Grass is a very important world crop. In some countries, for example the
UK, Australia and New Zealand, animal products from grassland make a
greater contribution to the value of agricultural production than does
any other crop. Yet research being undertaken to further- our
understanding of the factors affecting the growth and productivity of
grasslands has trailed in the shadow of the determined efforts made to
improve our knowledge of cereals and, to a somewhat lesser extent,
legumes. However, in spite of its low profile, grassland research has
resulted in considerable advances in our knowledge in the last 20 years,
and we feel that this book provides a timely opportunity to bring
together some of this work in a review of what is primarily the
ecophysiology of the temperate grass crop. Unlike other crops grown for
their grain or vegatative parts, grass and grassland products are used
almost entirely for the feeding of ruminant animals; the interaction of
the sward and the animal thus adds an extra dimension to investigations
of the productivity of grassland. No one author could adequately
encompass the breadth of work covered in the book. Acknowledged experts
have therefore been selected as contributors to provide an up-to-date
review of their own specialized areas. Whilst multi- author texts can
cause problems of lack of uniformity of approach, each contributor has
been made aware of the contents of the other chapters in an attempt both
to provide continuity and to prevent glaring overlaps.