Abiotic Stress and Red Clover: A Less Explored Area of Research

Abstract

Red clover (Trifolium pratense L.) is one of the main forage species from temperate regions and its centre of origin is located in southern Europe and southern Eurasia. Although red clover is Mediterranean in origin, it is a widely adapted species grown in many climatic conditions around the world. It is a perennial, medicinal herb from legume family and it grows best in calcium, phosphorus and potassium rich soils. This medicinal plant is in symbiotic association with bacteria present in its root nodules, thus the plant is capable of fixing the atmospheric nitrogen into the soil thereby increasing the quality of the soil. Red clover is typically used to treat a number of respiratory ailments such as asthma, bronchitis, and bronchitis, skin disorders such as eczema and psoriasis, inflammatory conditions like arthritis, and to treat women's health problems especially in giving relief from menopausal symptoms. However, the response of Red Clover under abiotic stress conditions is a less explored area of research. The present review highlights the existing potential of Red clover in fighting abiotic stress conditions and also explains the need of developing resistant varieties of this plant to meet the future challenges.