Berseem Clover
Trifolium alexandrinum
Berseem clover is an erect annual with a short taproot; it can grow up to 750 mm with slender, hollow, branched stems and plain, trifoliate, slightly hairy leaflets. Pods contain 1-2 seeds oval-shaped yellow/red-brown seeds;
pros
Highly nutritive
Free of oestrogen risks
Suited to seasonal irrigation
Great as a green cover crop
Mainly used with irrigation
Likes neutral soil pH 6-8
Moderately tolerant of water-logging
Well suited to deep alluvial soils
Some tolerance of salinity
Good heat tolerance
Suited to cutting for hay or silage.
quick regrowth
Rotationally grazing when 15-20 cm tall; stimulates tillering
Avoid overgrazing
Palatable - high feed value - high protein content
Low risk of bloat
Low risk of estrogen
cons
Normally a short-lived, that persists for 1–3 years in mixed pastures, but under favourable conditions without hard and continuous summer grazing, it may last up to 5-6 years.
Some cultivars contain Phyto-oestrogens that can affect animal fertility plant breeding has made improvements in reducing oestrogen levels.