Life Sciences Commons^™

Achievements And Perspectives In The Breeding Of Temperate Grasses And Legumes, Kenneth H. Quesenberry, M. D. Casler

IGC Proceedings (1993-2023)

This paper will focus on a historical perspective on cool season forage production, plant breeding methods for cool season forages, major cool season forage selection criteria, some examples of significant achievements, and a future perspective. Topics similar to ours have been discussed at recent previous meeting of this Congress (Humphreys, 1997; Van Wijk et al., 1993); however, we will strive to avoid “plowing the same ground twice”. In an attempt to prevent duplication of content with other sections of this Congress, only limited attention will be given to genetic resource acquisition and conservation. Additionally, alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.), one …

Advances In Forage Legumes: Shrub Legumes, M. H. Shelton

IGC Proceedings (1993-2023)

Forage tree legumes benefit agriculture through their multi-purpose contributions to livestock feeding, to productivity of farming systems, and to protection of the environment.

Of the several hundred forage tree legume species regarded as having potential for forage only c. twenty are in common use. These are listed together with their agroecological range and tolerance of adverse environments including acid soils, cool temperatures, low rainfall, poor drainage and high salinity. The value of many species to ruminants is limited due to low nutritive value arising from low protein availability and low acceptability caused principally by high condensed tannin content. Only 10 …

Dry Matter Production Of Shoots And Root Density Of Two Cultivars Of Lablab Purpureus (L.) Sweet, L. R. De A. Rodrigues, T. J. D. Rodrigues, A. K. B. Ramos, D. G. De Quadros

IGC Proceedings (1993-2023)

This experiment was conducted in green house conditions to evaluate the DM accumulation in the shoots and in the roots of two cultivars of Lablab purpureus (L.) Sweet. A 2x3 factorial (two cultivars and three evaluation dates) was conducted according to a randomized complete block design with four replications, being the cultivars Highworth and Rongai evaluated at 42, 56, and 70 days after seedling emergence (DASE). The results indicated that the cvs. Highworth and Rongai have the same pattern of DM accumulation in the shoots. In the upper layer of the soil (0-0.20 m) it was found 38.83% and 43.64% …

Forage Quality And The Environment, C. E. Lascano, A. Schmidt, R. Barahona

IGC Proceedings (1993-2023)

The influence of environmental factors on forage quality of temperate and tropical grasses has been reviewed by several authors, who summarized how light, temperature, drought and soil nutrients influence chemical composition, and digestibility of forages grown in contrasting areas of the world. The effects of season of the year on forage growth, grazing behavior and animal performance have also been the subject of numerous papers and reviews. However, there are few recent reviews that summarize how changes in climatic and edaphic factors influence forage quality of legumes with variable levels of condensed tannins (CT), which are important secondary compounds in …

Genetic Resources For Temperate Areas - Achievements And Perspectives, Mónica Rebuffo, T. Abadie

IGC Proceedings (1993-2023)

The processes of natural evolution and domestication of temperate forage genetic resources resulted in a build-up of genetic diversity, being remarkable in natural populations of grasses and legumes from Central Europe and the Mediterranean basin. Worldwide utilization of few species caused further increment in intraspecific genetic differentiation, meanwhile landraces became adapted to local agricultural production systems. Highlights are given to the risk of genetic erosion of indigenous grasslands as a consequence of the ecosystem modifications imposed by agriculture, as well as the drastic reduction of intraspecific genetic diversity caused by the process of plant breeding and environmental leveling in modern …

Nutrient Return From Plant Litter And Cattle Excretion Grazing On N-Fertilized Grass Or Grass-Legume Pastures In North Florida, Liza Garcia, D. M. Jaramillo, José C. B. Dubeux Jr., Lynn E. Sollenberger, João M. B. Vendramini, N. Dilorenzo, E. R. S. Santos, M. Ruiz-Moreno, L. M. D. Queiroz

IGC Proceedings (1993-2023)

Nutrient recycling via plant litter and livestock excreta is an important ecosystem service provided by grasslands. This study determined nutrient return via these pathways in three grazing systems. The experiment was conducted from May to October (2016 and 2017) and treatments were: 1) Nitrogen fertilized bahiagrass (Paspalum notatum Flügge) pastures (112 kg N ha^-1) during the warm-season, overseeded with a mixture (56 kg ha^-1 of each) of ‘FL 401’ cereal rye (Secale cereale, L.) and ‘RAM’ oat (Avena sativa, L.) during the cool-season (BGN); 2) Ecoturf Rhizoma peanut (Arachis glabrata Benth.)/bahiagrass …

Tree Legumes As Sustainable Ecosystem Services In Livestock Systems, James P. Muir, C. E. Cooper, V. Corriher-Olson

IGC Proceedings (1993-2023)

