Adaptability of forage crops in the conditions of the Kamchatka Territory

This experiment was carried out in 1954 at the Kanto-Tosan Agricultural Experiment Station, as a step in a series of studies on the adaptability of green manure and forage crops for paddy field. Twenty-nine species, including Leguminoceae, Gramineae and Cruciferae were used as materials; and the effects of duration of soaking the seeds on their germination were examined. The results obtained are summarized as follows;- 1) Seeds of white clover, Ladino clover as well as hairy vetch were observed to be capable of germinating under submerged conditions. It has been said that the seeds of small-seeded species of plants generally show some tendency to germinate under water. But it was found that the fact was not always so. 2) According to the relationship between the length of soaking period and germination capacity of the seed, those crops might be classified into the following three groups; tolerable, medium and non-tolerable. Generally speaking, the seeds of Cruciferae belong to the tolerable group, the germination being not reduced through a long period of soaking. The seeds of species of Gramineae belong to the non-tolerable group. And of Leguminoceae, some species blong to the tolerable group and others to the non-tolerable. 3) These facts should be useful for the breeding of green manure and forage crops, or for the selection of crops suitable for paddy field condition.

The northern Great Plains have long been dominated by conventional tillage systems and cereal-based rotations including summer fallow. Over the last decade, however, the use of conservation tillage systems has markedly increased and, through improved moisture storage, has provided an opportunity for more diversified extended rotations including oilseed, pulse, and forage crops throughout the region. Considerable research is being carried out to assess the adaptability of these new crops and to develop appropriate management strategies. Typically, this type of agronomic research is carried out at plot-sized research sites, with the findings then being extrapolated to surrounding regions where growing conditions are thought to be reasonably similar. Because the environment itself largely dictates the success of a particular cropping system, extrapolation requires knowledge of the environmental conditions of the region and, in particular, the interaction of environmental components of soil and climate in relation to specific crop requirements. This paper describes 14 agroecoregions in the northern Great Plains and provides an initial framework for extrapolating agronomic information at broad regional scales. Because climate is the dominant crop production factor in the region, most of the agroecosystems represent broad climatic zones. Each agroecoregion is described in terms of its soil and landscape characteristics, with a particular focus being given to likely key environmental parameters related to the production of the new oilseed, pulse, and forage crops being introduced in the region.

The northern Great Plains have long been dominated by conventional tillage systems and cereal‐based rotations including summer fallow. Over the last decade, however, the use of conservation tillage systems has markedly increased and, through improved moisture storage, has provided an opportunity for more diversified extended rotations including oilseed, pulse, and forage crops throughout the region. Considerable research is being carried out to assess the adaptability of these new crops and to develop appropriate management strategies. Typically, this type of agronomic research is carried out at plot‐sized research sites, with the findings then being extrapolated to surrounding regions where growing conditions are thought to be reasonably similar. Because the environment itself largely dictates the success of a particular cropping system, extrapolation requires knowledge of the environmental conditions of the region and, in particular, the interaction of environmental components of soil and climate in relation to specific crop requirements. This paper describes 14 agroecoregions in the northern Great Plains and provides an initial framework for extrapolating agronomic information at broad regional scales. Because climate is the dominant crop production factor in the region, most of the agroecosystems represent broad climatic zones. Each agroecoregion is described in terms of its soil and landscape characteristics, with a particular focus being given to likely key environmental parameters related to the production of the new oilseed, pulse, and forage crops being introduced in the region.

The results of research (2016-2018) into productivity, adaptability and nutritional value of poaceous crops (forage millet, Sudan grass) and legumes (fodder beans, spring vetch, garden peas) are presented and analyzed. The research was conducted on meadow chernozem mealy-carbonate soil, light loam by granulometric composition, in the forest-steppe zone of Trans-Baikal Territory. Agricultural technology used for fodder crop cultivation was common for this area. The objects of the research were legumes (Sibirskiye forage beans, Novosibirskaya spring vetch, Holik garden peas), and poaceous varieties (Bystroe forage millet, Novosibirskaya 84 Sudan grass). The experimental work was carried out in accordance with the generally accepted guidelines for field experiments. All the forage crops under study have formed a fairly high productivity: the yield of green mass was 13.0-18.2 t/ha, dry matter – 2.6-3.2, feed units – 2.2-2.7 t/ha, digestible protein – 220-567 kg/ha, gross energy – 26.5-32.2 GJ/ha, with availability of digestible protein 100-210 g per one feed unit. Among leguminous crops, spring vetch and fodder beans had an advantage with the green mass yield of 13.3-15.0 t/ha, the amount of dry matter of 3.1-3.2, feed units of 2.6-2.7 t/ha, digestible protein 494–567 kg/ha, gross energy 32.0–32.2 GJ/ha, with availability of digestible protein of 190–210 g per one feed unit. Garden peas were inferior to spring vetch and fodder beans in yield by 2.3-13.3%, dry matter – by 9.6-12.5, feed units – by 3.8-7.4, digestible protein – by 4.9-17.1, gross energy – by 8.1–8.7%. Among poaceous crops, agrocenoses of Sudan grass had an advantage in productivity and nutritional value. They formed the yield of green mass 18.2 t/ha, the amount of dry matter 3.1, feed units 2.5 t/ha, digestible protein 300 kg/ha, gross energy 31.3 GJ/ha, with availability of digestible protein of 120 g per one feed unit. Fodder millet was inferior to Sudan grass in all respects by 12.0–26.7%, respectively.

