Variety performance review
Medium Red Clover (VNS) in the Corn Belt North.
- Good
- Multiple — generic seed
- Biennial / short-lived perennial
- Organic-approved
Regional strengths
Medium red clover is the workhorse cover crop and forage species across the Northern Corn Belt — easy establishment via frost-seeding into winter wheat, reliable summer growth, and meaningful nitrogen fixation for the following corn year. University of Wisconsin and Minnesota forage programs have decades of data on red clover varieties.
Regional weaknesses
Medium red clover is biennial / short-lived perennial — expect 18–24 month productive life rather than long-term persistence. Anthracnose-resistant varieties exist; older non-resistant lines should be avoided. As a food plot species it's outgrown by ladino white clover for fall attraction.
Yield data
Trial-verified performance.
Average yield
— tons/acre
Data quality
trial verified
Agronomic ratings
Drought tolerance
good
Standability
good
Emergence
excellent
Winter hardiness
good
Disease resistance
- Northern anthracnose:good
- Powdery mildew:fair
Food-plot ratings
Palatability
good
Persistence
fair
Establishment
easy
Attraction timing: May through October — heavy summer browse
Best for
- frost-seed-into-wheat cover cropping
- summer N fixation ahead of corn
- short-term forage rotations
Not recommended for
- long-term perennial pasture (use ladino white instead)
- fall-focused food plot attraction
Best soil types
loam, silt loam, well-drained clay loam
Seeding rate
8–12 lb/acre frost-seeded; 12–15 lb/acre conventional seeding
Farmer notes
Frost-seeded red clover into wheat is the most common cover-crop entry point in the Upper Midwest — community reports overwhelmingly favor it for cost and establishment ease.
Data quality & sources
Quality: trial-verified · Last updated 2024.