Grassland Oregon Introduces the World's Most Cold-Tolerant Commercial Clovers to Canada

by Speare Seeds

“FIXatioN” Balansa and “FROSTY” Berseem Thrive in Harsh Winters

Salem, OR - April 12, 2017 – Grassland Oregon, Inc. is pleased to announce three progressive companies have been selected as the premiere distributors of FIXatioN Balansa and FROSTY Berseem clovers. TerraSeCo in Vancouver, BC; Performance Seed in Lethbridge, Alberta; and Speare Seeds in Harriston, Ontario.

FIXatioN Balansa and FROSTY Berseem have been improving soils and animal health in the U.S. since 2015. Now, for the first time, these ground-breaking clover varieties are available to growers throughout Canada. 

“We’re very excited to bring the benefits of FIXatioN and FROSTY to farmers here.” says Scott Bowman, General Manager of Speare Seeds. “Interest in cover crops and pasture revitalization have increased at a rapid pace throughout eastern Canada. Products like FIXatioN and FROSTY are a perfect fit for those markets.”

Grassland Oregon’s patent pending FIXatioN Balansa and FROSTY Berseem clovers have been proven through extensive commercial testing to survive harsh winters as cold as -15 degrees F (-26 C) and 5 degrees F (-15 C) respectively, without snow cover.  

Both varieties

  • Are excellent for decompaction, with taproots extending more than 30” in depth 
  • Outstanding nitrogen fixers; FIXatioN has been known to provide up to 250 lbs of N per acre 
  • Provide highly nutritious feed; regularly exceeding 20% crude protein and producing massive amounts of forage; FIXatioN has earned the title ‘Bio-Massive’ when it tipped the scales at 96,154 lbs/acre in University of Illinois Legume Cover Crop Trial   

Balansa and Berseem clovers have been grown for centuries along the eastern Mediterranean Sea.  Long-recognized for their impressive salt tolerance, nitrogen fixation, and exceptional forage qualities, they have also been raised commercially in Australia and South Africa, but remained relatively unknown in North America, primarily because they’re not naturally suited for the harsh winters.   Thanks to the innovative work of Grassland Oregon, new solutions like FIXatioN and FROSTY are now available. 

Pictured: Nitrogen fixing nodules on a young FIXatioN plant. The deep-diving roots draw up and release valuable subterranean nutrients. Plants are capable of fixing more than 250 pounds of Nitrogen per acre, much of which is immediately available to the subsequent crop. FIXatioN and FROSTY are the most cold tolerant and widely adapted annual clover commercially available in the world.
 

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