Estimating red clover biomass and growth response to temperature using terrestrial laser scanning

A three-year study evaluated 395 European red clover accessions using terrestrial laser scanning on the ETH Zurich Field Phenotyping Platform to assess growth dynamics, biomass yield, and flowering time. Canopy height showed high heritability (H²=0.93) before the second cut and predicted biomass yield with 88% accuracy (R²=0.88). Heritability and predictability declined in later cuts, likely due to competition from white clover, reducing persistence to 48%. A highly heritable (H²=0.89) genotype-specific response to temperature was identified, with higher temperature response linked to increased yield, earlier flowering, and greater persistence. Flowering time varied from 120 to 179 days post-January 1, with 20 accessions not flowering. The study demonstrates that high-resolution canopy height measurements enable accurate estimation of biomass and temperature-driven growth traits, supporting breeding for improved red clover performance in sustainable livestock systems and reducing Europe’s dependence on imported protein. Funded by the EUCLeg initiative, findings highlight the role of genotype-environment interactions in enhancing forage legume productivity.