladino plants. Renovation is a PVP protected variety. PVP number 201700101.

More Stolons, Larger Leaves

	Seedheads	Stolons	Leaflet		Petiole
Variety	Number/Plant		Length (mm)	Width (mm)	Length (mm)
Renovation	65	83	14	10	28
Durana	82	82	13	9	27
Patriot	43	77	14	10	29
Regal	24	62	16	12	42
Source: Breeders Report, Dr. Joe Bouton, UGA, Noble Foundation
Complete trial data available upon request.

Planting

Before You Plant

Renovation performs best in soils with a pH 6.0-6.5. It will also grow in semi-acidic soils as low as pH 5.0. Renovation will perform better on moist, well-drained, fertile soil. Seeding into deep sandy soils is not recommended. For optimal performance, conduct a soil test and follow the recommended lime and fertilizer recommendations. In established pastures, remove excess forage through grazing or late season haying. This will help ensure successful seedling emergence and establishment. Reduce weed population prior to planting. Be aware of herbicide carryover/residual of chemicals applications prior to planting.

When to Plant

All cool-season clovers, including Renovation, need time to establish before harsh weather arrives. In the lower Southern USA, the best time to plant is late fall. In the upper South, plant mid-late fall or early spring. In the North, plant early fall or early spring. If planting during other times, reseeding may be necessary to achieve an optimal stand.

Inoculation

Renovation is ready to plant! All Renovation clover is Nitro-Coated® with a high level of the leguminosarum biovar trifolii rhizobium.

Frost Seeding

Frost seeding works well in regions which experience frozen ground in the winter. In these regions, frost seed when the ground is frozen solid in the morning and thawing in the heat of the day. Renovation is sold ready to seed and preinoculated with Nitro-Coat® for optimal nitrogen fixation.

Frost seeding works well in regions which experience frozen ground in the winter. In these regions, frost seed when conditions are when the ground is frozen solid in the morning and thawing in the heat of the day. Renovation is sold ready to seed and preinoculated with Nitro-Coated® for optimal nitrogen fixation.

Depth/Method

Plant at 1/8-1/4" into a prepared/firm seedbed by broadcast or drill. Planting too deep may lead to poor establishment or stand failure. Cultipacking or dragging before and after seeding helps create a firm seedbed.

Fertilizing

At time of seeding, apply lime, potassium and phosphorus per soil test recommendation. No nitrogen is necessary.

Seeding Rate – Food Plot/Pollinator Pure Stand	5 lbs. /ac
Seeding Rate – Food Plot Mixture	2 lbs. /ac
Seeding Rate – With Grasses on Prepared Seedbed	1–2 lbs. /ac
Seeding Rate – Into Established Grass Pasture	2–3 lbs. /ac
Planting Dates – Lower Southern USA	late fall
Planting Dates – Upper Southern USA	mid–late fall or early spring
Planting Dates – Northern USA	early fall or early spring
Planting Zones (map)	green
Planting Depth	⅛–¼"
Optimal pH Range	6.0–6.5

Buy now Tech Sheet Tech Sheet (Spanish)

Management

Once established and properly managed, Renovation should provide numerous years of free nitrogen and protein-rich feed. Longevity will depend on location and management. In hotter regions, with predominately warm-season species, it should last at least 1-2 years, while in cooler climates it should live 3-5 years, or longer. Broadcast 1 lb/acre of seed annually, or as needed. Researchers recommend 25-30% clover percentages in grass pastures. Bloat is a concern for pastures exceeding 35% white clover. The percentage of Renovation in a stand can be managed using these tools: grazing or mowing height, fertilization, and reseeding.

To increase the amount of Renovation, graze or mow more frequently at lower heights. This allows Renovation plants to increase their photosynthesis activity, and excite more stolon growth. Regularly fertilize with nitrogen-free fertilizer based on soil test recommendation. Lastly, overseed thin areas with more Renovation.
To decrease the amount of Renovation, increase grazing and mowing heights, fertilize with nitrogen, and introduce other desired plants.

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