 With the trends toward globalization, and the “world getting smaller” a uniform system of naming plants is needed.
 Carl Linnaeus is recognized as the person who initiated the scientific [botanical, or binomial] system of classification

 Genus, species, classifier
 Example: Vigna unguiculata , Walp.
 Or Vigna unguiculata, Wallp
 When you write scientific names of plants, you will be expected to italicize, or underline the genus and species terms (!)

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Kingdom – Plantae
Division – Magnoliophyta
 Class !
 Lilliopsida (Monocots) !
 Magnoliopsida (Dicots) !
 Subclass
 Order

 This is where it gets practical [know]
 Family !
 Poaceae (Gramineae)
 Fabaceae (Leguminoseae)
 Genus !
 Species !
 Subspecies
 Variety

 1. Fabaceae - legumes
 2. Poaceae - grasses
 3 Brassicaceae – mustards
 4. Solanaceae – nightshade, potato
 9. Malvaceae – mallow family (e.g. cotton)
 12. Convovulaceae – morning glory family

Scientific names of crops we need to know, first the cereals -35
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Barley – Hordeum vulgare L.
Maize – Zea mays L.
Oats – Avena sativa L.
Rice – Oryza sativa L.
Rye – Secale cereale L.
Sorghum – Sorghum bicolor (Moench)
Wheat, bread – Triticum aestivum L.

Sci. names of crops to know, oil and protein -35
 Bean, com./field – Phaseolus vulgaris L.
 Cowpea – Vigna spp.
 Peanut – Arachis hypogaea L.
 Pigeonpea – Cajanus cajan Millsp.
 Soybean – Glycine max Merr.
 Sunflower – Helianthus annuus L.

Sci. names of crops to know - 35
 Root and Tuber
 Cassava – Manihot esculenta Crantz
 Potato – Solanum tuberosum L.
 Sweet potato – Ipomoea batatas L.
 Yams – Dioscorea spp.
 Sugar
 Sugarcane – Saccharum officinarum L.
 Sugarbeet – Beta vulgaris L.

 Fiber
 Cotton, upland – Gossypium hirsutum L.
 Kenaf – Hibiscus cannabinus L.
 Drug/Medicinal
 Tobacco – Nicotiana tabacum L.
 Hemp – Cannabis sativa L.

 Very important for feed, crop rotations, erosion control, environmental enhancements (landscaping) . . .
 But not a focus of this course

 Taxonomists proposing five kingdoms:
 Monera – bacteria
 Protista – protozoa and algae
 Fungi – [true] fungi
 Plantae – Plants
 Animalia – multicellular animals
(insects/worms/mammals)
 (more)

 Unicellular
 Reproduce by cell division (binary fission)
 Most abundant organism, most environments
 Include Ps and non-Ps bacteria
 Usually saprophytes or parasites

 Breakdown of residues, pesticides,wastes
 Nutrient recycling
 Causative agents for plant diseases
 Improvement of soil structure via decomp.
 Nitrogen Fixation
 Biological control (diseases of pests)

 Unicellular and multicellular (e.g. algae)
 Ps and non-Ps, in moist environments
 (Includes marine plankton)
 Algae is seen as basis of food chains and health of aquatic ecosystems

 No Ps
 Saprophytes and parasites
 Reproduce by fission, budding, spores
 Includes molds, yeasts, mushrooms and pathogens
 (More)

 Breakdown of residues, pesticides, wastes
 Nutrient recycling
 Causative agent for many diseases
 Improves soil structure, via decomp.
 Biological control of pests
 Improves absorption of nutrients
(mycorrhizae)

 Only reproduce in living cells
 (Non-living)
 Agriculturally important:
 Causative agent for diseases
 Biological control of pests

 Origin of species defined as geographic area with greatest diversity of that species
 Nikolai Vavilov credited with concept
 Important to plant breeders who are seeking rare genetic traits
 Jack Harlan did more recent classifications and reclassifications

 Center Imp’t Species
 Chinese
 Indian
 Central Asia
Soybean
Rice
Wheat
 Mediterranean White Clover
 Ethiopia Sorghum
 Central America Maize
 South America Potato, Peanuts

Broad categories, based on origin
 Indigenous – natives
 Exotic – introduced to area, intentionally or unintentionally (e.g., kudzu, cogongrass)
 Problem of invasives costing millions $$

Species Native Western Hem.-39
 Prairie grasses – many
 Common Bean Maize
 Papaya Peanut
 Potato Sunflower
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Sweet Potato
Tobacco
Switchgrass
Tomato

Classification: Agronomic Use -39
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 Grain – any crop grown for its seed for animal feed or human food
Cereal – grass grown for its edible seed !
Small Grain – small-seeded species of grain crops
Pulse – legume grown for its edible seed !
Forages: Hay=cut, cured; Silage=forage preserved in succulent condition via fermentation; Greenchop =cut, fed fresh
(soilage)

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Catch – replaces failed crops
Nurse – sown to help establish another
Companion – crops grown in association
Cover – protects soil, conserves nutrients
Supplementary – crops grown to increase production in unfavorable periods
Green manure – crop incorporated to improve soil fertility

 Seed – any crop grown to produce seed for planting
 Trap – crop used to attract insects or parasites
 Oil – crops grown for oil content
 Fiber – crops grown for paper or textiles

 Crop Rotation ! – yearly succession of crops – opposite of “monocropping”
 Fallow – two types
 Summer – to conserve moisture
 Bush – to restore nutrients

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Clarification – Sole crop means only “one species in a field at one time” – e.g. most US grown row crops are “sole” cropped. Not so in limited input farming where farmers will intercrop
(“consorcio”) as a risk reduction practice.
Opposite of intercropping.
Monocropping is “over time,” opposite of rotation

