Forage is a plant material (mainly plant leaves and stems) eaten by

grazing In agriculture, grazing is a method of animal husbandry whereby domestic livestock are allowed outdoors to roam around and consume wild vegetations in order to convert the otherwise indigestible (by human gut) cellulose within grass and ot ...

livestock Livestock are the domesticated animals raised in an agricultural setting to provide labor and produce diversified products for consumption such as meat, eggs, milk, fur, leather, and wool. The term is sometimes used to refer solely to ani ...

. Historically, the term ''forage'' has meant only plants eaten by the animals directly as pasture, crop residue, or immature cereal crops, but it is also used more loosely to include similar plants cut for fodder and carried to the animals, especially as hay or silage. While the term ''forage'' has a broad definition, the term ''forage crop'' is used to define crops, annual or biennial, which are grown to be utilized by grazing or harvesting as a whole crop.

Common forages

Grasses

Grass forages include: *''

Agrostis ''Agrostis'' (bent or bentgrass) is a large and very nearly cosmopolitan genus of plants in the grass family, found in nearly all the countries in the world. It has been bred as a GMO creeping bent grass. Species * '' Agrostis aequivalvi'' ...

'' spp. – bentgrasses **''

Agrostis capillaris ''Agrostis capillaris'', the common bent, colonial bent, or browntop, is a rhizomatous and stoloniferous perennial in the grass family ( Poaceae). It is native to Eurasia and has been widely introduced in many parts of the world. Colonial b ...

'' – common bentgrass **''

Agrostis stolonifera ''Agrostis stolonifera'' (creeping bentgrass, creeping bent, fiorin, spreading bent or carpet bentgrass) is a perennial grass species in the family Poaceae. Description ''Agrostis stolonifera'' is stoloniferous and may form mats or tufts. The p ...

'' – creeping bentgrass *''

Andropogon hallii ''Andropogon hallii'' (sand bluestem, sand hill bluestem, Hall's bluestem, Hall's beardgrass, prairie bluestem, turkey-foot) is a sod-forming perennial species in the grass family, Poaceae. It is a bunchgrass which grows in tufts and can reach 7 ...

'' – sand bluestem *''

Arrhenatherum elatius ''Arrhenatherum elatius'', with the common names bulbous oat grass, false oat-grass, tall oat-grass, tall meadow oat, onion couch and tuber oat-grass, is a species of perennial grass, native to Europe, western Asia, and northern Africa. This bun ...

'' – false oat-grass *''

Bothriochloa bladhii ''Bothriochloa bladhii'' (commonly called, variously, Australian bluestem, Caucasian bluestem, forest-bluegrass, plains bluestem, and purple plume grass) is a Neotropical realm, Neotropic grass in the family Poaceae, found primarily in tropical A ...

'' – Australian bluestem *''

Bothriochloa pertusa ''Bothriochloa pertusa'' is a species of grass. It is widely used as a fodder and a graze for livestock. Common names for the plant include hurricane grass, Indian couch grass, Indian-bluegrass, pitted bluestem, Seymour grass, Barbados sourgr ...

'' – hurricane grass *''

Brachiaria decumbens ''Brachiaria'', or signalgrass, is a genus of plants in the grass family native to tropical and subtropical regions of Asia, Africa, Australia, southern Europe, the Americas, and various islands.Brachiaria humidicola ''Brachiaria'', or signalgrass, is a genus of plants in the grass family native to tropical and subtropical regions of Asia, Africa, Australia, southern Europe, the Americas, and various islands.Bromus'' spp. – bromegrasses * ''

Cenchrus ciliaris ''Cenchrus ciliaris'' (buffel-grass or African foxtail grass; syn. ''Pennisetum ciliare'' (L.) Link) is a species of grass native to most of Africa, southern Asia (east to India), southern Iran, and the extreme south of Europe (Sicily). Other na ...

'' – buffelgrass *''

Chloris gayana ''Chloris gayana'' is a species of grass known by the common name Rhodes grass. It is native to Africa but it can be found throughout the tropical and subtropical world as a naturalized species. It can grow in many types of habitat. It is also c ...

'' – Rhodes grass *'' Cynodon dactylon'' – bermudagrass *'' Dactylis glomerata'' – orchard grass *''

Echinochloa pyramidalis ''Echinochloa pyramidalis'' is a species of large grass, occurring naturally in flooded regions and beside lakes in tropical Africa and America, and introduced to various other countries. It is commonly known as antelope grass. Description ''Ec ...

