Variety performance review
Durana White Clover in the Deep South.
- Excellent
- Pennington Seed
- Perennial; 2–4 month establishment to full stand
- Organic-approved
Regional strengths
Durana is the most thoroughly tested ladino white clover variety for Southeast food plot and pasture use. UGA forage program data has documented Durana's stand persistence at 5+ years in well-managed Deep South plots — substantially longer than older varieties like Regal or Will Ladino. Heat tolerance and grazing tolerance are both class-leading.
Regional weaknesses
Durana stand establishment requires careful seedbed preparation, soil-test-driven liming to pH 6.2+, and patient management through the first summer — fast-establishment is not Durana's strength. On unimproved acidic Coastal Plain sand, Durana will struggle even with attention. Very heavy continuous browse on small (<1 acre) plots can still overwhelm even Durana's grazing tolerance.
Yield data
Trial-verified performance.
Average yield
— tons/acre
Data quality
trial verified
Agronomic ratings
Drought tolerance
good
Standability
good
Emergence
good
Winter hardiness
na
Disease resistance
- Sclerotinia crown and stem rot:good
- Pythium root rot:good
Food-plot ratings
Palatability
excellent
Persistence
excellent
Establishment
moderate
Attraction timing: March through hard frost — most-attractive perennial food plot species in the Deep South
Best for
- Deep South food plots with managed pH (6.2+)
- permanent perennial pastures
- year-round attraction systems
Not recommended for
- unimproved low-pH soils without lime
- very small (<0.5 acre) plots with heavy browse pressure
Best soil types
clay loam (Black Belt), well-drained sandy loam, Piedmont clay loam
Seeding rate
5–8 lb/acre pure stand; 3–5 lb/acre overseeded into existing grass
Farmer notes
Durana is the most widely-recommended white clover variety in National Deer Association food plot literature for the Deep South. Multi-year reports from food plotters in Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi consistently rank it at the top of the persistence category.