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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.

Main sections

Alkali grass3 Alloteropsis3 Acidosasa2 Aeluropus2 Acrachne1 Acroceras1 Aegilops1 Aira1 Airopsis1
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What the section contains

Abyssinian bluestem Andropogon abyssinicus Abyssinian fescue Festuca abyssinica Abyssinian oat Avena abyssinica Achnatherum splendens Stipa caragana Acidosasa Acidosasa C. D. Chu & C. S. Chao ex Keng f. Acidosasa Acidosasa 2 items Acrachne Acrachne 1 item Acroceras Acroceras 1 item Acroceras amplectens Acroceras amplectens Acroceras hubbardii Acroceras hubbardii Acroceras munroanum Acroceras munroanum Acroceras zizanioides Acroceras zizanioides Aegilops Aegilops 1 item Aegilops biuncialis Aegilops biuncialis Aegilops caudata Aegilops caudata Aegilops columnaris Aegilops columnaris Aegilops comosa Aegilops comosa Aegilops crassa Aegilops crassa Aegilops geniculata Aegilops geniculata Aegilops juvenalis Aegilops juvenalis Aegilops mutica Aegilops mutica Aegilops peregrina Aegilops peregrina Aegilops searsii Aegilops searsii Aegilops sharonensis Aegilops sharonensis Aegilops speltoides Aegilops speltoides Aegilops tauschii Aegilops tauschii Aegilops umbellulata Aegilops umbellulata Aegilops uniaristata Aegilops uniaristata Aegopogon Aegopogon Aeluropus Aeluropus 2 items African beardgrass Andropogon africanus African dropseed Sporobolus africanus African Ischaemum Ischaemum afrum Agrostis aemula Agrostis aemula Agrostis agrostiflora Agrostis agrostiflora Agrostis congestiflora Agrostis congestiflora Agrostis delicatula Agrostis delicatula Agrostis juressii Agrostis juressii Agrostis micrantha Agrostis micrantha Agrostis producta Agrostis producta Agrostis salaziensis Agrostis salaziensis Aira Aira 1 item Aira cupaniana Aira cupaniana Aira elegantissima Aira elegantissima Aira multiculmis Aira multiculmis Aira provincialis Aira provincialis Aira tenorei Aira tenorei Aira uniaristata Aira uniaristata Airoide lovegrass Eragrostis airoides Airopsis Airopsis 1 item Alaska oniongrass Melica subulata Alfred's fescue Festuca alfrediana Alkali grass Puccinellia 3 items Allophylus timorensis Allophylus timorensis Alloteropsis Alloteropsis 3 items Alopecurus vaginatus Alopecurus vaginatus Alpine bent Agrostis alpina Alpine bluegrass Poa alpigena Alpine fescue Festuca alpestris Alpine fescue Festuca alpina

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.