digestibility and attractiveness. The result was Whitetail Institute’s newest proprietary variety, WT177. The addition of WT-177 makes Imperial Whitetail Clover more cold and drought tolerant. It grows more vigorously and has a longer lifespan while maintaining exceptional digestibility, attractiveness and nutrient content. WT-177 raises the bar again, setting another new standard in the food plot industry.
The Cornerstone With more than a million acres planted in the past 30-plus years and thousands of trial and field results, Imperial Whitetail Clover is undoubtedly the No. 1 food plot product in the world. Testimonials from across the country report not just satisfactory results but vast improvements in the quality of deer and hunting that far exceed expectations. But Imperial Whitetail Clover’s impact goes beyond just being the leading food plot forage. Imperial Whitetail Clover trailblazed the research path that has led to the development of its many cousin products. In many cases, Imperial Whitetail Clover is the cornerstone and foundation of other Whitetail Institute seed blends. One of the first examples is Imperial Alfa Rack Plus. Imperial Whitetail Clover is extremely drought tolerant, but like most clovers, it performs best in heavier soils that hold moisture. Because food plots are not always planted in that type of soil and sometimes planted in more welldrained soils, researchers began testing forage blends containing other forage types suited for well-drained soils. They found a highly attractive and nutritious X-9 Technology grazing alfalfa that excelled in well-drained soil and, when combined with Imperial Whitetail Clover, became Imperial Whitetail Alfa Rack Plus. The unique characteristic of the product is its ability to adjust to varying soil moisture conditions. Food plots don’t always contain the same type of soil in a specific field, such as a field that’s part ridge transitioning into a bottom. Although clover and alfalfa are typically found throughout a plot such as that, the grazing alfalfa will be more prominent on the ridges and slopes and the clover more prominent in the bottom or anywhere soil moisture is higher. Imperial No-Plow is another development from the Whitetail Institute that followed the introduction of Imperial Whitetail Clover. NoPlow is the original minimal-tillage food plot blend and is widely used across the country. Knowing that not all food plotters had tractors and heavy tillage equipment, and that some areas could not be accessed with bigger machinery, Whitetail Institute researchers developed a seed blend that would grow with minimal or no tillage. All No-Plow needs is adequate seed-to-soil contact and some sunlight. A more recent newcomer to the Whitetail Institute line is Imperial Whitetail Fusion, which is a combination of Imperial Whitetail Clover and WINA-100 chicory. With a similar concept to Alfa Rack Plus, Fusion is even more drought tolerant and will grow in soils that might not support alfalfa. Whitetail Institute does offer food plot blends that don’t contain Imperial Whitetail Clover, but that does not mean it did not have major influence on those products. The design methodology that went into the development of Imperial Whitetail Clover focused on rigorous testing in both controlled and field settings and done so in all regions where the product would be grown. Further, it had to be the best on the market, and if testing proved it wasn’t, it was tossed back into the research bin until researchers were certain there was no better prod-
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uct of its kind. Also, the new product needed to meet an unsatisfied demand of food plotters. In other words, it had to be a unique blend with unique varieties that met a previously unmet need. All those factors went into developing Imperial Whitetail Clover and became the research method that led to products such as Imperial Whitetail Winter-Greens. Winter-Greens is a blend of specifically selected brassica varieties designed for fall and winter food plots. It took more than six years of research and hundreds of varieties tested before researchers found the exact blend of varieties that consistently outperformed other brassica products. The development criterion that calls for a product to be unique and meet unmet needs was the driving force behind the development of Imperial Whitetail Extreme. Extreme contains Persist Forb, a Whitetail Institute proprietary forb that can grow with limited rainfall and in soils with a low pH. Persist is combined with Whitetail’s WINA100 forage chicory to produce a blend that is highly attractive and nutritious yet grows in extreme conditions — hence the name Extreme. Recent product development has produced a sibling to Extreme called Imperial Whitetail Edge. Edge contains the same components as Extreme but also incorporates a special variety of sainfoin, which is highly attractive to deer and grows in tough conditions. I could reference many other Whitetail Institute products that were spawned from the same mindset as Imperial Whitetail Clover. Suffice to say, Imperial Whitetail Clover has left a permanent mark on the thinking that goes into new product development at the Whitetail Institute. If it doesn’t live up to the developmental standards set by the originator and leader, you will never hear of it, because it will never be introduced.
Imperial Whitetail Clover and the Culture of Whitetail Institute It’s impossible to separate Imperial Whitetail Clover and the Whitetail Institute, because they are intertwined in their culture. Imperial Whitetail Clover is the revolutionary innovation and Whitetail Institute the revolutionary innovator. Before Imperial Whitetail Clover, there had never been a food plot product designed specifically for deer. Before Whitetail Institute, there had not been a food plot industry. Whitetail Institute and Imperial Whitetail Clover were the leaders and originators of both. Whitetail Institute continues to make Imperial Whitetail Clover even better, never resting on the laurels of past success, which is the way Whitetail Institute treats all of its business. There is no compromise in quality of product or quality of service. Whether it’s the steadfast assurance in the performance of its products or the commitment to be the industry leader in customer service, the Whitetail Institute’s culture is second to none in commitment to their customers. You won’t see highly paid celebrities in Whitetail Institute’s advertisements, because like Imperial Whitetail Clover, there is no need for superfluous marketing. The results realized in the past 30 plus years by tens of thousands of everyday hunters speak far louder than a paid endorsement. It’s the culture of Whitetail Institute that created Imperial Whitetail Clover, but it’s the culture around the development of that product that continues to drive Whitetail Institute. They cannot be separated, nor should they, for the connection goes beyond a company and product. Simply, they are the leaders and set the industry standard, and that’s the culture: Always be the best. ^ www.whitetailinstitute.com