Description
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,
- Stylosanthes,
- Rhizobium
Table of Contents
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
