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The Role of Forage in Sustainable Agriculture
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The Role of Forage in Sustainable Agriculture

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 September 2025 | Viewed by 4134

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Liliane Severino Da Silva

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Animal and Veterinary Sciences, Clemson University, Blackville, SC 29817, USA
Interests: forage ecology; grazing management; nutrient cycling; sustainable production
Dr. Steve Larson

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
USDA ARS, Forage & Range Research, UMC 6300, Logan, UT 84322, USA
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

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.

Keywords

  • climate-smart practices
  • cover crops
  • forage management
  • grasses
  • grasslands
  • greenhouse gas emissions
  • legumes
  • nutrient cycling
  • sustainable production

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Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

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13 pages, 1760 KiB  
Article
Effect of Light on Yield, Nutritive Value of Brachiaria decumbens, and Soil Properties in Silvopastoral Systems, Peruvian Amazon
by María Díaz, Julio Alegre, Carlos Gómez, Carlos García and Cesar Arévalo-Hernández
Grasses 2025, 4(2), 18; https://doi.org/10.3390/grasses4020018 - 6 May 2025
Viewed by 204
Abstract
Silvopastoral systems, integrating trees, forages, and livestock, are recognized as a sustainable approach to livestock production. This study evaluated the effect of shade vs. open-field conditions on the yield and nutritive value of Brachiaria decumbens in three systems—Inga edulis (guaba), Eucalyptus torrelliana [...] Read more.
Silvopastoral systems, integrating trees, forages, and livestock, are recognized as a sustainable approach to livestock production. This study evaluated the effect of shade vs. open-field conditions on the yield and nutritive value of Brachiaria decumbens in three systems—Inga edulis (guaba), Eucalyptus torrelliana (eucalyptus), and Cedrelinga cateniformis (tornillo)—in the Peruvian Amazon. A 3 × 2 factorial design with three replicates was used to analyze forage production (mass and mass by harvest), quality (NDF, protein, digestibility, metabolizable energy), and soil variables (bulk density, pH, organic matter, moisture, porosity, etc.). Most interactions were non-significant, except forage mass by harvest (FMH, p = 0.0328). B. decumbens in the guaba system under shade had the highest FMH (1406 kg DM ha−1), while the tornillo system showed elevated protein (10.63%). Protein was significantly higher under shade (9.55%) than in open field. Eucalyptus increased neutral detergent fiber (69.72%), whereas guaba provided the greatest metabolizable energy (8.08 MJ kg−1 DM). Soil analyses revealed improved moisture and CEC under guaba, while tornillo boosted soil phosphorus. Principal component analysis confirmed these associations (82.3% variance). B. decumbens grown under the shade of guaba or tornillo appears to enhance forage productivity and soil fertility, representing a promising strategy for sustainable tropical livestock management. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Role of Forage in Sustainable Agriculture)
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27 pages, 4401 KiB  
Article
Herbage Responses and Grazing Performance of Mature Horses in Warm-Season Perennial Grass–Legume Mixed Pastures
by Ana Caroline Cerqueira de Melo Vasco, Erick R. da Silva Santos, Jose C. Batista Dubeux Junior, Lynn E. Sollenberger, Marcelo O. Wallau, Helio Lauro Soares Vasco Neto, Jill M. Lance, Lori K. Warren and Carissa L. Wickens
Grasses 2025, 4(2), 15; https://doi.org/10.3390/grasses4020015 - 14 Apr 2025
Viewed by 228
Abstract
The pasture–animal interface of warm-season perennial grass–legume mixed pastures has never been investigated in forage-based equine systems. Therefore, this 2-year study investigated the herbage and animal responses under 84-day continuous stocking in mixed pastures of rhizoma peanut (RP, Arachis glabrata Benth) and bahiagrass [...] Read more.
The pasture–animal interface of warm-season perennial grass–legume mixed pastures has never been investigated in forage-based equine systems. Therefore, this 2-year study investigated the herbage and animal responses under 84-day continuous stocking in mixed pastures of rhizoma peanut (RP, Arachis glabrata Benth) and bahiagrass (BG, Paspalum notatum Flüggé) with 30 kg nitrogen (N) ha−1 (BG-RP) compared to BG pastures fertilized with 120 kg N ha−1 (BG-N120) and no N (BG-N0). Measurements were taken every 14 days, except for intake and in vivo digestibility, which were measured every 28 days. BG-N120 had the highest stocking rate (p = 0.01; 3.7 AU ha−1) in 2019, while BG-N0 had the lowest (p = 0.01; 2.6 AU ha−1) in 2020. Crude protein and digestible energy were greatest (p < 0.05) for BG-N120 and BG-RP in some of the evaluation days in 2019 but similar across pastures in 2020. Crude protein digestibility was greatest (p < 0.05) for BG-RP in the late season. Intake was less (p = 0.03) for horses grazing BG-RP (3.2%BW) compared to BG-N0 (5.0%BW). Nonetheless, no differences (p > 0.05) were observed among pastures for body measurements. The results indicate that BG-RP pastures can improve forage nutritive value and maintain horse body condition while maintaining similar stocking rate to monoculture bahiagrass with high N fertilizer rates. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Role of Forage in Sustainable Agriculture)
