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Agronomic Crop Species and Variety Selection 1
E. B. Whitty and C. G. Chambliss2A field or forage crop may include several species within a genus and several varieties within a species, or may consist of a single species with no recognized varieties.
In choosing the genus, species, or variety of crop to be grown, the following characteristics should be kept in mind: 1) growth cycle; 2) growing season; 3) adaptation to soils and climate; 4) uses of the crops; 5) yield and quality of the harvested product; 6) resistance to insects, diseases, and nematodes; and 7) market acceptability of the variety.
New or unfamiliar species and/or varieties should not be planted on large acreages until they have been evaluated and performed satisfactorily for a number of years on relatively small areas on a particular farm or those in close proximity. Even if a particular species or variety has performed well in experimental or other trials, a grower should be familiar with the characteristics and particular cultural requirements of the species or variety before large acreages are planted.
The potential for an introduced species or variety to become a noxious, invasive, or otherwise undesirable plant should be considered before the initial planting. Check to be sure that any plant selected is not on the invasive or noxious weed lists, which may prohibit planting or propogation. Some desirable plants may become difficult to control weeds in other crops. For example, crotalaria and hairy indigo were introduced into Florida as green-manure crops, but soon became major pests in other crops. Some grasses, such as cogongrass, may root so deeply that they are difficult to control or eradicate. Other plants may harbor diseases, nematodes, or insects that attack crops. Several of the species listed in Table 1 could be undesirable in many situations if proper precautions are not followed.
The field and forage crops that could be grown in Florida are described in Table 1, as to common name, scientific name, plant family, growth cycle, growing season, method of propagation, and area adaptations. Recommended varieties of the major field crops grown in Florida are listed in appropriate variety reports.
Tables
Table 1. Growth characteristics and adaptations of field and forage crops grown in Florida.
Common Name (Plant Family)1
Scientific Name
Growth
Cycle2
Season of Maximum Growth
Method of Propagation
Seed/lb
(1000)
Section of State Where Adapted3
NW
NE
C
S
Aeschynomene (L) Aeschynomene spp.
A
Summer
Seed
200-220
*
*
*
*
Alfalfa (L) Medicago sativa
P 4
Winter
Seed
210
*
*
*
*
Alyceclover (L) Alysicarpus vaginalis
A
Summer
Seed
300
*
*
*
*
Austrian winter pea (L) Pisum arvense
A
Winter
Seed
5
*
*
*
*
Bahiagrasses (G) Paspalum notatum
P
Summer
Seed
120-240
*
*
*
*
Barley (G) Hordeum vulgare
A
Winter
Seed
13
*
*
*
*
Beggarweed, Florida (L) Desmodium purpureum
A
Summer
Seed
200
*
*
*
*
Bermudagrasses (G) Cynodon dactylon
P
Summer
S&V
1800
*
*
*
*
Buffelgrass (G) Pennisetum ciliare
P
Summer
Seed
3200
*
*
*
*
Bur-clover, California (L) Medicago hispida
A
Winter
Seed
150
*
*
*
*
Bur-clover, spotted (L) Medicago arabica
A
Winter
Seed
230
*
*
*
-
Canola (B) Brassica napus
A
Winter
Seed
---
*
*
-
-
Caribgrass (G) Eriochloa polystachya
P
Summer
Veg.
---
-
-
-
*
Carpetgrass (G) Axonopus affinis
P
Summer
Seed
1250
*
*
*
*
Cassava (Sp) Manihot esculenta
P 4
Summer
Veg.
---
*
*
*
*
Castorbean (Sp) Ricinus communis
P
Summer
Seed
1
*
*
*
*
Chufa (Se) Cyperus esculentus
P 4
Summer
Veg.
