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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

Millet12 Nassella11 Miscanthus6 Microstegium5 Microchloa3 Moor grass3 Millet2 Nastus2 Merostachys1 Merxmuellera1 Mesosetum1 Mibora1 Micropyrum1 Mnesithea1 Monerma1 Monocymbium1 Munroa1 Narduroides1
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What the section contains

Merostachys Merostachys 1 item Mertens' bentgrass Agrostis mertensii Merxmuellera Merxmuellera 1 item Mesosetum Mesosetum 1 item Mexican lovegrass Eragrostis mexicana Mibora Mibora 1 item Microchloa Microchloa 3 items Micropyrum Micropyrum 1 item Microstegium Microstegium 5 items Millet Panicum L. 12 items Millet Dichanthelium 2 items Millet hybrids Panicum hybrids Miscanthus Miscanthus 6 items Miscanthus tinctorius Miscanthus tinctorius Miscanthus transmorrisonensis Miscanthus transmorrisonensis Miscanthus x Tripsacum Miscanthus x Tripsacum Mitchell grass Sporobolus mitchellii Mnesithea Mnesithea 1 item Moliner's meadow-grass Poa molinerii Monerma Hainardia 1 item Mongolian Stipa Stipa mongholica Monocymbium Monocymbium 1 item Montevideo bentgrass Agrostis montevidensis Moor grass Molinia Schrank 3 items Moris's fescue Festuca morisiana Moroccan oat Avena maroccana Mossy bentgrass Agrostis muscosa Mountain dropseed Sporobolus montanus Mountain fescue Festuca rupicaprina Mountain lovegrass Eragrostis montana Mountain Melic Melica monticola Mountain millet Panicum monticola Mountain timothy Phleum montanum Mountain vernal grass Anthoxanthum monticola Mueller's bent Agrostis muelleriana Muhlenbergia Muhlenbergia Muhlenbergia capillaris Muhlenbergia capillaris Muhlenbergia filicaulis Muhlenbergia filicaulis Muhlenbergia huegelii Muhlenbergia huegelii Muhlenbergia macroura Muhlenbergia macroura Muhlenbergia mexicana Muhlenbergia mexicana Muhlenbergia paniculata Muhlenbergia paniculata Muhlenbergia racemosa Muhlenbergia racemosa Muhlenbergia ramosa Muhlenbergia ramosa Muhlenbergia uniflora Muhlenbergia uniflora Muhlenbergia uniseta Muhlenbergia uniseta Muhlenbergia wrightii Muhlenbergia wrightii Munj grass Saccharum benghalense Munroa Munroa 1 item Murphy oat Avena murphyi Mutton grass Poa fendleriana Narduroides Narduroides 1 item Narenga porphyrocoma Saccharum narenga Narrow-flowered fescue Festuca stenantha Narrow-leaved bluegrass Poa angustifolia Narrow-leaved sugarcane Saccharum angustifolium Nassella Nassella 11 items Nastus Nastus 2 items Natal grass Panicum natalense Natal oat grass Helictotrichon natalense

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.