The result is better animal performance. Red clover is especially likely to provide additional summer production when grown with cool season perennial grasses. Addition of cool season annual legumes to Bermuda grass or other warm season perennial grasses permits production of quality feed during late fall and early spring when pastures would otherwise be unproductive. Legumes complement grasses in many ways and having a mixed sward of grass and clovers constitutes a lower risk situation than having a pure grass sward. For example, a disease or insect pest is less likely to devastate a mixed forage stand.
Clovers improve soil characteristics by improving soil tilth.
Grass tetany is another animal disorder reduced or eliminated by the presence of clovers in animals' diets. Because of their symbiotic relationship with Rhizobium bacteria, clovers and other legumes provide homegrown slow release nitrogen, which is more environmentally friendly than commercial nitrogen. They furnish pollen and nectar for honeybees and tend to increase populations of beneficial predatory insects. Clovers also provide food for wildlife including deer, rabbits, and game birds. Clovers are more colorful and attractive than grasses, especially when blooming.