Clover Orfeus

The 'Orfeus' red clover cultivar is a diploid single-cut cultivar created based on a genotypic mixture of five promising cultivars and selection numbers from various research institutions. The bushes are upright, weakly branching, 56-116 cm tall, with 5-7 stems of medium thickness and weak or absent stem hairiness. Leaves are of medium size, and white marks are often found on the plants. The inflorescences are red, seeds are yellow-purple, and the mass of 1000 seeds is 1.9-2.0 g. The cultivar is mid-late, the period from spring regrowth to flowering takes 58-65 days, and to seed maturity - 95-125 days. 'Orfeus' is distinguished by high winter hardiness, exceeding 95%, and resistance to spring frosts. Foliage and forage value of the cultivar are good, crude protein content varies from 13 to 17.53%. Infestation by root rots and sclerotinia is at or below the standard level, and susceptibility to red clover seed weevil reaches up to 30%. The cultivar shows medium resistance to diseases such as red clover cancer and fusarium wilt. The dry matter yield of the 'Orfeus' cultivar, depending on the region and cultivation conditions, averages from 7.2 to 10.0 tons/hectare, with maximum indicators up to 13.0 tons/hectare. Seed yield reaches 6.49 centners/hectare. The cultivar has been included in the State Register since 2000 and is recommended for cultivation in the North, Northwestern, and Volga-Vyatsk regions of Russia. Due to its high productivity, resistance to adverse conditions, and good forage qualities, 'Orfeus' is a promising choice for agricultural production.