agronom.info agronomy portal
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

Gigantochloa5 Guadua5 Gastridium2 Gaudinia2 Guaduella2 Hardgrass2 Garnotia1 Giant reed1 Gigantochloa1 Gymnopogon1 Gynerium1 Hackelochloa1 Hakonechloa1 Halopyrum1 Hare's Tail1 Harpochloa1
1 797 sections

What the section contains

Garnotia Garnotia 1 item Gastridium Gastridium 2 items Gattinger's panicgrass Panicum gattingeri Gaudinia Gaudinia 2 items Gayan Grass Holcus gayanus Geniculate fescue Festuca geniculata Gerard's foxtail Alopecurus gerardii Ghiesbreght's panicgrass Panicum ghiesbreghtii Giant alkaligrass Puccinellia gigantea Giant bristlegrass Setaria magna Giant dropseed Sporobolus giganteus Giant fescue Lolium giganteum Giant fingergrass Dactyloctenium giganteum Giant foxtail Alopecurus macrostachys Giant foxtail Setaria gigantea Giant Job's tears Coix gigantea Giant lemongrass Cymbopogon giganteus Giant miscanthus Miscanthus hybrids Giant plume grass Saccharum giganteum Giant reed Arundo L. 1 item Giant speargrass Heteropogon triticeus Giant Themeda Themeda gigantea Gigantochloa Gigantochloa Kurz ex Munro 1 item Gigantochloa Gigantochloa 5 items Glacier fescue Festuca glacialis Glaucous bluegrass Poa glaucantha Glyceria pedicellata Glyceria pedicellata Goatgrass Aegilops bicornis Golden-bearded brome Bromus chrysopogon Gophertail lovegrass Eragrostis ciliaris Graceful bentgrass Agrostis venusta Grainy rice Oryza granulata Great Basin wildrye Elymus cinereus Grey hair-grass Corynephorus canescens Grisebach's bristle grass Setaria grisebachii Guadua Guadua 5 items Guaduella Guaduella 2 items Guinea grass Panicum maximum Gum-stick lovegrass Eragrostis gummiflua Gymnopogon Gymnopogon 1 item Gynerium Gynerium 1 item Hackelochloa Hackelochloa 1 item Hairy couch grass Cynodon hirsutus Hairy Ischaemum Ischaemum pilosum Hairy melick Melica ciliata Hairy-flower bent Agrostis lachnantha Hakonechloa Hakonechloa Makino ex Honda 1 item Hakonechloa Hakonechloa Hall's panicgrass Panicum hallii Haller's Fescue Festuca halleri Halopyrum Halopyrum 1 item Hard fescue Festuca brevipila Hard fescue Festuca stricta Hardgrass Sclerochloa 2 items Harding grass Phalaris tuberosa Hare's Tail Lagurus 1 item Harpachne Harpachne Harpochloa Harpochloa 1 item Haussknecht's oat Avena haussknechtii Heath grass Danthonia decumbens

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.