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Reference · Crops

Grasses

Grasses (Latin: Poaceae) form one of the most important plant families in agriculture, encompassing vital cereal crops like wheat, rice, maize, barley, and oats. These monocotyledonous plants are the foundation of global food security, providing essential grains for human consumption, livestock feed, and diverse industrial raw materials such as biofuel and textiles.

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Aristida49 Barnyard grass16 Bamboo14 Austrostipa13 Arundinella7 Barnyard grass5 Austroderia3 Antinoria2 Apluda2 Apocopis2 Arthraxon2 Arthrostylidium2 Arundinaria2 Astrebla2 Axonopus2 Arctagrostis1 Arctophila1 Arthropogon1 Arundinaria1 Arundinella1
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Antinoria Antinoria 2 items Antuco fescue Festuca antucensis Apennine ryegrass Lolium apenninum Apluda Apluda 2 items Apocopis Apocopis 2 items Arabian needlegrass Stipa arabica Arctagrostis Arctagrostis 1 item Arctic bluegrass Poa arctica Arctophila Arctophila 1 item Aristida Aristida 49 items Arizona barley Hordeum arizonicum Arizona brome Bromus arizonicus Arizona fescue Festuca arizonica Arizona panicgrass Panicum arizonicum Armoric fescue Festuca armoricana Arthraxon Arthraxon 2 items Arthropogon Arthropogon 1 item Arthrostylidium Arthrostylidium 2 items Arundinaria Arundinaria Michx. 1 item Arundinaria Arundinaria 2 items Arundinella Arundinella Raddi 1 item Arundinella Arundinella 7 items Arundo formosana Arundo formosana Arundo plinii Arundo plinii Astrebla Astrebla 2 items Astrebla squarrosa Astrebla squarrosa Attenuate panicgrass Panicum attenuatum Auriculate panicgrass Panicum auritum Australian bentgrass Agrostis australiensis Australian bristlegrass Setaria australiensis Australian lovegrass Eragrostis australasica Australian wild rice Oryza australiensis Austroderia Austroderia 3 items Austrostipa Austrostipa 13 items Autumn lovegrass Eragrostis autumnalis Auvergne fescue Festuca arvernensis Avellinia Avellinia 1 item Avena atherantha Avena atherantha Avena clauda Avena clauda Avena eriantha Avena eriantha Axonopus Axonopus 2 items Axonopus argentinus Axonopus argentinus Axonopus aureus Axonopus aureus Axonopus canescens Axonopus canescens Axonopus flexuosus Axonopus flexuosus Axonopus furcatus Axonopus furcatus Axonopus micay Axonopus micay Axonopus purpusii Axonopus purpusii Axonopus siccus Axonopus siccus Baden bluegrass Poa badensis Bahia lovegrass Eragrostis bahiensis Baikal feather grass Stipa baicalensis Balbis meadow-grass Poa balbisii Bamboo Bambusa Schreb. 1 item Bamboo Bambusa 14 items Barley Mitchell grass Astrebla elymoides Barnyard grass Echinochloa P. Beauv. 5 items Barnyard grass Echinochloa 16 items Barter's lovegrass Eragrostis barteri Barth's rice Oryza barthii
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Grasses

Botanically, grasses are characterized by fibrous root systems, jointed stems known as culms, and leaves with parallel venation. Their flowers are typically arranged in spikelets, forming complex inflorescences like spikes or panicles. The fruit is a caryopsis, a type of grain in which the fruit wall is fused to the seed coat, distinguishing them from other botanical fruits.

The distribution of grasses is worldwide, ranging from equatorial regions to subarctic zones. This adaptability is the result of long-term natural evolution and centuries of selective breeding. Most cultivated grasses originated in fertile valleys of the Near East, East Asia, and the Americas, where ancient civilizations first practiced sedentary agriculture.

Agronomic requirements depend on the specific species, though most grasses thrive in well-drained soils rich in nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. Crop management practices include soil tillage, strategic fertilization, and adherence to crop rotation cycles to maintain soil health. Irrigation is essential for high-yield species like rice, while others are adapted to rain-fed farming systems.

Key challenges in cultivation include fungal pathogens like rusts, smuts, and mildews, alongside insect pests such as aphids, stem borers, and locusts. Integrated Pest Management (IPM) strategies, involving the use of resistant crop varieties, biological control, and judicious pesticide application, are essential for ensuring sustainable yields and optimal grain quality.

  • Cereals: primary grains for food production.
  • Forage grasses: critical for livestock pastures and silage.
  • Turf and ornamental grasses: significant for landscaping and soil erosion control.