The Role of Forage in Sustainable Agriculture
A special issue of Grasses (ISSN 2813-3463).
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 January 2025 | Viewed by 1988
Special Issue Editors
Interests: forage ecology; grazing management; nutrient cycling; sustainable production
Interests: forages; quantitative trait loci; genotyping; genetic diversity; genetic mapping
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Forages are the primary feed source used by livestock operations due to the wide range of adapted species worldwide. Under grazing management, forages contribute to lower production costs once the need for harvesting, storing, and transporting feed decreases. Over the last decades, forage research has focused on better understanding and developing improved management practices that can support the enhanced production, resilience, and feasibility of forage ecosystems while reducing the carbon footprint of activity.
Soils under perennial grasslands contain approximately 20% of Earth’s soil organic carbon (SOC) stocks (Conant, 2012) and play an important role in offsetting CO2 emissions (Lal, 2004a). Additionally, forage nutritive value impacts animal performance and methane production, as well as soil fertility and health. There has been an increase in the use of forage legumes in livestock operations overtime, with the aim of enhancing plant and animal production while supporting environmental benefits. Similarly, row crop systems have incorporated several annual forage species as cover crops, thereby aiming to reduce soil erosion, incorporate organic matter, and improve water infiltration, etc.
In this Special Issue, we aim to highlight the potential of forages to support sustainable production systems and agriculture. Contributions regarding improved management strategies; the incorporation and use of technologies; and the effects of forage strategies and systems on plant, animal, soil, and environment responses are all welcome, among others. We invite experts and researchers who can provide relevant original research, reviews, and opinion pieces on the topics of this Special Issue.
Dr. Liliane Severino Da Silva
Dr. Steve Larson
Guest Editors
Manuscript Submission Information
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Keywords
- climate-smart practices
- cover crops
- forage management
- grasses
- grasslands
- greenhouse gas emissions
- legumes
- nutrient cycling
- sustainable production
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