Description
Freedom! MR Red Clover is named because of its freedom from pubescence (non-glandular hairs). With less pubescence than typical red clovers, Freedom! MR promotes faster drying of hay in the field which reduces the chance for loss of quality due to untimely rainfall. In addition, less pubescence also reduces dustiness of hay, thus improving air quality. Freedom! MR is also well adapted for grazing and silage. Freedom! produces excellent yields of highly palatable, nutritious forage. It is also a very persistent variety – exhibiting improved winter hardiness as well as improved heat and drought tolerance. Research trials at Cornell University show that Freedom! excels better than most other red clovers into the third year of production. Freedom! MR is one of the highest quality red clovers on the market. Freedom! MR Red Clover is adapted to the Northeast and Midwest as well as the transition zone. It also performs well in select regions of the Western U.S.
Optional Seed Treatments:
- Yellow Jacket Enhanced Seed Coating is seed that is pre-inoculated and available with Yellow Jacket. Yellow Jacket is a proprietary coating that contains ZEBA, a patented compound that absorbs a minimum of six hundred (600) times its weight in water and increases healthy plant establishment.
- Nitro Seed Coating is seed that is pre-inoculated with N-Dure inoculant and coated with 34% Nitro-Coat seed coating material
Suggested seeding rate: Seed in a pure stand, 15-20 lbs/acre; when seeding with grass, 8-10 lbs/acre and when frost seeding into grass use 10-12 lbs/acre.
Approx. seeds/lb: 270,000
Seeding depth: 1/4 to 1/2″ is ideal.
Preferred soils: Freedom! performs best in moderately to well drained soils. Optimum pH for production of Freedom! is 6.0 to 7.6; however, it performs better than alfalfa in wet, acidic soils (pH 5.5-6.5). Adequate levels of calcium, phosphorus and potassium are very important for success.
Establishment: Freedom! is a rapidly-establishing legume. It should generally be fall planted at least 8 weeks before a killing frost. However, in the Northern regions a frost-seeding in the early spring is also a suitable option. Freedom! can be established via a full-cultivation, no-till seeding, or broadcast when frost-seeding.
Management suggestions: Appropriate cutting regimes will improve forage yield and stand persistence. In the establishment year, harvest prior to full-bloom stage. For an established stand, first cut should occur at early-bloom stage and subsequent harvests at late-bud or early-bloom stage. Harvesting forage under hot, dry conditions or too close to the first freeze can reduce stand longevity.
