What are the cultivation values of clover? Latest interpretation

Clover (the four-leaf clover is a rare variation of clover) is the general name for a variety of herbaceous plants with trifoliate palmate compound leaves. It is native to Europe and North Africa and is cultivated all over the world. In China it is mainly distributed in temperate to tropical regions, and grows in a semi-wild state in moist grasslands, riverbanks and roadsides. Let us take a look together at the cultivation value of clover!

Economic value

Clover is widely distributed and highly adaptable. It is not only an excellent feed for livestock, but also a good preceding crop for agricultural crops, as well as an excellent low-growing crop for orchard ground cover. It is also used for soil and water conservation, as a nectar source, for medicinal purposes, as green manure and as lawn ground cover, and it is an excellent soil-building crop. Since it was introduced to the Kunming area in the 1970s and successfully trial-planted, it has been promoted and applied over large areas, producing very good economic, social and ecological benefits, and it is suitable for large-scale artificial planting.

Medicinal value

Clover tastes sour and sweet, is cool in nature, and has the effects of clearing heat and draining dampness, and of detoxifying and reducing swelling. It is mainly used for colds and fever, enteritis, urinary tract infections, urinary tract stones, neurasthenia and other conditions. For external use it treats bruises, venomous snake bites, carbuncles, swellings and sores, athlete's foot, eczema, burns and scalds, and other conditions.

Improving soil

Clover can increase soil organic matter and helps build up soil fertility. Because clover has a large growth volume and high biological yield, generally about 3000 kg per mu, when it naturally dies in summer or is cut and turned into the soil, it plays a notable role in improving the soil fertility of newly established orchards and increasing the soil organic matter of old orchards.

Soil coverage

Clover can lower summer soil temperature. When the root zone temperature of fruit trees reaches 35°C, their absorption capacity clearly declines. When clover grows well, it can lower the ground temperature by about 6 to 8°C in summer, which is beneficial to the normal growth of fruit tree roots.

Drought resistance and moisture conservation

Clover can stabilize orchard air humidity, which is beneficial to fruit tree growth in summer. It effectively promotes normal fruit swelling, reduces fruit cracking and fruit drop, and achieves high quality and high yield of fruit trees.

Preventing erosion

Clover can maintain good soil structure. Because of the good covering effect of clover, it can effectively avoid the erosion and deposition effects of rainwater on the soil, maintain good soil structure, and is beneficial to the activity of soil microorganisms and the metabolism of fruit tree roots, as well as to the decomposition of various fertilizers and the degradation of harmful substances.