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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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Sesleria18 Schizostachyum6 Schmidtia2 Sehima2 Semiarundinaria2 Schoenefeldia1 Scleropogon1 Scolochloa1 Sesleria1 Shibataea1
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Schizachyrium pulchellum Schizachyrium pulchellum Schizachyrium rupestre Schizachyrium rupestre Schizachyrium sanguineum Schizachyrium sanguineum Schizachyrium schweinfurthii Schizachyrium schweinfurthii Schizachyrium tenerum Schizachyrium tenerum Schizachyrium urceolatum Schizachyrium urceolatum Schizostachyum Schizostachyum 6 items Schleichers bentgrass Agrostis schleicheri Schmidtia Schmidtia 2 items Schoenefeldia Schoenefeldia 1 item Scleropogon Scleropogon 1 item Scolochloa Scolochloa 1 item Scratchgrass Muhlenbergia asperifolia Scribner's panicum Panicum scribnerianum Sea barley Hordeum marinum Sea couch grass Elymus farctus Sea couch grass Elymus pungens Sea couch grass Elymus athericus Sea dropseed Sporobolus maritimus Sedenen oat-grass Helictotrichon sedenense Seep Muhly Muhlenbergia reverchonii Sehima Sehima 2 items Semiarundinaria Semiarundinaria 2 items Semiarundinaria fastuosa Semiarundinaria fastuosa Sesleria Sesleria Scop. 1 item Sesleria Sesleria 18 items Setaria anceps Setaria anceps Setaria barbata Setaria barbata Setaria chondrachne Setaria chondrachne Setaria conspersum Setaria conspersum Setaria geminata Setaria geminata Setaria homonyma Setaria homonyma Setaria nigrirostris Setaria nigrirostis Setaria orthosticha Setaria orthosticha Setaria poiretiana Setaria poiretiana Setaria rhachitricha Setaria rhachitricha Setaria uniseta Setaria uniseta Setaria vaginata Setaria vaginata Shade fescue Festuca heteroidea Sharp-scale mannagrass Glyceria acutiflora Sharp-toothed brome Bromus oxyodon Shibataea Shibataea 1 item Shining fescue Festuca nitida Shining millet Panicum fulgidum Shiny fescue Festuca lucida Short brome Bromus brevis Short-awn brome Bromus breviaristatus Short-leaf veldt grass Ehrharta brevifolia Short-spike bluestem Andropogon brachystachyus Short-spike canary grass Phalaris brachystachys Shortleaf bluestem Andropogon brevifolius Shortleaf panicgrass Panicum brevifolium Siberian melic Melica altissima Siberian needle grass Stipa sibirica Sicilian fescue Festuca sicula Sickle lovegrass Eragrostis falcata Sieber's bluegrass Poa sieberiana Silky oilgrass Cymbopogon obtectus Silve's lovegrass Eragrostis silveana Silver beardgrass Bothriochloa saccharoides
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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.