Red clover: vigorous cover crop for sustainable farming

Red clover is a vigorous, short-lived perennial cover crop that establishes quickly and improves soil health through nitrogen fixation and erosion control. It thrives in acidic, limestone, or hydromorphic soils and supports crop rotations, especially in wheat and rapeseed systems. Its deep taproot enhances soil structure, but management is needed to control growth during harvest. Seed costs are low, and it can be terminated before planting the next crop. Not suitable for rotations with peas, lentils, or beans due to Aphanomyces risk, but resistant varieties like Diplo, Formica, Leman, Lestris, and Merhost are available. It may also act as a false host for branched broomrape. Applicable across Europe, it supports year-round soil protection and is supported by EU-funded Horizon 2020 research.