Arboreal legumes provide multiple uses in pastures and rangelands. Trees directly and indirectly feed, house, doctor, and warm humans at minimal environmental cost through forage (fodder), timber, biofuel, medicines, as well as edible leaves, pods, and seeds. Leguminous trees, because they foster biological nitrogen fixation (BNF) and acquire deep-soil nutrients and moisture, compete less with herbaceous plants for shallow-horizon soil moisture and nutrients. Their ecosystem services (ES) are generally less obvious and quantifiable. These include converting CO₂ to sequestered C and released O₂ in N-poor soils where trees without BNF do not thrive. Other ES include shade for …

The Importance Of Forage Legume Inclusion In Agricultural Swards To Enhance Earthworm Activity And Water Infiltration Rates, A. Shnel, S. Tracy, O. Schmidt, P. Murphy, M. B. Lynch, C. Grace, T. M. Boland, H. Sheridan

IGC Proceedings (1993-2023)

Increased grassland productivity in temperate regions has largely been achieved through perennial ryegrass Lolium perenne (PRG), coupled with large quantities of nitrogen fertiliser. However, concern is growing regarding the negative implications of excessive dependence on nitrogen fertilisers. Research has demonstrated the benefits of legume inclusion on primary productivity, however, their potential to influence other processes is less well established.

Sampling was undertaken in autumn 2017 on twenty randomised plots representing five sward types, replicated four times. These had been established and managed by cutting since 2013. Sward types included: 1) PRG (250kg N ha^-1 yr^-1 ); 2) PRG; …

Legumes As A Strategy For Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions Of Forage-Livestock Systems, N. Dilorenzo, José C. B. Dubeux Jr., L. Garcia, R. D. Guevara, S. Lagrange, J. Macadam, J. J. Villalba

IGC Proceedings (1993-2023)

Incorporation of legumes into forage systems has been a widely adopted strategy to increase pasture productivity and forage nutritive value, while reducing N inputs. Considering the population growth, and the diminishing land resources for food production, the need to increase the food supply will have to be balanced with the environmental impact of these systems, particularly their carbon footprint. Enteric methane production represents the largest source of greenhouse gas emissions from livestock. Certain forage legumes have evolved plant secondary compounds, such as tannins and other polyphenols, which have been associated with reductions in enteric methane emissions. Studies were conducted at …

Forage Genetic Resources In Brazil, Liana Jank, Mateus F. Santos, Cacilda B. Do Valle, Sanzio C. L. Barrios, Rosangela M. Simeão

IGC Proceedings (1993-2023)

To maintain the largest herd in the world, 214 million heads of beef cattle grazing exclusively on pastures (only 14% finished in feed-lots), Embrapa (Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation) in Brazil, has intensely invested on forage breeding programs since the 1980s. Nowadays, there are circa thirteen forage grass and legume species being bred at different Embrapa Units around the country and other six Units focusing on collection and research of regional native forages. Breeding depends on good germplasm sources. Therefore, breeding activities in Brazil will remain highly dependent on exotic and native genetic basis maintained in the Germplasm Banks. Despite the …

Adapting Tropical Forages To Low-Fertility Soils, Idupulapati M. Rao

IGC Proceedings (1993-2023)

Tropical forages growing in low-fertility acid soils usually increase the amount of dry matter partitioned to roots at the expense of shoot growth, but substantially different adaptive attributes to such soils have been found, both between and within species. By possessing the C₄ pathway of photosynthesis, grasses are more efficient than legumes in using N, Ca, and P, whereas legume roots are more efficient in extracting nutrients from low-fertility soils. Phosphorus uptake efficiency (mg of P uptake in shoot biomass per unit root length) of the legume Arachis pintoi is several times higher than that of the grass Brachiaria …

Evaluation Of Fertilizing Methods On The Establishment Of Pasture Species On Native Pasture By Direct Sowing, O. L. P. Oliveira, S. S. Gonzaga, J. O. N. Gonçalves, E. N. Muniz, T. M. S. Freitas, L. P. Grando

IGC Proceedings (1993-2023)

The experiment was carried out in the southern of Brazil, by direct sowing ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum), white clover (Trifolium repens), birds foot trifolium (Lotus corniculatus) and red clover (Trifolium pratensis) on native pasture. Herbicide Glyfosate was previously applied on this native pasture. The treatments were T1 -seed sowing in row with half fertilizer in row and half broadcasting; T2 – seed sowing in row with all fertilizer in row; T3 – seed sowing in row and all fertilizer broadcasting; T4 – seed and fertilizer broadcasting. The pasture was evaluated by two cuts …

Storage Of Seeds From Tropical Legumes Used In Cuban Livestock Production Systems, Marlen Navarro, Arístides Pérez, Yolanda González, Juan Carlos Lezcano

IGC Proceedings (1993-2023)

No abstract provided.

