Forages, Volume I, Seventh Edition is the most comprehensive text available for teachers of undergraduate Forages courses. This edition will provide students with a good balance of scientific principles, to aid in integrating the concepts they learn, and practical information on forage identification, plant characteristics, management, and utilization that can be used by forage management practitioners. Grassland ecosystems are extremely complex, including the plant/animal interface as well as the soil/climate/forage interface and the text must support understanding and integration of all of these considerations. The coverage of the science behind the plant characteristics and responses make the book applicable in many parts of the world, while other region-specific management information relates mainly to North America.

This edition has been updated to address emerging areas of study, including the use of forage plants as bioenergy crops. The editors also address the renewed national interest in environmental issues such as water quality, global climate change and eutrophication in the Gulf. This edition also addresses the role of forages for wildlife habitat and food sources, another area of increased interest in recent years. These revisions respond to the generational change taking place among forage scientists and teachers in recent years.

Contributing Authors

Paul Adler

Montgomery W. Alison

L. Niel Allen

David J. Barker

Vern S. Baron

Giles Bélanger

David P. Belesky

Geoffrey E. Brink

Sylvie M. Brouder

E. Charles Brummer

G. David Buntin

Michael D. Casler

Kimberly A. Cassida

Debbie J. Cherney

Jerome H. Cherney

Wayne K. Coblentz

Robert C. Cochran

Michael Collins

Steven W. Culman

Matthew Digman

Tim DelCurto

Gerald W. Evers

Steven L. Fales

E. Scott Flynn

Jamie F. Foster

John A. Guretzky

Richard J. Grant

Mary Beth Hall

Marvin H. Hall

Dennis W. Hancock

Keith R. Harmoney

Ronald D. Hatfield

John R. Hendrickson

Nicholas S. Hill

John A. Jennings

Jacob M. Jungers

Robert L. Kallenbach

Kenneth Kalscheur

Douglas L. Karlen

Limin Kung, Jr.

William O. Lamp

Greg Lardy

Karen L. Launchbaugh

Andrew W. Lenssen

Mark A. Liebig

Jennifer W. MacAdam

Bisoondat Macoon

Neal P. Martin

Robert A. Masters

Tim A. McAllister

David R. Mertens

Robert B.  Mitchell

Corey Moffet

Kenneth J. Moore

Richard E. Muck

James P. Muir

C. Jerry Nelson

Yoana C. Newman

Renata Nave Oakes

John F. Obrycki

David Parsons

Carlos G.S. Pedreira

Valentín D. Picasso Risso

William D. Pitman

Daniel H. Putnam

Daren D. Redfearn

Gabriel Ribeiro

Esteban F. Rios

Craig A. Roberts

C. Alan Rotz

Michael P. Russelle

Matt A. Sanderson

Craig C. Sheaffer

Kevin J. Shinners

Byron B. Sleugh

Alexander J. Smart

Lynn E. Sollenberger

Tim L. Springer

Kim Stanford

Jeffrey J. Steiner

R. Mark Sulc

Eric S. Vanzant

João M.B. Vendramini

Kenneth P. Vogel

Jeffrey J. Volenec

John W. Walker

Yuxi Wang

Zeng-Yu Wang

Marcelo O. Wallau

Richard Waterman

David A. Wedin

William P. Weiss

Jessica A. Williamson

Preface, ix

List of Contributors, xi

In Memoriam, xiii

The Metric System, xv

The Last of the Virgin Sod, xvii

Flesh is Grass, xix

PART I CHARACTERISTICS OF FORAGE SPECIES, 1

1 Forages and Grasslands in a Changing World, 3
C. Jerry Nelson, Kenneth J. Moore, and Michael Collins

2 Structure and Morphology of Grasses, 19
Kenneth J. Moore and C. Jerry Nelson

3 Structure and Morphology of Legumes and Other Forbs, 35
Robert B. Mitchell and C. Jerry Nelson

4 Physiology of Forage Plants, 51
Jennifer W. MacAdam and C. Jerry Nelson

5 Environmental Aspects of Forage Management, 71
Jeffrey J. Volenec and C. Jerry Nelson

6 Grasses for Northern Areas, 87
Michael Collins and C. Jerry Nelson

7 Grasses for Southern Areas, 103
Daren D .Redfearn and C. Jerry Nelson

8 Legumes for Northern Areas, 117
Craig C. Sheaffer, M. Scott Wells, and C. Jerry Nelson

9 Legumes for Southern Areas, 133
Lynn E. Sollenberger and Michael Collins

10 Forage Crops for Bioenergy and Industrial Products, 151
Kenneth J. Moore and Emily A. Heaton

Compendium of Common Forages, 163
Kenneth J. Moore

PART II FORAGE MANAGEMENT, 219

11 Forage Establishment, 221
Marvin H. Hall and Michael Collins

12 Forage Fertilization and Nutrient Management, 235
David J. Barker and Michael Collins

13 Integrated Pest Management in Forages, 253
R. Mark Sulc, William O. Lamp, and Michael Collins

PART III FORAGE UTILIZATION , 267

14 Forage Quality, 269
Michael Collins and Yoana C. Newman

15 Forage Utilization, 287
Michael Collins, Kenneth J. Moore, and Craig A.Roberts

16 Forage-Related Animal Disorders, 301
Michael Collins, Ali M. Missaoui, and Nicholas S.Hill

17 Preservation of Forage as Hay and Silage, 321
Michael Collins and Kenneth J. Moore

18 Grazing Management Systems, 341
Robert L. Kallenbach and Michael Collins

19 Managing Grassland Ecosystems, 357
Charles P. West and C. Jerry Nelson

Appendix: Common and Botanical Names of Forages, 373

Glossary, 385

Index, 401