Description
Puawhaa is a prostrate-growing subterranean clover characterized by its hairy petioles, trifoliate leaves, and runners, with a late flowering habit (144 days). This legume has a prostrate crown and runner morphology, which helps it avoid the risk of overgrazing and contributes to its seed production abilities.
Key Agronomic Features
Growth Habit: Puawhaa has a prostrate growth style, spreading runners across the ground, which supports seed burr production and enhances pasture persistence.
Late Flowering: With a flowering date of 144 days, it blooms later in the season, supporting feed availability when other pastures may be less productive.
Seed Setting: Its ability to produce a high seed yield creates a seed bank, ensuring robust regeneration in subsequent seasons.
Burr Strength: Burr burial strength is rated at 3 (1 = very weak, 10 = most hard), ensuring sufficient seed set without excessive burial challenges.
Hard Seed Level: Rated at 7 (1 = least hard, 10 = most hard), indicating good durability in maintaining a seed bank in the soil for regeneration.
Grazing Management
Puawhaa can be continuously grazed (set stocking), especially during pregnancy and lactation, allowing pregnant animals to preferentially graze the legume component to meet energy demands. The small-leaved, prostrate nature of Puawhaa allows for sustainable grazing, avoiding issues that occur with overgrazing seen in larger-leaved varieties.
Companion Species
Puawhaa works well in pastures when mixed with species such as:
- White clover
- Red clover
- Cocksfoot
- Perennial ryegrass
- Chicory
- Plantain
Establishment Guidelines
Rainfall: Adapted to winter-dominant rainfall areas with an annual precipitation range of 275 – 1200 mm.
Soils: Prefers well-drained soils with moderate acidity (pH around 6).
Sowing Rates: For pure stands, sow at 15 kg/ha. When included in mixtures, the sowing rate drops to 10 kg/ha.
Sowing Time: The best period for sowing is January – June, with shallow sowing recommended (<40 mm).
Fertilizer: Adequate base fertilizer is essential to support establishment and early growth.
Animal Production
Feeding Value: Puawhaa offers excellent green feed with in-utero digestibility at about 70% and crude protein levels exceeding 20% until mid-flowering. Once dried, the feeding value drops to less than 50% digestibility, though animals can still derive energy by digging up seed burrs.
Palatability: The clover is readily consumed by livestock, both as green feed and dried.
Production Potential: It shows vigorous early-season growth, achieving up to 10t/ha in favorable conditions (irrigation or long-season environments) and 4-6t/ha in drier regions.
Livestock Disorders: Care is needed on legume-dominant pastures to avoid cattle bloat.
Disease Resistance
Moderately resistant to Rhizoctonia solani and Fusarium oxysporum.
Resistant or unaffected by other common diseases like clover scorch, leaf rust, and cercospora leaf spot.
Cultural Significance
Puawhaa is named by Ngaati Maahanga to honor the mahi (work) and research associated with the clover on their whenua (land) at Te Rauputiputi. The name Pua Whaa Rau translates to “the flower that blooms from the four-leaf,” recognizing its significance in pastoral management and local cultural heritage.
Talk to a Luisetti Seeds Agronomist