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Feature Papers in Grasses
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Feature Papers in Grasses

A special issue of Grasses (ISSN 2813-3463).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 December 2025 | Viewed by 6114

Special Issue Editor

Prof. Dr. Fabio Gresta

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Messina, Polo Annunziata Via G. Palatucci, 98168 Messina, Italy
Interests: forage crops and mixtures sustainability; grain crops used as forage; pastures yield quality and management; grain and forage crops yield and quality

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

It is our pleasure to announce a Special Issue in Grasses, entitled “Feature Papers in Grasses”. This Special Issue aims to highlight the various research findings in the field represented by excellent scholars related to Grasses, as well as the outstanding questions. We believe that it is a good opportunity for other scholars in related fields to increase their knowledge of and select our journal. All scholars are invited to contribute original research articles or reviews matching the aim and scope of the Journal, which will all be peer-reviewed before acceptance for publication.

Prof. Dr. Fabio Gresta
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Grasses is an international peer-reviewed open access quarterly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1000 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue

  • Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
  • Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
  • Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
  • External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
  • Reprint: MDPI Books provides the opportunity to republish successful Special Issues in book format, both online and in print.

Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

13 pages, 829 KiB  
Article
Feasibility of Organic Fertilization for Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions Compared to Mineral Fertilization
by Sirio Douglas da Silva dos Reis, Marco Antonio Previdelli Orrico Junior, Michely Tomazi, Ana Carolina Amorim Orrico, Stéfane de Sousa Cunha and Isabele Paola de Oliveira Amaral
Grasses 2025, 4(2), 26; https://doi.org/10.3390/grasses4020026 - 16 Jun 2025
Viewed by 213
Abstract
The objective of this study was to evaluate the impact of different nitrogen sources (urea, compost, and digestate) on N2O and CH4 emissions and the forage production of Piatã grass in tropical pastures, with the aim of identifying the fertilization [...] Read more.
The objective of this study was to evaluate the impact of different nitrogen sources (urea, compost, and digestate) on N2O and CH4 emissions and the forage production of Piatã grass in tropical pastures, with the aim of identifying the fertilization practices that can balance productivity with environmental mitigation. The experiment included 10 forage cuts over a period of 14 months, from January 2017 to February 2018. The CH4 and N2O emissions were monitored using closed chambers and analyzed by gas chromatography. The forage production was assessed by weighing and drying the material. The emission intensity was calculated based on the global warming potential of the gases. The data were analyzed using ANOVA and compared by Tukey’s test (p ≤ 0.05). Fertilizer application increased the N2O emissions, with the highest flux (79.56 mg N-N2O/m2/day) observed for the digestate treatment (p < 0.01). The N2O consumption was the most significant for the control treatment (−5.90 mg N-N2O/m2/day) in July. The CH4 oxidation was prevalent across all the treatments, with the highest oxidation for the urea treatment (−49.80 µg C-CH4/m2/day) two days after fertilization. The dry matter production (DMP) was the highest with urea during the summer (16.9 t/ha; p < 0.01). The emission intensity values were 243.41 kg CO2eq/t DM for urea, 103.44 kg CO2eq/t DM for digestate, and 27.35 kg CO2eq/t DM for compost (p < 0.01). The compost application stimulated CH4 oxidation. In conclusion, compost can be considered an important alternative for fertilizing pasture areas, both from a productive and environmental perspective. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Feature Papers in Grasses)
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14 pages, 1751 KiB  
Article
Influence of Temperature and Precipitation on the Forage Quality of Bluebunch Wheatgrass and Idaho Fescue During the Dormant Season
by Noah G. Davis, Sam A. Wyffels and Timothy DelCurto
Grasses 2025, 4(1), 5; https://doi.org/10.3390/grasses4010005 - 3 Feb 2025
Viewed by 849
Abstract
Dormant forage is generally understood to be low-quality, but how and why it changes over the dormant season have not been well studied. Therefore, this study evaluated the changes in the forage quality of bluebunch wheatgrass (Pseudoroegneria spicata) and Idaho fescue [...] Read more.
Dormant forage is generally understood to be low-quality, but how and why it changes over the dormant season have not been well studied. Therefore, this study evaluated the changes in the forage quality of bluebunch wheatgrass (Pseudoroegneria spicata) and Idaho fescue (Festuca idahoensis) over the course of the dormant season and in response to concurrent environmental conditions. We collected forage samples every 14 days for two consecutive winters in southwestern Montana, USA. Samples were analyzed for crude protein (CP), acid detergent fiber (ADF), and neutral detergent fiber (NDF). A suite of environmental metrics was derived from PRISM weather data. Data were analyzed with a linear mixed model and the STATICO ordination method. Crude protein and ADF varied throughout the winter across both years, with CP ranging from 1.9–4.0% and ADF from 37–42%. The differences between species were more pronounced and more consistent in CP. The differences between years were more pronounced in ADF and NDF. Relative temperature explained the most variation in forage quality. Crude protein is positively correlated with short-term warmer temperatures, whereas NDF is positively correlated with longer-term warmer temperatures. This demonstrates that forage quality can change over the dormant season and is influenced by winter weather events. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Feature Papers in Grasses)
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12 pages, 6051 KiB  
Article
Influence of Environmental Factors on Species Richness and Diversity in a Semi-Arid Environment, South Africa
by Nthabeliseni Munyai, Abel Ramoelo, Samuel Adelabu, Hugo Bezuidenhout and Hassan Sadiq
Grasses 2023, 2(4), 218-229; https://doi.org/10.3390/grasses2040017 - 23 Oct 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 3933
Abstract
The Nama Karoo biome is one of the least well-studied biomes in the semi-arid region of South Africa, and essential baseline biodiversity data for this region are lacking. The aim of the present study was to examine the influence of environmental factors on [...] Read more.
The Nama Karoo biome is one of the least well-studied biomes in the semi-arid region of South Africa, and essential baseline biodiversity data for this region are lacking. The aim of the present study was to examine the influence of environmental factors on the species diversity and richness of Mountain Zebra National Park, South Africa, which includes this vital biome. Vegetation data were obtained using the step-point method. Both species richness and diversity were unaffected by slope, aspect, coarse fragments, and soil texture. Multiple linear regression analyses indicated that a combination of four variables (nitrogen, clay, and sand contents, and longitude) should be included in the optimal model for species richness, and the optimal model for species diversity also revealed four influencing variables: soil organic carbon, clay and sand contents, and longitude. Overall, both species richness and diversity could be predicted by a combination of climatic, topographic, and soil properties. The findings of this study can be used as a reference for the effects of environmental factors on plant species richness and diversity in semi-arid environments. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Feature Papers in Grasses)
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