Barenbrug UK, the specialist seed breeders, have announced that their outstanding new variety of white clover, Crusader, will soon be available to the UK farmer for the first time, ready for sowing this autumn. Bred in New Zealand, it will be marketed in the UK exclusively by Barenbrug.
Crusader is extremely high-yielding, with excellent persistence and versatility under variable management regimes. In NIAB trials it gave the best performance of any small/medium leaf variety, giving third-year clover and grass yields, nearly double the yield of competitor varieties. In long-term trials at the Northern Ireland Horticultural and Plant Breeding Station (NIHPBS) at Loughgall it showed astonishing persistence, combining extremely well with companion grass crops.
A medium-small leafed white clover, Crusader has a leaf size of approximately 90% that of Menna and 55% that of Aran. Crusader has already been recommended by NIAB in England and Wales and the Scottish Agricultural Colleges.
In SAC trials, Crusader was described as an outstanding variety with exceptional yields, the highest perfomer in the group, due "predominantly to outstanding early and late season growth". DARD (the Department of Rural and Agricultural Development) in Northern Ireland found that Crusader performed "exceptionally well in trials" and that it will be considered for recommendation shortly.
Crusader is one of many exciting potential varieties developed in a partnership between Barenbrug and two New Zealand companies, AgResearch Ltd in Palmerston and Midland Seeds Ltd in the Ashburton district of South Island. Crusader was bred by AgResearch, multiplied by Midland Seed, and will now be marketed by Barenbrug.