The diversity of soils and climate in Brazil imposes the need to evaluate the adaptation of fodder species to soil and climate conditions to guide producers and technicians in choosing the best alternatives for their region. The objective of this study was to evaluate and identify fodder cultivars for pasture and soil cover with tolerance to drought and high production in the sandy soils of southern Bahia, Brazil. The performance of 29 commercial cultivars of perennial and annual tropical forage species was evaluated in six cuts in 2019 and 2020. The green and dry mass yield per cut and the daily dry matter accumulation rate were evaluated considering the periods of water surplus and deficit and the drought tolerance index for each cultivar was estimated. Grass and legume cultivars showed differences in establishment, yield in the water surplus, and in the re-establishment after the water deficit. Based on the values of the drought tolerance index and in the dry mass daily yields before and after the water deficit, the cultivars adapted and indicated for regional continuous grazing were Xaraés, Marandu, Massai, Tanzânia, Paiaguás, and Zuri, in that order. The grasses B. ruziziensis and B. decumbens were indicated for use as cover plants after the harvest due to their high capacity of establishment and short-term production. The annual and perennial legume plants were also indicated for cover, and the combination of cultivars and their potential for straw in direct planting or use in integrated systems still need to be validated.

<p id="C3">Saline-alkali land widely distributes with large area in China. It is of great significance to select forage crops and realize planting and breeding cycle in saline-alkali land to promote the development of herbivorous animal husbandry and the improvement of saline-alkali land in China. In this study, the plots with high salinity difference were selected from the coastal saline-alkali land in Tianjin (NaCl type) and the inland saline-alkali land in northwest Xinjiang (Na₂SO₄-NaHCO₃ type), respectively, and six field crops such as corn, sorghum, wheat, millet, soybean, and rapeseed with feed value were planted to determine the biomass, crude protein content, sodium and potassium ion content, and other indicators. The results were as follows. When the salt content was less than 1.82 g kg^-1 and 2.00 g kg^-1 in saline-alkali land NaCl type and Na₂SO₄-NaHCO₃ type, respectively. The biomass and crude protein yield of the crops were close to those of conventional cultivated land, suggesting that saline-alkali land in low salt content could be used as forage production base. When the salt content reached 2.49 g kg^-1 in the Na₂SO₄-NaHCO₃ type saline-alkali soil, the biomass and crude protein yield of rapeseed were significantly higher than other crops. Thus, in the Na₂SO₄-NaHCO₃ type saline-alkali soil with salt content lower than 2.49 g kg^-1, rapeseed could be planted for fodder development and utilization. When the salt content in saline-alkali land of NaCl type and Na₂SO₄-NaHCO₃ type reached 3.63 g kg^-1 and 4.42 g kg^-1, respectively. The biomass and crude protein yield of each crop was lower than 51.72% of that in conventional cultivated land, which made the utilization value of the cultivated land low. Therefore, it was recommended to use these saline-alkali land of NaCl type and Na₂SO₄-NaHCO₃ with high content salt and alkali after improvement. In the different plots of the two experimental sites, the enrichment of Na⁺ in soil by rapeseed was significantly higher than the other crops at <italic>P </italic>&lt; 0.05, and it also significantly reduced the total soil salt and Na ⁺ content. In this experiment, in plots with salinity of 1.82, 2.00, and 2.49 g kg^-1, rapeseed had the most obvious Na⁺ enrichment effect. The enrichment of rapeseed on soil Na⁺ was 39.45, 102.24, and 57.19 kg hm^-2 respectively, accounting for 13.02%, 15.99%, and 8.94% of the Na⁺ in the 0-20 cm cultivated layer soil, respectively. The improvement effect of rapeseed on saline-alkali land was significant. The above results provide a reference for the utilization of the saline-alkali land in China for the production of herbivorous feed raw materials, the promotion of the development of herbivorous animal husbandry, and the improvement of saline-alkali land.

Tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea) is an important grass species worldwide, but temperature stress severely affects its distribution and yield. Transcription factors (TFs), as the master switches in sophisticated regulatory networks, play essential roles in plant growth development and abiotic stress responses. In this study, the comparative transcriptome analysis was performed to explore the commonalities and differences in the response of TFs to the heat (40 °C), cold (10 °C) and control (22 °C) conditions. A total of 877 TF genes belonging to 35 families were identified. Most of them (784) were differentially expressed genes (DEG), indicating TF genes actively responded to temperature stress. The expression of bZIP and GTF family members was up-regulated when exposed to both heat and cold, but conversely, the expression of the most WRKY and NAC families members decreased. The HSF and GTE families and DREB2B were up-regulated upon heat, while bHLH, MYB, HD-ZIP and ERF families were elevated under cold stress. The TFs involved in 'Plant hormone signal transduction', 'Plant-pathogen interaction', 'Circadian rhythm' play major roles in responding to temperature stresses. The results showed the temperature threats up-regulated the expression of stress tolerance-related genes, and down-regulated those genes associated with growth and disease resistance, indicating TFs exert crucial roles in plant adaptation to an adverse environment. This study profiled the responsive pattern of TFs to temperature stresses, partially explained the mechanism of adaptations of cold-season forage crops and screened many candidate stress-tolerant TF genes.

