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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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Stipagrostis17 Sugarcane7 Sweet grass4 Stenotaphrum1 Stephanachne1 Stephostachys1 Stereochlaena1 Streptogyna1 Streptostachys1 Swallenia1
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Sporobolus paniculatus Sporobolus paniculatus Sporobolus piliferus Sporobolus piliferus Sporobolus pungens Sporobolus pungens Sporobolus pyramidalis Sporobolus pyramidalis Sporobolus robustus Sporobolus robustus Sporobolus stolzii Sporobolus stolzii Sporobolus tenuissimus Sporobolus tenuissimus Sporobolus tremulus Sporobolus tremulus Spreading bentgrass Agrostis divaricatissima Spreading dropseed Sporobolus humifusus Spreading lovegrass Eragrostis patens Squarrose brome Bromus squarrosus Stace's false brome Brachypodium stacei Star paspalum Paspalum stellatum Starlite fingergrass Chloris radiata Stebbins Barley Hordeum stebbensii Stenotaphrum Stenotaphrum 1 item Stenotaphrum dimidiatum Stenotaphrum dimidiatum Stephanachne Stephanachne 1 item Stephostachys Stephostachys 1 item Stereochlaena Stereochlaena 1 item Sterile meadow-grass Poa sterilis Sticky bristlegrass Setaria adhaerens Sticky leptochloa Leptochloa viscida Sticky lovegrass Eragrostis viscosa Stipa aktauensis Stipa aktauensis Stipa ambigua Stipa ambigua Stipa bromoides Stipa bromoides Stipa caudata Stipa caudata Stipa clandestina Stipa clandestina Stipa concinna Stipa concinna Stipa coronata Stipa coronata Stipa dasyphylla Stipa dasyphylla Stipa dasyvaginata Stipa dasyvaginata Stipa eriocaulis Stipa eriocaulis Stipa falcata Stipa falcata Stipa grandis Stipa grandis Stipa joannis Stipa joannis Stipa juncea Stipa juncea Stipa letourneuxii Stipa letourneuxii Stipa nitida Stipa nitida Stipa offneri Stipa offneri Stipa parviflora Stipa parviflora Stipa pseudoichu Stipa pseudoichu Stipa pulcherrima Stipa pulcherrima Stipa purpurea Stipa purpurea Stipa speciosa Stipa speciosa Stipa subsessiliflora Stipa subsessiliflora Stipa tirsa Stipa tirsa Stipagrostis Stipagrostis 17 items Straw paspalum Paspalum stramineum Streptogyna Streptogyna 1 item Streptostachys Streptostachys 1 item Styrian bluegrass Poa stiriaca Styrian feather grass Stipa styriaca Sugarcane Saccharum L. 7 items Sugarcane Saccharum hybrids Swallenia Swallenia 1 item Swamp millet Panicum paludosum Sweet grass Hierochloe 4 items

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.