Pyrrolizidine Alkaloid Content And Seed Toxicity In Crotalaria Species, J. A. Mosjidis, I. Khan, J. Hess

IGC Proceedings (1993-2023)

No abstract provided.

Impacts Of Agroforestry Production Systems With Ruminants In Cuba, M. Milera, S. Sánchez, G. Martín, J. Iglesias, J. Arece, G. Pentón, O. Alonso

IGC Proceedings (1993-2023)

No abstract provided.

Long‐Term Phosphorus Fertilization And Perennial Legumes Addition Impacts On A Temperate Natural Grassland: Ii. Total And Particulate Soil Organic Carbon, Lucía Salvo, José A. Terra, Walter Ayala, Raül Bermudez, José Correa, Paola Avila, Jorge Hernández

IGC Proceedings (1993-2023)

No abstract provided.

Effect Of Including Arachis Pintoi In Tropical Forages Diets Megathyrsus Maximus And Brachiaria Humidicola On In Vitro Methane Production, Diana Marcela Valencia Echavarría, Luis Alfonso Giraldo Valderrama, Alexandra Torres, Alejandra Marín Gomez

IGC Proceedings (1993-2023)

Ruminants have the capability to ferment structural carbohydrates found in forages and obtain from them a usable form of energy to produce high quality food, i.e milk and meat (Kamra et al., 2012). However, as a gaseous by-product from the enteric fermentation of those carbohydrates, methane is produced in a significant proportion, being considered as one of the most important greenhouse gases (GHG). In Colombian tropical livestock, inclusion of legumes in on poor quality grasses diets based have allowed an improvement of their nutritive quality, besides enteric methanogenesis reduction because their content of condensed tannins (CT); however, this is not …

Evaluation Of Tropical Herbaceous Legumes For Drought Resistance In Myanmar, Jue Jue, Nang Khan Hline, Khin San Mu, Moe Thida Htun, Lwin Naing Oo, Soe Min Thien, Dezin Soe Lwin, Jenny Hanks, Ganda Nakamanee, Werner Stür, Aung Aung

IGC Proceedings (1993-2023)

Animal nutrition systems in the tropical and subtropical countries utilize a wide range of feedstuffs, mainly the crops and agricultural by-products, grasses, legumes, trees and shrubs. During the dry season, the crude protein concentration in the native grasses can drop below 3% crude protein (Atta-Krah and Reynolds, 1989). Fodder tree is not sufficient and is of low quality in Myanmar (Myo and Aye, 2007). Shrubs represent an enormous potential source of protein for ruminants in the tropics (Devendra, 1992). Browses are rich in nitrogen and minerals which are low in other conventional feeds of tropical regions. Herbaceous legume species play …

Legumes Of Forage Value: Their Diversity And Priority For Collection In India, E. Roshini Nayar, Anjula Panndey, K. Pradheep, Rita Gupta

IGC Proceedings (1993-2023)

Indian subcontinent is a megacentre of agro-diversity. Legumes have a special place with several native crops and economically important species occurring along forest margins and openings, pastures, grasslands and grazing lands. Several are dual-purpose species for food and feed. However, herbage legumes though major components of grasslands and with a major role in their quality and improvement lack persistence as compared to grasses and their collection, maintenance and conservation assumes importance in the wake of change and loss of habitats of native species and introduction of new germplasm with forage potential. Establishing the correct identity of species is therefore a …

Forage From Trees And Grasses Of Silvipasture System In Degraded Land Of Semiarid India, R. V. Kumar, Harsh Vardhan Singh, Sunil Kumar, Ajoy K. Roy, P. K. Ghosh

IGC Proceedings (1993-2023)

Rainfed agro-ecosystem has a distinct place in Indian Agriculture, occupying 67% of the cultivated area and supporting 65% of the livestock population (Venkateswarlu, 2005). The silvipasture systems involving suitable multi-purpose trees specially fodder trees and range grass species provide resilience by ensuring continued and multiple outputs such as, forage, fuelwood, fodder, fibre and industrial raw material, besides other positive environmental effects. Incorporation of fodder trees with grasses is perceived as a climate change-resilient cropping system for farmers linking climate change mitigation with adaptation (Mbow et al., 2014). The synergies of tree-grass association need to be explored and exploited by …

Improving Grassland Quality In Communal Arable Lands In The Eastern Cape Province, South Africa, Theunis L. Morgenthal, Pieter W. Conradie, Gideon Jordaan, Unathi Gulwa, Neil Ballard, John Howieson

IGC Proceedings (1993-2023)

Overgrazing and shifting cultivation practise have severely degraded communal lands in the Eastern Cape of South Africa. Methods need to be developed to improve forage quality of grazing land, especially previously cultivated lands. The aim of the study was to investigate legume species to rehabilitate arable lands abandoned from cropping, to enhance their forage quality, productivity and ecological integrity. The study was conducted in seven communities within the Eastern Cape Province. This study showed that within the communal lands studied extensive areas have been cultivated and the majority of this land is now poorly utilised. Natural grasslands ploughed for cropping …

Macro Mineral Concentrations Of Five Contrasting Temperate Grassland Species Grown In Pure Stands Or Mixtures, Bodil E. Frankow-Lindberg

IGC Proceedings (1993-2023)

Mixtures of grassland species often results in over-yielding (Finn et al., 2013). This may be due to complementarity in traits above- and below-ground. Here I report the concentrations of macro minerals in five grassland species grown as pure stands or in mixtures in a field fertilized with moderate amounts of nitrogen (N).