---
*
*
*
-
Clover, arrowleaf (L) Trifolium vesiculosum
A
Winter
Seed
400
*
-
-
-
Clover, berseem (L) Trifolium alexandrinum
A
Winter
Seed
200
-
-
*
*
Clover, crimson (L) Trifolium incarnatum
A
Winter
Seed
150
*
-
-
-
Clover, hop (L) Trifolium campestre
A
Winter
Seed
1000
*
*
*
-
Clover, hop, large (L) Trifolium aureum
A
Winter
Seed
2200
*
*
*
-
Clover, hop, small (L) Trifolium dubium
A
Winter
Seed
1000
*
*
*
-
Clover, Persian (L) Trifolium resupinatum
A
Winter
Seed
640
*
*
*
*
Clover, rose (L) Trifolium hirsutum
A
Winter
Seed
170
*
Clover, red (L) Trifolium pratense
P 4
Winter
Seed
275
*
*
*
*
Clover, sub (L) Trifolium subterraneum
A
Winter
Seed
60
*
-
-
-
Clover, white (L) Trifolium repens
P 4
Winter
Seed
800
*
*
*
*
Clover, white, Ladino (L) Trifolium repens
P 4
Winter
Seed
800
*
*
*
*
Corn (G) Zea mays
A
Summer
Seed
1.1-1.8
*
*
*
*
Cotton, Sea Island (M) Gossypium barbadense
P 4
Summer
Seed
4
*
*
*
-
Cotton, upland (M) Gossypium hirsutum
P 4
Summer
Seed
4
*
*
*
-
Cowpea (L) Vigna Uniquiculata
A
Summer
Seed
2-6
*
*
*
*
Crotalaria, lance (L) Crotalaria lanceolata
A
Summer
Seed
170
*
*
*
*
Crotalaria, showy (L) Crotalaria spectabilis
A
Summer
Seed
33
*
*
*
*
Crotalaria, slenderleaf (L) Crotalaria intermedia
A
Summer
Seed
97
*
*
*
*
Crotalaria, striped (L) Crotalaria mucronata
A
Summer
Seed
80
*
*
*
*
Dallisgrass (G) Paspalum dilatatum
P
Summer
Seed
230
*
-
-
-
Digitgrasses (G) Digitaria decumbens
P
Summer
Veg.
---
-
-
*
*
Fescue tall (G) Festuca arundinacea
P
Winter
Seed
230
*
*
*
*
Guineagrass (G) Panicum maximum
P
Summer
Seed
1000
-
-
*
*
Limpograss (G) Hermarthria altissima
P
Summer
Veg.
---
*
*
*
*
Indigo, hairy (L) Indigofera hirsuta
A
Summer
Seed
200
*
*
*
*
Johnsongrass (G) Sorghum halepense
P
Summer
Seed
130
*
*
*
*
Kudzu (L) Pueraria thumbergiana
P
Summer
S&V
40
*
*
*
*
Hemp, Sunn Crotalaria Junceae
A
Summer
Seed
15
*
*
*
*
Lespedeza (L) Lespedsa Striata
A
Summer
Seed
200-340
*
*
*
*
Lovegrass, weeping (G) Eragrostis curvula
P
Summer
Seed
1500
*
*
*
*
Lupine, blue (L) Lupinus angustifolius
A
Winter
Seed
2
*
*
*
-
Lupine, yellow (L) Lupinus luteus
A
Winter
Seed
3.6
*
*
*
-
Medic, black (L) Medicago lupilina
A
Winter
Seed
280
*
*
*
-
Molassesgrass (G) Melinis minutiflorum
P
Summer
Seed
6800
-
-
*
*
Napiergrass (G) Pennisetum purpureum
P
Summer
Veg.
---
*
*
*
*
Oats (G) Avena sativa
A
Winter
Seed
13
*
*
*
*
Pangolagrass (G) Digitaria decumbens
P
Summer
Veg.
---
-
-
*
*
Paragrass (G) Panicum purpurascens
P
Summer
Veg.
---
-
-
-
*
Pea, field (L) Pisum sativum
A
Winter
Seed
4
*
*
*
*
Peanut (L) Arachis hypogea
A
Summer
Seed
0.5-1.0
*
*
*
-
Peanut, perennial (L) Arachis glabrata
P
Summer
Veg.
---
*
*
*
*
Pearlmillet (G) Pennisetum glaucum
A
Summer
Seed
88
*
*
*
*
Pigeon Pea (L) Cajanus cajun
A
Summer
Seed
5.5-6.0
*
*
*
*
Ramie (N) Beohmeria nivea
P
Summer
Veg.
