Tropical Forages

A special issue of Plants (ISSN 2223-7747). This special issue belongs to the section "Crop Physiology and Crop Production".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 July 2024) | Viewed by 1597

Special Issue Editor


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Guest Editor
The Alliance of Bioversity International and the International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT), Km 17 Recta Cali-Palmira, A.A. 6713, Cali 763537, Colombia
Interests: forage-based livestock systems; climate change adaptation and mitigation; C and N cycles

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Tropical forages occupy an indispensable and unique role within planetary ecosystems, fostering intricate interactions among soil, plant life, animals, the environment, and human livelihoods. The exploration of a wide range of topics including the genetic diversity, metabolomics, ecology, ecosystem services, physiology, agronomy, management, and utilization of tropical forages, offers to provide crucial insights for improving livelihoods and protecting the environment. This knowledge not only offers pathways for enhancing existing food systems but also serves as a toolkit for addressing pressing global challenges such as climate change, ecosystem depletion, food insecurity and gender dynamics.

Tropical Forages adapt to a wide range of soil and climatic conditions and this adaptability makes them invaluable to farmers. Recognizing the need for a transformative approach to improve food systems, sustainable management of forage-based systems and forage conservation and utilization practices emerge as imperative measures with potential applications in tropical regions. Departing from traditional extractive patterns that characterized the concentration and specialization of production systems in the previous century, there is a call for strategies that ensure the preservation and enhancement of ecosystem services.

In the forthcoming Special Issue of Plants, the spotlight will be on the profound relevance of tropical forages to agriculture and the environment. This focused exploration seeks to address urgent global demands by delving into research advances and innovative solutions. Through a collaborative effort within the scientific community, this Special Issue aims to not only deepen our understanding of tropical forages but also pave the way for sustainable practices that align with contemporary environmental and agricultural imperatives.

Dr. Jacobo Arango
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • tropical grasses and legumes
  • agroecosystems management
  • biotic and abiotic stress tolerance
  • forage conservation
  • forage improvement
  • forage quality
  • animal production
  • nutrient cycling
  • crop-livestock systems
  • mitigation strategies

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

13 pages, 2064 KiB  
Article
Flowering Periods, Seed Yield Components, Seed Quality, and Patterns of Seed Shattering in Paspalum: Effect of Taxonomy and Nitrogen Fertilization
by Luis Leandro Chamorro, Elsa Andrea Brugnoli, Alex Leonel Zilli, Roberto Ramón Schulz, Florencia Marcón and Carlos Alberto Acuña
Plants 2024, 13(17), 2411; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants13172411 - 29 Aug 2024
Viewed by 1121
Abstract
Perennial warm-season grasses typically have reduced seed yield, making it essential to identify the critical seed yield components. An induced increase in nitrogen could help determine which components are most limiting. This research aimed to estimate seed yield components in Paspalum; evaluate [...] Read more.
Perennial warm-season grasses typically have reduced seed yield, making it essential to identify the critical seed yield components. An induced increase in nitrogen could help determine which components are most limiting. This research aimed to estimate seed yield components in Paspalum; evaluate N fertilization effects on the reproductive phase, seed yield components, and seed quality; and establish the pattern of seed shattering over time. Nine genotypes covering different reproductive periods were used. The experimental design was a randomized complete block design in a split-plot arrangement with three replications. The main plots had two nitrogen levels (0 and 150 Kg N ha−1), and the sub-plots contained different genotypes. Seed yield variation was mainly related to reproductive tiller density among germplasm with different flowering periods. Early-flowering germplasm showed an extended flowering period (159%), greater tiller density (27.7%), greater reproductive tiller density (157%), and higher yield (302%) in response to nitrogen fertilization. Seed-quality traits and seed retention were not affected by nitrogen fertilization. Seed retention over time followed an inverted sigmoid pattern, though there was considerable variation among taxonomic groups. Early-flowering germplasm exhibited superior seed retention. Seed yield in Paspalum is mainly influenced by the density of reproductive tillers and seed retention. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Tropical Forages)
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