'' – antelope grass *'' Entolasia imbricata'' – bungoma grass *'' Festuca'' spp. – fescues **'' Festuca arundinacea'' – tall fescue **''

Festuca pratensis ''Festuca pratensis'', the meadow fescue, is a perennial species of grass, which is often used as an ornamental grass in gardens, and is also an important forage crop. It grows in meadows, roadsides, old pastures, and riversides on moist, rich ...

'' – meadow fescue **'' Festuca rubra'' – red fescue *'' Heteropogon contortus'' – black spear grass *''

Hymenachne amplexicaulis ''Hymenachne amplexicaulis'', also known as West Indian marsh grass in the US, Olive hymenachne in Australia, and hereafter referred to as hymenachne, is New World species in the genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the ...

'' – West Indian marsh grass *''

Hyparrhenia rufa ''Hyparrhenia rufa'' is a species of grass known by the common names jaraguá,''Hy ...

'' – jaragua *''

Leersia hexandra ''Leersia hexandra'' is a species of grass known by the common names southern cutgrass, clubhead cutgrass, and swamp rice grass.

'' – southern cutgrass *'' Lolium'' spp. – ryegrasses **'' Lolium multiflorum'' – Italian ryegrass **'' Lolium perenne'' – perennial ryegrass *'' Megathyrsus maximus'' – Guinea grass *'' Melinis minutiflora'' – molasses grass *'' Paspalum conjugatum'' – carabao grass *'' Paspalum dilatatum'' – dallisgrass *''

Phalaris arundinacea ''Phalaris arundinacea'', or reed canary grass, is a tall, perennial bunchgrass that commonly forms extensive single-species stands along the margins of lakes and streams and in wet open areas, with a wide distribution in Europe, Asia, norther ...

'' – reed canarygrass *''

Phleum pratense Timothy (''Phleum pratense'') is an abundant perennial grass native to most of Europe except for the Mediterranean region. It is also known as timothy-grass, meadow cat's-tail or common cat's tail. It is a member of the genus '' Phleum'', consi ...

'' – timothy *'' Poa'' spp. – bluegrasses, meadow-grasses **'' Poa arachnifera'' – Texas bluegrass **'' Poa pratensis'' – Kentucky bluegrass **'' Poa trivialis'' – rough bluegrass *'' Setaria sphacelata'' – African bristlegrass *'' Themeda triandra'' – kangaroo grass *''

Thinopyrum intermedium ''Thinopyrum intermedium'', known commonly as intermediate wheatgrass, is a sod-forming perennial grass in the Triticeae tribe of Pooideae native to Europe and Western Asia. It is part of a group of plants commonly called wheatgrasses because of ...

'' – intermediate wheatgrass

Herbaceous legumes

Herbaceous legume forages include: Lucerne with hay bales behind

*'' Arachis pintoi'' – pinto peanut *'' Astragalus cicer'' – cicer milkvetch *'' Chamaecrista rotundifolia'' – roundleaf sensitive pea *'' Clitoria ternatea'' – butterfly-pea *'' Kummerowia'' – annual lespedezas **'' Kummerowia stipulacea'' – Korean clover, Korean lespedeza **'' Kummerowia striata'' – Japanese clover, common lespedeza *'' Lotus corniculatus'' – bird's-foot trefoil *''

Macroptilium atropurpureum ''Macroptilium atropurpureum'', commonly referred to as purple bush-bean,Macroptilium atropurpureum. (n.d.). Tropical Forages Factsheet. Retrieved from http://www.tropicalforages.info/key/Forages/Media/Html/Macroptilium_atropurpureum.htm or ''sir ...

'' – purple bush-bean *'' Macroptilium bracteatum'' – burgundy bean *'' Medicago'' spp. – medics **'' Medicago sativa'' – alfalfa, lucerne **'' Medicago truncatula'' – barrel medic *''

Melilotus ''Melilotus'', known as melilot, sweet clover, and kumoniga (from the Cumans),Bulgarian Folk Customs, Mercia MacDermott, pg 27 is a genus in the family Fabaceae (the same family that also includes the ''Trifolium'' clovers). Members are known ...

'' spp. – sweetclovers *''

Neonotonia wightii ''Neonotonia wightii'', the perennial soybean, is a species of flowering plant in the family Fabaceae, native to subSaharan Africa, Yemen, India, and Sri Lanka, and widely introduced as a forage in Brazil, Bolivia, Paraguay, northern Argentina, t ...

