The Role of Centrosema, Desmodium, and Stylosanthes in Improving Tropical Pastures

This integrated collection describes the importance of forage legumes for pasture development and improvement in the tropics and subtropics. Leading agronomists review the magnitude of the need for pasture improvement; tropical and subtropical soil and climate environments; reports of the successful use of legumes in pasture development in a wet and a dry tropical environment; and the scope of the problem in terms of area to be developed and development logistics required. Three legume genera, Centrosema, Desmodium, and Stylosanthes, are discussed in detail--information is presented on taxonomy, adaptation, distribution, productivity, and usefulness--and considerable emphasis is placed on Rhizobium germplasm resources for these genera. A concluding section of technical essays addresses special considerations in using tropical legumes in pasture development and presents a coordinated multidisciplinary approach to legume exploration and evaluation.