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18 pages, 283 KiB  
Article
Invasive Pigweed (Amaranthus spinosus) as a Potential Source of Plant Secondary Metabolites to Mitigate Enteric Methane Emissions in Beef Cattle
by Wilmer Cuervo, Mariana Larrauri, Camila Gomez-Lopez and Nicolas DiLorenzo
Grasses 2025, 4(2), 14; https://doi.org/10.3390/grasses4020014 - 10 Apr 2025
Viewed by 347
Abstract
Global beef demand will rise by 40 million tons in 30 years, increasing methane (CH4) emissions. Pigweed (Amaranthus spinosus), an invasive weed abundant in southeastern U.S. pastures, may mitigate CH4. Yet, its potential as a feed additive [...] Read more.
Global beef demand will rise by 40 million tons in 30 years, increasing methane (CH4) emissions. Pigweed (Amaranthus spinosus), an invasive weed abundant in southeastern U.S. pastures, may mitigate CH4. Yet, its potential as a feed additive remains unexplored. The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of pigweed and its extracts on ruminal fermentation and CH4 production. For Exp 1, ruminal fluid from three American Aberdeen steers was incubated with 0, 2.5%, 5%, or 10% of diet dry matter (DM) of roots, stems, leaves, seeds, or the whole pigweed plant (WHO). In Exp 2, extracts from the leaves and WHO were incubated under the same conditions. For the first experiment, 2.5% of the roots, 5% of the leaves, and 10% of the WHO decreased acetate and butyrate concentrations (p < 0.01). In contrast, the WHO, leaves, and seeds at 2.5% of DM increased propionate concentration (p = 0.05). Increasing levels of WHO, leaves, and seeds quadratically reduced CH4 (p < 0.001). The addition of 2.5 and 5% of leaves and WHO reduced in vitro CH4 production per gr of organic matter fermented (p < 0.01). In Exp 2, based on their CH4 mitigation, the leaves and WHO were extracted, and their phenol (3.2 and 1.1 mg/g of DM, respectively) and flavonoid (19.7 and 1.9 mg/g of DM, respectively) contents were determined. Extracts from WHO (2.5%) decreased acetate and CH4 (p < 0.05), while 5% inclusion decreased gas production and increased ruminal pH (p < 0.03). Leaf extracts (2.5%) increased propionate and reduced acetate: propionate (p < 0.05). The leaves and WHO extracts did not affect IVOMD at either inclusion level (p > 0.4). Extracts at 5% from WHO were more effective than that from leaves in reducing CH4 (27% vs. 4%). The evidence suggests that the inclusion of 2.5 to 5% of WHO extracts shifts ruminal fermentation towards propionate-producing impairing methanogenesis, representing a sustainable strategy to mitigate CH4. This hypothesis must be further assessed under in vivo supplementation of the extracts to beef cattle. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Role of Forage in Sustainable Agriculture)
11 pages, 238 KiB  
Article
Sorghum–Legume Mixtures to Improve Forage Yield and Nutritive Value in Semiarid Regions
by Leonard M. Lauriault, Murali K. Darapuneni and Gasper K. Martinez
Grasses 2024, 3(3), 163-173; https://doi.org/10.3390/grasses3030012 - 14 Aug 2024
Viewed by 1151
Abstract
In a continued search for legumes to grow with forage sorghum (FS) [Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench] in semi-arid environments, studies in 2019 and 2022 at New Mexico State University Rex E. Kirksey Agricultural Science Center at Tucumcari, NM USA, evaluated FS mixed [...] Read more.
In a continued search for legumes to grow with forage sorghum (FS) [Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench] in semi-arid environments, studies in 2019 and 2022 at New Mexico State University Rex E. Kirksey Agricultural Science Center at Tucumcari, NM USA, evaluated FS mixed with cowpea [Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp.], lablab (Lablab purpureus L.), both previously evaluated, and a native legume, big-pod sesbania (Sesbania macrocarpa), for yield and nutritive value in four randomized complete blocks each year. At harvest legume proportions of approximately 15% of the dry matter yield, there were no differences in the yield (mean = 15.97 Mg ha−1, p > 0.40) or land equivalency ratio between sole FS and any mixture or among mixtures; however, the crude protein of FS+Lablab was greater than sole FS, with FS+Cowpea and FS+Sesbania intermediate (67, 77, 87, and 79 g kg−1 for sole FS, FS+Cowpea, FS+Lablab, and FS+Sesbania, respectively; 5% LSD = 14). The neutral detergent fiber digestibility of FS+Sesbania was less than all other treatments (p = 0.0266). Although the sesbania did not improve forage yield or nutritive value when grown with FS and harvested near sesbania maturity, perhaps growing with a shorter season grass and harvesting earlier may show benefit, as sesbania’s nutritive value is known to be greater at earlier stages. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Role of Forage in Sustainable Agriculture)