'' – perennial soybean *''

Onobrychis viciifolia ''Onobrychis viciifolia'', also known as ''O. sativa'' or common sainfoin () has been an important forage legume in temperate regions until the 1950s. During the Green Revolution it was replaced by high yielding alfalfa and clover species. Due t ...

'' – common sainfoin *'' Stylosanthes'' spp. – stylo **'' Stylosanthes humilis'' – Townsville stylo **''

Stylosanthes scabra ''Stylosanthes scabra'', the shrubby stylo, is a species of flowering plant in the family Fabaceae, native to tropical South America, and introduced to Hawaii and Australia. It is widely planted as a droughttolerant livestock forage Forage is ...

'' – shrubby stylo *''

Trifolium Clover or trefoil are common names for plants of the genus ''Trifolium'' (from Latin ''tres'' 'three' + ''folium'' 'leaf'), consisting of about 300 species of flowering plants in the legume or pea family Fabaceae originating in Europe. The gen ...

'' spp. – clovers **''

Trifolium hybridum ''Trifolium hybridum'', the alsike clover, is a species of flowering plant in the pea family Fabaceae. The stalked, pale pink or whitish flower head grows from the leaf axils, and the trifoliate leaves are unmarked. The plant is up to tall, and ...

'' – alsike clover **'' Trifolium incarnatum'' – crimson clover **'' Trifolium pratense'' – red clover **'' Trifolium repens'' – white clover *'' Vicia'' spp. – vetches **''

Vicia articulata ''Vicia'' is a genus of over 240 species of flowering plants that are part of the legume family ( Fabaceae), and which are commonly known as vetches. Member species are native to Europe, North America, South America, Asia and Africa. Some o ...

'' – oneflower vetch **'' Vicia ervilia'' – bitter vetch **''

Vicia narbonensis ''Vicia narbonensis'', called Narbon bean, Narbon vetch, Narbonne vetch and moor's pea, is a widely distributed species of flowering plant in the family Fabaceae. It is native to Madeira and the Mediterranean countries through to Central Asia an ...

'' – narbon vetch **'' Vicia sativa'' – common vetch, tare **'' Vicia villosa'' – hairy vetch *'' Vigna parkeri'' – creeping vigna

Tree legumes

Tree legume forages include: *'' Acacia aneura'' – mulga *'' Albizia'' spp. – silk trees *'' Albizia canescens'' – Belmont siris *'' Albizia lebbeck'' – lebbeck *'' Enterolobium cyclocarpum'' – earpodtree *'' Leucaena leucocephala'' – leadtree Sheep feeding on silage in the snow, Baltasound - geograph

Silage

Silage may be composed by the following: * Alfalfa *

Maize Maize ( ; ''Zea mays'' subsp. ''mays'', from es, maíz after tnq, mahiz), also known as corn (North American English, North American and Australian English), is a cereal grain first domesticated by indigenous peoples of Mexico, indigenous ...

(corn) *Grass-legume mix * Sorghums * Oats

Aquatic feeds

*''

Lemna minor ''Lemna minor'', the common duckweed or lesser duckweed, is a species of aquatic freshwater plant in the subfamily Lemnoideae of the arum family Araceae. ''L. minor'' is used as animal fodder, bioremediator, for wastewater nutrient recovery, and ...

'' – Duckweed *'' Pistia stratiotes'' – Water lecttuce *'' Eichhornia crassipes'' – Water hyacinth *'' Salvinia molesta'' – fern *'' Ipomoea aquatica'' – Water spinach

Crop residue

Crop residues used as forage include: *Sorghum *Sweet potato vines *Corn or soybean *Fruit tree by-products

stover Stover are the leaves and stalks of field crops, such as corn (maize), sorghum or soybean that are commonly left in a field after harvesting the grain. It is similar to straw, the residue left after any cereal grain or grass has been harvested a ...

Less common

*''Raphanus sativus'' var. ''longipinnatus'' –

Daikon Daikon or mooli, ''Raphanus sativus'' var. ''longipinnatus,'' is a mild-flavored winter radish usually characterized by fast-growing leaves and a long, white, root. Originally native to continental East Asia, daikon is harvested and consume ...

radish/"forage radish"

References

External links

* {{Authority control Livestock Non-timber forest products