Pastures For The Tropical Lowlands

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.

This book examines the problems involved in the utilization of tropical and subtropical pastures and explains how they can be managed to meet the requirements for growth and replacement of both plants and animals. Following an overview of the livestock systems of the tropics, the effects of grazing animals on the soil, biotic, and climatic environment of the pasture are described. The response of the animals to the available pasture are discussed in terms of pasture attributes of nutritive value and turf structure, selectivity, and grazing behavior. Methods for attaining continuity of forage supply are also described. A central objective of this work is to achieve a synchrony between pastures available and the forage requirement of the animal.

Climatic factors affecting pasture growth and yield. Soil factors affecting pasture growth and yield. The tropical pasture species. Management of tropical pastures. Animal production from tropical pastures. Applications to pasture research and developement.

Natural grasslands of the tropics. A philosophy of pasture improvement. New and improved pasture plants. Pasture establishment. Soil fertility and fertiliser needs of tropical pastures. Pasture management and production.

Limitations to seed production. Site selection for seed production. Crop husbandry of tropical pastures species growm for seed production. Harvesting and processing seed of tropical pastures species. Control of seed quality. Seeding characteristics of the main tropical pasture grasses. Seeding characteristics of the main tropical pasture legumes.

Planning and organizing pasture research. Climate. Land. Natural vegetation and pasture research. Natural vegetation and pasture research. Plant introduction. Plant nutrition and soil fertility. Legume bactereology. Developing and testing new pastures. Pasture evaluation by grazing experiments. Pasture measurements. Physiology of growth and chemical composition. The agronomy and ecology of improved pastures.