Forage Germplasm Under Small Plot Grazing

Pasture development from new germplasm; the effect of climate, soil, and grazing management on the production and persistence of tropical pasture germplasm, relationship between pasture structure and utilization of tropical forage plants, edaphic and climatic factors that affect intake and selectivity of forage plants under grazing, effect of grazing management on tropical pastute utilization, dynamics of pasture discharge and its architecture, germplasm evaluation by cutting and grazing in small plots; comparison of results, selection of pasture cultivars from Many, evaluation under grazing of pasture germplasm in advanced stages of selection, evaluation of pasture germplasm under different grazing management systems. recommendations for evaluating germplasmunder small-plot grazing.

Considers a range of methods used by plant and animal production scientists to study grassland vegetation and animal performance. This volume replaces a previous title, ''Measurement of Grassland Vegetation and Animal Production'', published in 1978, but incorporates many new topics.

Introduction; Tropical pastures target environments; Regional germplasm evaluation: A portfolio of germplasm options for the major ecosystems of tropical amarica; Methodological challenges in pasture research; Germplasme case study: Brachiaria species; Germplasm case study: Arachis pintoi; Integrating the native savanna resource with improved pastures; Experiences at the interface of research and development with tropical pastures; The role of pastures in production systems; Soil-plant factors and prodesses affscting productivity in ley farming; tropical pastures program: bibliobraphy of publictions, 1985-1991; Acronyms; abbreviations.

Results of a three-year research project conducted in the subhumid region of Nigeria are presented. In order to promote the use of forage legumes for sustainable agriculture, a number of research aspects were addressed including screening collections of the promising pasture legumes Centrosema brasilianum and Aeschynomene histrix and small-scale collection of herbaceous forage species in northern Nigeria. Studies to optimise the utilisation of selected forage legumes included the use of material in combination with grasses for calf supplementation and combining selected legumes to give stable, year-round pastures. Considering the importance of integrating crop and livestock production, studies were also carried out to investigate the potential of selected forage legumes to contribute to both fodder and crop production. Forage seed production and collaboration with national and international institutes in West Africa have also featured.