Nitrogen Retention And Microbial Protein Yield Of Desmodium Uncunatum, Mucuna Pruriens And Vigna Unguiculata Forage Legumes In Goats, Joseph J. Baloyi, Katsande Simbarashe, F. V. Nherera-Chokuda, N. T. Ngongoni

IGC Proceedings (1993-2023)

Forage legumes have high potential degradability, indicating that they might need to stay in the rumen for a longer time (MolinaAlcaide et al., 1996) to increase microbial protein yield. Microbial protein contributes about two thirds of the amino acids absorbed by ruminants (Pathak 2008). Protein supplements which have proper levels of rumen undegradable protein provide growth limiting amino acids like lysine and methionine (Rezai et al., 2012). Nyambati et al. (2003) showed that milk production can be increased by supplementing with velvet bean, highlighting the importance of integrating legumes into the low-input, mixed cropping systems in the tropics. The current …

Improving The Phosphorus Efficiency Of Temperate Australian Pastures, Richard J. Simpson, Graeme A. Sandral, Richard A. Culvenor, Megan H. Ryan, Hans Lambers, Phillip G. H. Nichols, Richard C. Hayes

IGC Proceedings (1993-2023)

Phosphorus (P) is a key input necessary for high production in many temperate, grass-legume pasture systems in Australia because the pastures are situated on P-deficient and moderate to highly P-sorbing soils. A consequence of P-sorption in these soils is that much more P must be applied as fertiliser than will be exported in animal products. The P balance efficiency (PBE=100*P_export/Pi_nputs) of grazing enterprises (e.g. wool, meat, milk and live animal export) is about 10-30% and compares poorly with some other agricultural enterprises (e.g. 45-54% for grain production; McLaughlin et al. 1992; Weaver and …

Establishment And Growth Of Legumes On Uncultivatable Hill Country In East Coast New Zealand, Trevor L. Knight, Tom J. Fraser, Paul D. Muir, Chikako Van Koten

IGC Proceedings (1993-2023)

Steep, non-arable hill country is a significant feature of New Zealand farming (Sheath 2011) and large tracts of it have been improved by over-sowing grass and assorted clover species, particularly white clover (Trifolium repens L.). Numerous other legume species are available in New Zealand from similar environments overseas that may be more productive on some steep hill country. Plant breeders in New Zealand have also produced inter-specific hybrids (Williams et al. 2010) with potentially useful attributes. As part of a large project to increase pasture production on non-arable hills, a range of legume species were established at 2 …

The Functionality Of Legume-Grass Swards In A Long-Term Pasture: Productivity And Stability, Žydrė Kadžiulienė, Lina Šarūnaitė, Leonas Kadžiulis

IGC Proceedings (1993-2023)

Combinations of various plant species or functional groups can enhance sward structure, the function and stability of an ecosystem, supplement forage production and mitigate negative environmental impacts. Climatic variation, rising temperatures, changing precipitation and other extreme climatic events may lead to changes in plant diversity (Soussana and Lüscher 2007). At the same time it is very important to optimise functional diversity by combining species with different properties that are well adapted to the local environments (Huyghe et al. 2012). Successful selection and management of legumes influences the herbage production, nutritional quality and sustainability of grazing systems. Therefore, their role …

Using Common Gardens And Aflp Analyses To Identify Metapopulations Of Indigenous Plant Materials For Rangeland Revegetation In Western Usa, Douglas A. Johnson, B. Shaun Bushman, Thomas A. Jones, Kishor Bhattarai

IGC Proceedings (1993-2023)

Past mismanagement, overgrazing, invasive weedy species, wildfires, marginal crop production, mineral and energy extraction, recreation and global climate change are challenges currently facing rangelands (Pierson et al. 2011). These disturbances may lead to long-term reductions in biodiversity, altered nutrient and water cycling, diminished forage production for livestock and wildlife, increased wildfire frequency and increased soil erosion and stream sedimentation (Sheley et al. 2008). Rangeland revegetation with desirable plant materials may be required to improve degraded conditions, speed recovery, and prevent further erosion and degradation. There is a critical need for plant materials to restore and revegetate rangeland ecosystems. …