This integrated collection describes the importance of forage legumes for pasture development and improvement in the tropics and subtropics. Leading agronomists review the magnitude of the need for pasture improvement; tropical and subtropical soil and climate environments; reports of the successful use of legumes in pasture development in a wet and a dry tropical environment; and the scope of the problem in terms of area to be developed and development logistics required. Three legume genera,
Centrosema, Desmodium,
and
Stylosanthes,
are discussed in detail--information is presented on taxonomy, adaptation, distribution, productivity, and usefulness--and considerable emphasis is placed on
Rhizobium
germplasm resources for these genera. A concluding section of technical essays addresses special considerations in using tropical legumes in pasture development and presents a coordinated multidisciplinary approach to legume exploration and evaluation.
By:
Robert L Burt,
Peter P Rotar,
J. L. Walker,
M. W. Silvey
Imprint: CRC Press
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Dimensions:
Height: 228mm,
Width: 146mm,
Weight: 589g
ISBN: 9780367311087
ISBN 10: 0367311089
Pages: 292
Publication Date: 31 May 2021
Audience:
College/higher education
,
Further / Higher Education
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Active
Foreword -- Interpretive Summary -- The Improvement of Tropical Pastures -- Introduction -- The Need for Animal Protein in Human Diets -- Grasslands of the Tropics -- The Unique Role of the Ruminant Animal -- Legumes in Action -- The Dry Tropics-The Kangaroo Hills Story -- The Wet Tropics-The South Johnstone Story -- Factors in Tropical Pasture Improvement -- Characteristics of Centrosema, Desmodium, and Stylosanthes -- Introduction -- Centrosema -- Desmodium -- Stylosanthes -- Rhizobium Germplasm Resources for Centrosema, Desmodium, and Stylosanthes -- General Conclusions -- Special Considerations in Utilizing Tropical Legumes in Pastures -- Comparative Edaphic Requirements -- Edaphic Factors -- Microbiological Considerations-Rhizobium Specificity for Nodulation and Nitrogen Fixation -- Plant-Animal Relationships -- Role of Legumes in Soil Improvement -- Social and Economic Considerations -- A Multidisciplinary Approach to Tropical Pasture Improvement
R. L. Burt, P P. Rotar, J. L. Walker
