Editorial: Grass and Forage Science – 75 years of impact and service to the science of grasslands

Abstract

The year 2020 marks the 75th edition of Grass and Forage Science. From its beginnings as the Journal of the British Grassland Society, the journal has grown to be the major international journal with a primary emphasis on grasslands society. In this paper, to mark this anniversary we note the contributions of the editorial team, past and present, and the legacy of the journal by noting some of the highly cited papers published over the years and discuss the changing trends in science published in recent years. This includes an emphasis on the changing role of grasslands across the globe and the challenges that changing climate and altered production systems place on grazing agriculture. It is through the adoption of science that is being published now that the industries that we serve will be able to respond to these challenges.

Editorial ‐ topics from the XXIV International Grassland Congress held in 2021

“…There has been an increase in research focusing on the sustainability and productivity of grazing systems based on warm‐season grasses (Smith & Elgersma, 2020).…”

“…As discussed in 2020 on the occasion of a 75-year overview (Smith & Elgersma, 2020), changing trends in science published in GFS in recent years include an emphasis on the changing role of grasslands across the globe and the challenges that changing climate and altered production systems place on grazing agriculture. Methane and greenhouse gas production from ruminant production systems is obviously of concern to producers to and society in general, as we seek to lower emissions and emission intensity (Eugène et al, 2021).…”

Topics from the 2023 EGF Symposium: The future role of ley‐farming in cropping systems, and other recent grassland events

“…As discussed in 2020 on the occasion of a 75‐year overview of Grass and Forage Science (Smith & Elgersma, 2020), the changing trends in grassland science published in GFS in recent years have included a growing emphasis on the changing role of grasslands across the globe and the challenges for pastoral agriculture presented by climate change and altered production systems. To address these topics, a call for papers has been opened on “Drought impacts on grasslands” with Prof. Qiang Yu as guest editor.…”