"Warm season grasses are increasingly being cultivated in North America for summer forage, soil conservation, and biomass production. In more northern environments, temperature and length of growing season have an overriding effect on the productivity of warm season grasses. There is limited information on the adaptability and production potential of warm season grasses in these short season areas. A study was conducted in south-western Quebec from 1993 to 1996 to evaluate the productivity of five species of warm season grasses. Phenological development, canopy leaf area development and architecture, radiation-use efficiency (RUE), yield and chemical composition were determined. In terms of phenology, there was a diversity of developmental patterns and the genotypes of greatest potential were characterised by early spring growth and late onset of dormancy in fall. Most of the genotypes that were early in spring growth were also early maturing and low yielding. Late maturing genotypes were generally late in spring growth, high yielding and generally of southern origin. Differences in developmental patterns were partly explained by differences in base temperatures for germination and growth, and growth rates. Seed osmoconditioning and/or matriconditioning alleviated effects of low temperatures on switchgrass seed germination and potential establishment. Maximum leaf area index ranged from 6.1 to 8 and the vertical leaf area distributions and light interception levels varied among genotypes. Average end of season biomass yields ranged from 8.5 to 14.4 Mg ha-1. Switchgrass rates of DM accumulation ranged from 175 to 191 kg ha-1 day-1 and RUE 0.89 to 1.1 g MJ-1 of incoming solar radiation. Moderate amounts of N fertilisation increased yield and quality of switchgrass, which could be harvested in a 2-cut system. NDF and ADF ranged from 77--88 and 46--57% respectively, and showed a rapid increase to a mid season plateau. Nitrogen concentrations declined curvilinearly wit" --

The only review of warm season and tropical grasses that covers all the major genera. The warm season grasses are the major forage resources for ruminant livestock production in the tropical and subtropical areas of the world. In the U.S. warm season grasses are also playing a major role in prairie restoration. A companion book to Cool Season Forage Grasses.--Provided by publisher.

North American Agroforestry Explore the many benefits of alternative land-use systems with this incisive resource Humanity has become a victim of its own success. While we’ve managed to meet the needs—to one extent or another—of a large portion of the human population, we’ve often done so by ignoring the health of the natural environment we rely on to sustain our planet. And by deteriorating the quality of our air, water, and land, we’ve put into motion consequences we’ll be dealing with for generations. In the newly revised Third Edition of North American Agroforestry, an expert team of researchers delivers an authoritative and insightful exploration of an alternative land-use system that exploits the positive interactions between trees and crops when they are grown together and bridges the gap between production agriculture and natural resource management. This latest edition includes new material on urban food forests, as well as the air and soil quality benefits of agroforestry, agroforestry’s relevance in the Mexican context, and agroforestry training and education. The book also offers: A thorough introduction to the development of agroforestry as an integrated land use management strategy Comprehensive explorations of agroforestry nomenclature, concepts, and practices, as well as an agroecological foundation for temperate agroforestry Practical discussions of tree-crop interactions in temperate agroforestry, including in systems such as windbreak practices, silvopasture practices, and alley cropping practices In-depth examinations of vegetative environmental buffers for air and water quality benefits, agroforestry for wildlife habitat, agroforestry at the landscape level, and the impact of agroforestry on soil health Perfect for environmental scientists, natural resource professionals and ecologists, North American Agroforestry will also earn a place in the libraries of students and scholars of agricultural sciences interested in the potential benefits of agroforestry.

Forages: The Science of Grassland Agriculture, 7th Edition, Volume II will extensively evaluate the current knowledge and information on forage agriculture. Chapters written by leading researchers and authorities in grassland agriculture are aggregated under section themes, each one representing a major topic within grassland science and agriculture. This 7th edition will include two new additional chapters covering all aspects of forage physiology in three separate chapters, instead of one in previous editions. Chapters will be updated throughout to include new information that has developed since the last edition. This new edition of the classic reference serves as a comprehensive supplement to An Introduction to Grassland Agriculture, Volume I.