---
-
-
-
*
Rape (B) Brassica napus
B
Winter
Seed
104
*
*
*
*
Rescuegrass (G) Bromus catharticus
A
Winter
Seed
62
*
*
-
-
Rhodesgrass (G) Chloris gayana
P
Summer
Seed
2000
-
-
*
*
Rice (G) Oryza sativa
A
Summer
Seed
15-25
*
*
*
*
Roughpea (L) Lathyrus hirsutus
A
Winter
Seed
15
*
-
-
-
Rye (G) Secale cereale
A
Winter
Seed
18
*
*
*
*
Ryegrass, Italian (G) Lolium multiflorum
A
Winter
Seed
227
*
*
*
*
S. humilis (L) Stylosanthes guianesis
A
Summer
Seed
180-220
-
-
*
*
St. Augustinegrass (G) Stenotaphrum secundatum
P
Summer
Veg.
---
-
-
*
*
Sericea (L) Lespedeza cuneata
P
Summer
Seed
360
*
-
-
-
Sesbania (L) Sesbania exaltata
A
Summer
Seed
44
*
*
*
*
Sorghum (G) Sorghum bicolor
A
Summer
Seed
28
*
*
*
*
Sourclover (L) Melilotus indica
A
Winter
Seed
300
*
*
*
*
Soybean (L) Glycine max
A
Summer
Seed
2.8-8
*
*
*
*
Stargrass, (G) Cynodon aethiopicus
P
Summer
Veg.
---
-
-
*
*
Sudangrass (G) Sorghum vulgare sudanese
A
Summer
Seed
55
*
*
*
*
Sugarcane (G) Saccharum sp.5
P
Summer
Veg.
---
*
*
*
*
Sweetclover (L) Melilotus alba
A
Winter
Seed
250
*
*
*
*
Sunflower (Thistle) Helianthus annuus
A
Summer
Seed
3-9
*
*
*
*
Tobacco (Nightshade) Nicotiana tabacum
A
Summer
Seed
5000
*
*
*
-
Torpedograss (G) Panicum repens
P
Summer
Veg.
500
-
-
*
*
Trefoil, big (L) Lotus uliginosis
P
Winter
Seed
1200
*
*
*
*
Trefoil, birdsfoot (L) Lotus corniculatus
P
Winter
Seed
400
*
*
*
*
Triticale (G) Triticosecale
A
Winter
Seed
---
*
*
-
-
Vaseygrass (G) Paspalum urvillei
P
Summer
Seed
440
*
*
*
*
Velvetbean (L) Mucna pruriens
A
Summer
Seed
0.8-1.2
*
*
*
*
Vetch, common (L) Vicia sativa
A
Winter
Seed
8
*
-
-
-
Vetch, hairy (L) Vicia villosa
A
Winter
Seed
18
*
-
-
-
Vetch, monantha (L) Vicia arthculata
A
Winter
Seed
12
*
-
-
-
Vetch, woollypod (L) Vicia dasycarpa
A
Winter
Seed
10
*
-
-
-
Wheat (G) Triticum aestium
A
Winter
Seed
12-20
*
*
*
*
1 A = annual; P = perennial; B = biennial 2 L = Legume; G = Grass; M = Mallow; B = Brassica; Sp = Spurge; Se = Sedge; N = Nettle
3 NW = northwest; NE = northeast; C = central; S = south
4 Grown as an annual under Florida conditions
5 All sugarcane varieties currently grown commercially are hybrids produced from crosses of Saccharum species, the most important of which are S. officinarum and S. spoutaneum.
Footnotes
1. This document is SS-AGR-156, one of a series of the Agronomy Department, Florida Cooperative Extension Service, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida. First printed December 1992. Revised December 2001. Reviewed March 2005. Please visit the EDIS Web site at http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu.2. E. B. Whitty, professor and C. G. Chambliss, associate professor, Agronomy Department, Florida Cooperative Extension Service, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611.
The use of trade names in this publication is solely for the purpose of providing specific information. UF/IFAS does not guarantee or warranty the products named, and references to them in this publication does not signify our approval to the exclusion of other products of suitable composition.
The Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (IFAS) is an Equal Opportunity Institution authorized to provide research, educational information and other services only to individuals and institutions that function with non-discrimination with respect to race, creed, color, religion, age, disability, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, national origin, political opinions or affiliations. For more information on obtaining other extension publications, contact your county Cooperative Extension service.
U.S. Department of Agriculture, Cooperative Extension Service, University of Florida, IFAS, Florida A. & M. University Cooperative Extension Program, and Boards of County Commissioners Cooperating. Larry Arrington, Dean.
Copyright Information
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