 Annuals – complete entire life cycle and die in one year
 Spring annuals – grow and mature in spring (e.g., oats, spring wheat)
 Summer annuals – plant in spring, harvest in fall (e.g., soybeans, peanuts)
 Winter annuals – planted in fall, vernalized, harvest following spring (winter wheat, winter barley, winter rye)

 Biennials – typically require two growing seasons to complete life cycle, requiring vernalization (e.g., sweetclover, carrot, turnip, sugarbeet)
 Perennials – indefinite life period, do not die after reproduction

 Spike (e.g. wheat, rye, barley)
 Raceme (pearl millet)
 Panicle (rice, oats)
 Head (red clover, white clover)

Common Field Crops, Cereals -45
 Maize (corn), Zea mays
 Annual
 Flower type – imperfect (monoecious) a major problem in marginal and unpredictable ppt environments
 Types: Dent, Flint, Flour, Pop, Pod, Sweet
 Grain about 9% protein
 Ethanol (now)

There are several types of sorghum, however
Sorghum bicolor is Grain & Forage grown in US.
 Life cycle – KLB believes it to be short-lived perennial – it behaves like a perennial – it
“rattoons” and it has a dormancy mechanism
(note!)
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Quite drought-tolerant (perfect flowers)
Efficient user of moisture – TR of about 325
Protein is not well balanced, and only ~8%, with feeding value of 85-90% of corn

 All germinate under cool temps, can be grown where ppt is limited
 Barley ( Hordeum vulgare ), primarily malt and feed uses
 Oats ( Avena sativa ), among highest quality grains,
~14% and proven cholesterol reducer (Cheerios) also, primary nurse crop to est. forages
 Rye (Secale cereale ), most winter hardy of group
 Wheat, most important and valued (see next)

 Common wheat is Triticum aestivum and is hexaploid (6N) – bread and pastries
~14% protein
 Durum wheat is Triticum durum and is known as “semolina” or spaghetti wheat and is highest protein % of cereals ~17, it is tetraploid (4N)
Winter wheat requires “vernalization”

 Market classes of wheat
 Hard red winter – bread -highest yielder (req. vern)
 Hard red spring - bread
 Soft red winter – (req. vernalization)
 White – pastry and biscuit (lowest protein)
 Durum – semolina (highest protein)
 Mixed
 Note: spring wheats are the Green Revolution wheats

 Two major types:
 Six-row – Hordeum vulgare
 Two-row – Hordeum distichum
 There are hulled (lemma and palea attached to caryopsis after harvest) and hull-less types

 Winter and spring types
 Hardiest and most tolerant of small grains
 Grain may contain fungus (Ergot) which can be recognized – gives meal “fishy” smell
 Cover crop in SE, protects soil and conserves nutrients (environmental!)

 Excellent food and feed – high protein
 Typically, dairy operations will have oats in program, as feed and to establish forages
 Forage seed develop slowly, permitting weeds to get jump on them
 Oats germinate under cool temps and grow quickly, shading out the weeds, but permitting the forage to get started
 Straw value can be substantial

 Several types (polished rice ~8% protein):
 japonica – paddy (irrigated) – Green
Revolution rice – short, sticky kernels/cooked
 indica – upland – slender, dry kernels/cooked
 javanica
 African (Nerica) – recent yield breakthrough
 Oryzae glabberima – Floating rice
 Note that wild rice is not Oryzae , but Zizania

 Fix their own nitrogen!
 Are high protein, typically 17-25%
 Tend to be susceptible to pests
 None have had jumps in yield and many had acreage losses to Green Revolution crops

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Highest in protein ~38%
Also an oil crop – 18-20%
Vegetable types known as Edamame
Healthy food, among other benefits, contains “lecithin” – an emulsifier or lubricant in foods and pharmaceuticals
Currently, candidate for “biofuel”
When used in crop rotation, contributes about one lb. nitrogen per bushel produced, to next crop

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Also known as “groundnut”
 Here in FL, most data indicates no response to fertilization
 Oil content (biofuel!) is ~40%
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Protein is ~20
US Farmers grow as “quota” crop, or
“additionals”

 Cowpeas ( Vigna unguiculata ) – grows well in hot, humid environments
 Field beans ( Phaseolus vulgaris ) –prefers cool environments, lots of pests
 Field peas ( Pisum sativum ) – grows well under cool temps
 Lentils ( Lens culinaris )

 Sunflower ( Helianthus annuus ), native US
 Unlikely to see GMO sunflower in near future
 Major restriction in SE – Alternaria
 Sesame
 Safflower
 Canola
 (Soybeans and peanuts)

 Sugar beets (Beta vulgaris)
 Biennial
 Sugar and feed
 Sugarcane ( Saccharum officinarum)
 Perennial, rattoons
 Sugar and ethanol

 Cotton, several types ( Gossypium hirsutum ) is “upland cotton” grown in US
 Seed contains anti-metabolite Gossypol
 Probably most tolerant common crop to saline soils (an increasing problem)
 Historically, more pesticides used than any other crop, per acre

 The forages, while very important, are not the focus of this course. The forage information starting on page 54, thru 64, will not be on the quizzes or final exam.
 The following questions from the Self-
Evaluation Test are not candidates for quizzes: Items 10, 11, 18, 19, 20, & 25.
This info is posted in corridor outside 2196

 Sugar – crops producing sucrose
 Drug/Medicinal/Stimulant
 Biofuel – crops grown to produce fuel, to be used directly or thru conversion to liquid

Then click and drag.