Presents the science involved in development of grassland forages

Provides coverage of practical aspects of tropical forage use

Covers background information through current status of tropical forages globally

Examines the role of tropical forages from economic, land use, and environmental perspectives

Contains more than 1500 references -serving as a point of departure for further research

Tropical Forage Plants: Development and Use covers the research and resulting pasture development in the tropics and subtropics, which has undergone dramatic changes in the past few decades. Providing a broad, global perspective, it serves as a comprehensive resource covering a wide range of subjects pertaining to forage and animal production in the tropics and subtropics including such aspects as agronomy, pasture management, forage plant breeding, soils, plant nutrition, and disease management and control.
The book presents extensive coverage of the technical aspects of forage-based agriculture in the tropics. It addresses both the scientific aspects of this technology and its practical application. The editors integrate the extensive research on tropical forage species in the western hemisphere with that of global research efforts. They provide over 15,000 references that lay the groundwork for further research.
The editors have assembled an excellent mixture of theorists and applied scientists giving the book wide-ranging, interdisciplinary appeal. In addition to providing extensive coverage of development and usage globally, Tropical Forage Plants: Development and Use presents the key aspects of selecting, breeding, and managing superior pastures in the tropics in the context of meeting local needs and global environmental concerns.

Introduction to the Tropical Environment
Land Resources for Forage Production in the Tropics, F.H. Beinroth
Environmental Constraints to Tropical Forage Plant Adaptation and Productivity, W.D. Pitman
The Tropical Forage Plants and their Development
Germplasm Resources of Tropical Forage Grasses, A.E. Kretschmer, Jr. and W.D. Pitman
Germplasm Resources of Tropical Forage Legumes, A.E. Kretschmer, Jr. and W.D. Pitman
Breeding and Improvement of Tropical Grasses, B.L. Burson and B.A. Young
Tropical Forage Legume Breeding, K.H. Quesenberry and D.S. Wofford
Contraints and Developments in the Enhancement of Tropical Forage Grasses of Economic Importance, A. Sotomayor-Ríos and S.C. Shank
Biotechnology in Tropical Forage Crops, R. Smith
Use of Tropical Forages
Seed Production Technology of Tropical Forages, S.H. West and W.D. Pitman
Intensive Management of Forage Grasses in the Humid Tropics, J. Vicente-Chandler
Pennisetums and Sorghums in an Integrated Feeding System in the Tropics, W. Hanna and S. Torres-Cardona
The Effects of Arthopods, Diseases, and Nematodes on Tropical Pastures, S.L. Lapointe and R.M. Sonoda
Animal Production in Grass-Legume Pastures in the Tropics, C.E. Lascano
Conservation of Forages in the Tropics and Subtropics, R.N. Gallaher and W.D. Pitman
Importance of Symbiotic Nitrogen Fixation in Tropical Forage Legume Production, E.C. Schröder
Contribution of Rangelands to Animal Production in the Tropics, J. San José
Global Review of the Latest Research on Tropical Forages
Current Developments from Tropical Forage Research in Australia, R.J. Jones
Current Developments from Tropical Forage Research in Africa, M.B. Adjei and J.P. Muir
Contrasts in Current Developments with Tropical Forage Research in Asia and the Americas, W.D. Pitman

Editorial Reviews

"Tropical forage plants represent an enormous potential for use in developing sustainable, integrated agricultural production systems in the tropics everywhere. This book contributes through synthesis of information to a global overview of tropical plants, their potential and constraints, their use and importance, and current research activities."

-Cacilda Borges do Valle, Embrapa - National Center for Beef Cattle Research, Brazil, in Crop Science, Vol. 42, No. 2, 2002

Promo Copy