Challenges in Forage and Range Research 
Prepared by the Forage and Range Research Branch, Crops Research Division, Agricultural Research Service 
Our grasslands are a multiple-use resource. Their 
development concerns everyone who has an interest in 
livestock production, in soil and water conservation, 
or in wildlife and recreation. Grasses and legumes 
provide grazing and stored feed for livestock; they 
restore and conserve soil fertility, reduce erosion and 
silting problems in reservoirs and waterways, and im- 
prove streamflow; they provide cover for wildlife and 
for recreational areas; and they add to the beauty of 
our homes and our cities and roadsides. 
Maintaining and improving our grassland resource 
requires cooperation among many groups—farmers, 
ranchers, extension workers, teachers, conservation 
specialists, turf specialists, economists, engineers, and 
research workers. These groups working together 
have made significant gains in the culture and manage- 
ment of some grasses and legumes and in the intro- 
duction of new species and productive varieties. But 
we need to know more. 
We need grassland species adapted to environmental 
conditions that range from sea level to altitudes of more 
than 10,000 feet; and from desert conditions to areas 
that receive 100 inches of rainfall each year. We need 
to know the species best adapted to each environment 
and use; the seedbed preparation necessary to assure 
good stands; the most economical measures to control 
insects, diseases, and weeds; and the management prac- 
tices that will provide the most nutritious forage or the 
most beautiful turf. 
These are the challenges. Basic and applied re- 
search by specialists in many disciplines will provide 
the technical information to meet these challenges. 
«/é J 
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PAE AY AN uid s'fed | 
BN—29523 
Much forage and range research is cooperative between the U.S. Department of Agriculture and State agricultural 
experiment stations, The stations may provide land, buildings, and facilities. 
These bermudagrass introduction 
tests (checked plots in foreground) are used in research at the Georgia Coastal Plain Experiment Station, Tifton, Ga. 
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