Few studies to date have considered the responses of agriculturally important forage grasses to UV-B radiation. Yet grasses such as Lolium perenne have a wide current distribution, representing exposure to a significant variation in ambient UV-B. The current study investigated the responses of L. perenne (cv. AberDart) to a simulated latitudinal gradient of UV-B exposure, representing biologica...

Plant breeders developing cultivars to minimize the hazards of grass tetany are concentrating largely on increasing herbage Mg concentrations in cool-season (C3) grasses. Significant genetic variation has been found for Mg, Ca and K concentrations within C3 grass species studied to date. For most C3 forage grass species, heritability estimates are highest for Mg, slightly lower for Ca and lowes...

Plant growth promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) have originally been defined as root-colonizing bacteria that cause either plant growth promotion or biological control of plant diseases. The mechanisms by which PGPR promote plant growth are not fully understood, but it is believed that the plant growth promoting rhizobacteria enhance plant growth and yield either by direct or indirect mechanisms. T...

For determination of grazing capacity, information of forage quality is essential which is influenced by various factors. The main objective of this research was investigation on effects of species, phenological stages, and life form on values of forage quality indices of six range species. Species were two grasses (Bromus tomentellus and Dactylis glomerata), two forbs (Ferula ovina and Coronil...

Six classes of current herbaceous and woody forage were collected seasonally from a 5-yearold mixed loblolly (Pinus taeda) -shortleaf pine (Pinus echinata) plantation (in Texas) and subjected to nutrient analyses and nylon bag dry-matter digestion trials. Forages were most nutritious and digestible in the spring when tissues were succulent and growing rapidly. Browse leaves and twig tips were t...

Switchgrass is a warm-season perennial grass native to much of the United States. Over the last few years, switchgrass has received renewed interest as a renewable fuel source, since it produces large amounts of cellulose that can be digested and converted to ethanol. The high yields and environmental adaptability of switchgrass make it an excellent choice for biofuel feedstock production. Whil...

information on different rangeland plants’ nutritive values during variousphonological stages is of importance for the rangelands management. this information helpsrangeland managers to choose proper grazing times to achieve higher animal performancewith no detrimental effects on the rangeland vegetations. effects of various plant parts’phenological stages and vegetation types on reserve carboh...

Across the US Coastal Plain, native grasses and legumes may provide viable alternatives to monoculture pastures of introduced sod‐forming grasses, which require recurring costly inputs. Some available cultivars mostly from neighboring regions, have potential combine forage production for grazing livestock with enhanced habitat, especially grassland birds. A few legume species enhance ecosystem ...

Leaf N concentration is important because it is associated with the CO2 assimilatory capacity of crops, and in grasslands, it is an important determinant of forage nutritive value. Consequently, the productivity of both domestic and native animals in future global environments may be closely linked to possible changes in leaf N concentration of grasses. Since grasslands are frequently subjected...