Review

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33 pages, 845 KiB  
Review
Sustainable Warm-Climate Forage Legumes: Versatile Products and Services
by James P. Muir, José C. Batista Dubeux Junior, Mércia V. Ferreira dos Santos, Jamie L. Foster, Rinaldo L. Caraciolo Ferreira, Mário de Andrade Lira, Jr., Barbara Bellows, Edward Osei, Bir B. Singh and Jeff A. Brady
Grasses 2025, 4(2), 16; https://doi.org/10.3390/grasses4020016 - 18 Apr 2025
Viewed by 412
Abstract
Forage legumes, besides their use as ruminant feed supplements, contribute to other agricultural, forestry and natural ecosystems’ sustainability around the world. Our objective in this summary is to emphasize that versatility in the face of biotic, abiotic and socio-economic variability is among the [...] Read more.
Forage legumes, besides their use as ruminant feed supplements, contribute to other agricultural, forestry and natural ecosystems’ sustainability around the world. Our objective in this summary is to emphasize that versatility in the face of biotic, abiotic and socio-economic variability is among the most important traits that forage legumes contribute to sustaining human populations in those diverse ecosystems. Forage legumes could contribute even more to agroecosystems if we 1. consider ecosystem services as well as food, feed and fuel production; 2. more fully exploit what we already know about forage legumes’ multiple uses; and 3. focus greater attention and energy exploring and expanding versatility in currently used and novel versatile species. To draw attention to the importance of this versatility to sustainable grasslands, here we review multiple legumes’ roles as forage, bioenergy, pulses (legume seeds for human consumption), pharmaceuticals and cover crops as well as environmental services, in particular soil health, C sequestration and non-industrial organic N. The major points we single out as distinguishing sustainable versatile forage legumes include (1) multiple uses; (2) adaptation to a wide range of edaphoclimatic conditions; (3) flexible economic contributions; and (4) how genomics can harness greater legume versatility. We predict that, because of this versatility, forage legumes will become ever more important as climates change and human pressures on sustainable agro-environments intensify. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Role of Forage in Sustainable Agriculture)
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