Forage Plant Ecophysiology

This book is a printed edition of the Special Issue "Forage Plant Ecophysiology" that was published in Agriculture

It is highly important that attention be focused on forages, particularly pastures and ranges, since production data on grazing lands are not included in the Agricultural Census nor in the federal-state Crop Reporting Service. Forages occupy a large place in the total agricultural economy, and these plants constitute the principal means by which much of the land and soil of the nation are beneficially used to meet the needs of man. The versatility of forage plants as a great group matches the great diversity found in the characteristics of the soils that support grasslands. other values of the forage-soil complex include soil improvement and conservation, water conservation, wildlife and game management, outdoor recreation, and esthetic considerations. This volume marks a forward step in recognition of the responsibility of the agronomist, soil scientist, and crop scientist in the stewardship of these natural resources.

This text presents edited key papers from the International Symposium on Grassland Ecophyisiology and Grazing Ecology held in Curitiba, Brazil in August 1999. It considers how plants within grasslands respond to and are adapted to grazing animals.

Forages: The Science of Grassland Agriculture, 7th Edition, Volume II will extensively evaluate the current knowledge and information on forage agriculture. Chapters written by leading researchers and authorities in grassland agriculture are aggregated under section themes, each one representing a major topic within grassland science and agriculture. This 7th edition will include two new additional chapters covering all aspects of forage physiology in three separate chapters, instead of one in previous editions. Chapters will be updated throughout to include new information that has developed since the last edition. This new edition of the classic reference serves as a comprehensive supplement to An Introduction to Grassland Agriculture, Volume I.

The halophytes are highly specialized plants, which have greater tolerance to salt. They can germinate, grow and reproduce successfully in saline areas which would cause the death of regular plants. Most halophytic species are found in salt marsh systems along seashores or around landlocked inland lakes and flat plains with high evaporation. The halophytes play very significant role in the saline areas specially in the coast by overcoming the salinity in different ways, viz. with regulating mechanisms in which excess salts are excreted and with out regulating mechanism, which may include succulents or cumulative types. Besides that they protect coast from erosion and cyclones, provide feeding ground and nursery for fish, shrimps and birds. Halophytes get increasing attention today because of the steady increase of the salinity in irrigation systems in the arid and semi-arid regions where the increasing population reaches the limits of freshwater availability. In many countries, halophytes have been successfully grown on saline wasteland to provide animal fodder and have the potential for rehabilitation and even reclamation of these sites. The value of certain salt-tolerant grass species has been recognized by their incorporation in pasture improvement programs in many salt affected regions throughout the world. There have been recent advances in selecting species with high biomass and protein levels in combination with their ability to survive a wide range of environmental conditions, including salinity.