Tropical Forages: an interactive selection tool
Tropical Forages is an online resource designed to support the selection and use of grasses and legumes for livestock feed and ecosystem services in tropical and subtropical regions, including efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and restore degraded land.
The tool captures the knowledge of experienced forage specialists from around the world and organizes it into a practical resource that helps researchers, advisors, development practitioners, and farmers make informed decisions about suitable forage species and genotypes for specific environments and farming systems.
Through an interactive web selection tool, users can identify forage species suited to particular combinations of climate, soils, production systems, and management practices. The platform also provides access to comprehensive species information, including details on adaptation, uses, and management of species, cultivars, and elite accessions. In addition, users can review potential risks associated with species use—such as weediness or toxicity—and explore images illustrating the plants and their applications.
In what context is this tool useful?
This tool helps researchers, advisors, development specialists and farmers. It is useful in a context where users need to:
- Identify a list of forage species suitable for particular combinations of climates, soils, production systems and management,
- Access and download comprehensive information on these species with details of adaptation, uses and management of species, cultivars and elite accessions,
- Access information on potential risks (mostly weediness or toxicity) associated with the use of species, and
- View images of the various forages and their uses.
Results achieved
Since its launch, the platform has attracted an average of 500,000 website visits per year, demonstrating strong global demand for reliable information on tropical and subtropical forage species.
A user survey conducted between August and September 2021 (217 respondents) highlighted the tool’s broad relevance across sectors. Most users came from education and research institutions (75%), followed by extension agents (10%) and farmers or seed companies (8%).
Respondents reported using the tool primarily for education (35%), research (31.8%), and farmer training or extension services (23%), while others apply the information directly for farm improvement or general learning.
The platform is also integrated into university training. For example, students and researchers at Universidad del Salvador (Argentina) use the Tropical Forages selection tool in the course Forrajicultura. Insights from the tool help them develop extension materials for cattle farmers in Misiones province, recommending forage species adapted to local conditions such as high humidity and increasing drought risk.
Variations on this method
The tool is currently being updated and adapted with large language models (LLMs), enabling users to interact with the platform in a natural, conversational way. This enhancement aims to make it easier for users to explore species information, identify suitable forage options, and navigate the knowledge base through simple questions.
Originally launched in 2005 and comprehensively updated in 2020, the second edition introduced a complete redesign of the platform. This update included revised and expanded species fact sheets, additional forage species, an improved selection tool, and an updated photo library.
The revised selection tool also incorporates environmental risk considerations, allowing users to filter species according to their level of environmental concern—from minimal risk to species where potential environmental impacts may outweigh forage benefits.
To improve accessibility, the platform was rebuilt on a modern web technology framework, making it compatible with all major browsers, automatically translatable through Google Translate, and usable across devices. The tool can also be downloaded for offline use, and a mobile application is available through both Google Play and Apple’s App Store, allowing access in regions with limited internet connectivity.
Tools often used together with this tool?
Contact person
Profile
Juan Andres Cardoso
Plant ecologist and physiologist
Datasets
Funders
The development of Tropical Forages has been primarily funded by the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR), with support from funds provided by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ). The UK Department for International Development (DFID) provided additional funding for the original project.
The tool builds on a collaborative effort involving more than 100 forage specialists from around the world, who contributed their expertise to develop and validate the knowledge base.
The original initiative was led by CSIRO, with contributions from Queensland Department of Agriculture and Fisheries (formerly QDPI), the Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT in Colombia, and the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) in Ethiopia.