Hunters and wildlife managers agree that Imperial Whitetail Clover is the gold standard when comparing clover for food plots. So, the question becomes should the Whitetail Institute be satisfied with the present clovers or see if even better clovers can be developed? Even considering the efforts Dr. Johnson spent on plant breeding over the past 20 years, we still think that there is potential for improving clover and providing superior cultivars for your food plots.
Therefore, we are again making and evaluating a collection of clovers from around the United States and abroad, as well. These collections are coming from different climates, altitudes, soils, light conditions, rainfall patterns, grazing pressures, etc. We are evaluating these various collections and already see large differences and improvements in vigor of plants from the various collection sites. Some are not as good as what we already have and these are being discarded. But, a number of the accessions have exciting potential. An interesting observation at the research plots is that when deer graze the plots, they appear to prefer some accessions over others. This is great to know as we continue our improvement program.
In the end, our goal is to make the best even better and to provide you with even better clovers that produce higher forage yields and more protein; clovers that are easier to establish; and are even better adapted to diverse climates. Our mission is ongoing as the Institute enters its third decade of service to hunters and land managers everywhere. —
Dr. Wayne Hanna