1. Influences of deep plowing on growth and yield of several vegetable crops and effects of subsoil condition which counteracts the favorable effect of deep plowing were investigated on vegetable crops comparing with some cereals and forage crops, in order to know their adaptability to the cropping systems under deep plowing.2. The studies were performed in the field of volcanic ash soil. The crops investigated were tomato, cucumber, pumpkin, Chinese cabbage, Welsh onion, Japanese radish, taro, sweet potato, soybean, upland rice, corn, and barnyard millet.3. It was recognized that deep plowing had an favorable effect on growth and yield of most vegetable crops and it was more effective with heavy application of fertilizers. The raw subsoil was unfaborable to growth and yield of cereals and forage crops, but most vegetable crops with heavy fertilization were not so sensitive to the inhibition caused by subsoil. Moreover, most vegetable crops showed excellent growth and yield on the subsoil which was improved by exposing to frost action in winter and by heavy application of fertilizers.4. In pot-cultur the growth of most vegetable crops was inhibited in the poor subsoil, but it was vigorus in the fertile subsoil with heavy fertilization. Some of them showed rather better growth in subsoil than in topsoil with the same amout of fertilizers.5. It was made clear that the crops which gained high yields under deep plowimg were not so affected by poor nutritive condition of subsoil and the yields of vegetable crops did not decrease remarkably in the raw subsoil when it was heavily fertilized.6. Moreover, it was suggested that the sensitiveness for Al toxity and deficiency of nutritive elements, especially of phosphorous, was concerned with the adaptability of crops for subsoil conditions.7. After all, it was concluded that most of vegetable crops showed a good result under deep plowimg because their roots developed well and the absorption of nutrients became active in response to good soil aeration after deep plowing, and also unfavorable conditions of raw subsoil could be overcome by the heavy application of fertilizers. It was also made clear that they were adapted to the cropping systems under deep plowing.

ABSTRACTCrop science is a highly integrative science employing expertise from multiple disciplines to broaden our understanding of agronomic, turf, and forage crops. A major goal of crop science is to ensure an adequate and sustainable production of food, feed, fuel, and fiber for our world's growing population. The Crop Science Society of America (CSSA) identified key Grand Challenges which, when addressed, will provide the tools, technologies, and solutions required to meet these challenges. The Grand Challenges are: (i) Crop adaptation to climate change: Increase the speed with which agriculture can adapt to climate change by using crop science to address abiotic stresses such as drought and heat. (ii) Resistance to biotic stresses: Increase durability of resistance to biotic stresses that threaten yield and quality of major crops. (iii) Management for resource limited systems: Create novel crop cultivars and management approaches designed for problem soils and low‐input farming to increase economic prosperity for farmers and overcome world hunger. (iv) Crop management systems: Create novel crop management systems that are resilient in the face of changes in climate and rural demographics. (v) Biofuels: Develop sustainable biofuel feedstock cropping systems that require minimal land area, optimize production, and improve the environment. (vi) Bioresources: Genotyping the major crop germplasm collections to facilitate identification of gene treasures for breeding and genetics research and deployment of superior genes into adapted germplasm around the globe. These challenges are intended to be dynamic and change as societal needs evolve. Available funding and national prioritization will determine the rate that they will be addressed.

Regulation of flowering time is a critical determinant of plant reproductive success and a key trait for optimizing crop adaptation, yield stability, and breeding efficiency. This review highlights recent advances in the molecular pathways controlling flowering, including photoperiod sensing, vernalization and temperature response, autonomous and hormonal regulation, and floral integrator networks. Key genes such as FT, SOC1, FLC, TFL1, and Ghd7 serve as central nodes within these interconnected pathways. The application of genetic engineering tools—including gene overexpression, CRISPR/Cas-mediated knockouts, promoter editing, and transient expression systems—has enabled precise manipulation of flowering phenology across a wide range of crops. These strategies have accelerated fast-track breeding in temperate and tropical perennials and facilitated the enhancement of vegetative biomass in forage and industrial crops through delayed flowering. However, the deployment of flowering-modified genotypes presents challenges, including environmental interactions, phenological trade-offs, biosafety regulation, and potential ecological impacts. Future directions should emphasize the integration of flowering time control with speed breeding platforms, genomic selection, and climate-adaptive trait design, tailored to species—and region—specific requirements. Such multidisciplinary approaches will be vital to advancing crop resilience, productivity, and sustainability under changing environmental conditions. Keywords: flowering time regulation, genetic engineering, FT gene, fast-track breeding, biomass optimization

A forage brassica simulation model using APSIM: Model calibration and validation across multiple environments