Urochloa (including Brachiaria, Megathyrus and some Panicum) tropical grasses are native to Africa and are now, after selection and breeding, planted worldwide, particularly in South America, as important forages with huge potential for further sustainable improvement and conservation of grasslands. We aimed to develop an optimized approach to determine ploidy of germplasm collection of this tropical forage grass group using dried leaf material, including approaches to collect, dry and preserve plant samples for flow cytometry analysis. Our methods enable robust identification of ploidy levels (coefficient of variation of G0/G1 peaks, CV, typically <5%). Ploidy of some 348 forage grass accessions (ploidy range from 2x to 9x), from international genetic resource collections, showing variation in basic chromosome numbers and reproduction modes (apomixis and sexual), were determined using our defined standard protocol. Two major Urochloa agamic complexes are used in the current breeding programs at CIAT and EMBRAPA: the ’brizantha’ and ’humidicola’ agamic complexes are variable, with multiple ploidy levels. Some U. brizantha accessions have odd level of ploidy (5x), and the relative differences in fluorescence values of the peak positions between adjacent cytotypes is reduced, thus more precise examination of this species is required. Ploidy measurement of U. humidicola revealed aneuploidy.

Spittlebugs (Hemiptera: Cercopidae) are the main tropical pests in Central and South America of cultivated pastures. We aimed to estimate the potential distribution ofAeneolamia varia, A. lepidior, A. reducta, Prosapia simulans, Zulia carbonaria, andZ. pubescensthroughout the Neotropics using ecological niche modeling. These six insect species are common in Colombia and cause large economic losses. Records of these species, prior to the year 2000, were compiled from human observations, specimens from CIAT Arthropod Reference Collection (CIATARC), Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF), speciesLink (splink), and an extensive literature review. Different ecological niche models (ENMs) were generated for each species: Maximum Entropy (MaxEnt), generalized linear (GLM), multivariate adaptive regression spline (MARS), and random forest model (RF). Bioclimatic datasets were obtained from WorldClim and the 19 available variables were used as predictors. Future changes in the potential geographical distribution were simulated in ENMs generated based on climate change projections for 2050 in two scenarios: optimistic and pessimistic. The results suggest that (i) Colombian spittlebugs impose an important threat toUrochloaproduction in different South American countries, (ii) each spittlebug species has a unique geographic distribution pattern, (iii) in the future the six species are likely to invade new geographic areas even in an optimistic scenario, (iv)A. lepidiorandA. reductashowed a higher number of suitable habitats across Colombia, Venezuela, Brazil, Peru, and Ecuador, where predicted risk is more severe. Our data will allow to (i) monitor the dispersion of these spittlebug species, (ii) design strategies for integrated spittlebug management that include resistant cultivars adoption to mitigate potential economic damage, and (iii) implement regulatory actions to prevent their introduction and spread in geographic areas where the species are not yet found.

In the Colombian Amazon, there has been long‐term and sustained loss of primary forest threatening biodiversity and climate change mitigation. Silvopastoral practices that integrate trees into livestock production could help address both local economic and wider environmental challenges. We aimed to assess the effects of silvopastoral practices on invertebrate communities on smallholder farms in Caquetá, Colombia. Using sweep nets and malaise trapping, invertebrate communities were compared between traditional pasture, silvopasture and forest edge habitats. Invertebrate communities collected using sweep nets were contrasting among habitat types, communities were significantly different between traditional pasture and forest edge habitats and diversity and evenness were greatest in forest edges compared to traditional pastures. It appears that silvopasture areas, by supporting similar invertebrate assemblages to both traditional pasture and forest edges, may be acting as an intermediate habitat. When individual invertebrate orders were compared, Lepidoptera and Coleoptera were found in greater abundance in the forest edge habitats, while Hemiptera were more abundant in traditional pasture. Hemipterans are often pests of forage plants in pasture systems and these differences in abundance may have implications for ecosystem services and disservices. Silvopastoral approaches cannot replace the unique biodiversity supported by native forests but could deliver benefits for invertebrate conservation and ecosystem services if integrated into landscapes.

Spittlebug (Hemiptera: Cercopidae) species cause large economic losses on gramineous crops (Poaceae) in tropical and subtropical America. These insects are key pests of sugarcane and forages, crops that experienced a quick expansion in extensive monocultures in Brazil, Colombia, and Mexico. Mobilization toward sustainable crop and livestock systems to supply the growing demand of meat, milk, and sugar in Latin America and the Caribbean region implies developing sustainable and feasible strategies of integrated pest management to control spittlebugs. This review combines information on Cercopidae taxonomy, geographical distribution, insect biology, and control strategies to contribute to the development of integrated pest management in grasses and sugarcane in the Neotropics.

The cattle sector is strategic for both the economic development and food security of Africa, but the low availability and quality of forage puts the most vulnerable population at risk. Hybrid forages are an alternative for enhancing both food security and sustainability of the sector but adoption levels are still low in Africa, which is related to various factors such as the availability of seeds. This document analyzes potential markets for new interspecific hybrids of Urochloa and potential hybrids of Megathyrsus maximus, adapted to the environmental conditions of eastern and partially western Africa, applying a four-step methodology based on estimating (i) required forage amounts for each country according to its dairy herd, (ii) potential hectares for forage cultivation based on (i), (iii) hectares that can be covered by the two hybrids of interest according to a Target Population of Environment approach, and (iv) potential market values for each country and hybrid. The results show a potential market of 414,388 ha for new interspecific hybrids of Urochloa and 528,409 ha for potential hybrids of Megathyrsus maximus, with approximate annual values of 73.5 and 101.1 million dollars, respectively. Ethiopia, Tanzania, and Kenya hold a market share of 70% for Urochloa, and South Sudan, Ethiopia, and Tanzania a 67% market share for Megathyrsus maximus. The results will help different actors in decision-making, i.e., regarding private sector investments in forage seed commercialization or public sector incentives supporting adoption processes, and thus contribute to increasing food security and sustainability in the region.

We aimed to develop an optimized approach to determine ploidy for dried leaf material in a germplasm collection of a tropical forage grass group, including approaches to collect, dry and preserve plant samples for flow cytometry analysis. Urochloa (including Brachiaria, Megathyrus and some Panicum ) tropical grasses are native to Africa and are now, after selection and breeding, planted worldwide, particularly in South America, as important forages with huge potential for further sustainable improvement and conservation of grasslands. The methods enable robust identification of ploidy levels (coefficient of variation, CV, typically <5%). Ploidy of some 353 forage grass accessions (ploidy range from 2 to 9), from international genetic resource collections, showing variation in basic chromosome numbers and reproduction modes (apomixis and sexual), were determined using our defined standard protocol. Two major Urochloa agamic complexes used in the current breeding programs at CIAT and EMBRAPA: the ‘ brizantha ’ and ‘ humidicola ’ agamic complexes are variable, with multiple ploidy levels and DNA content. U. brizantha has odd level of ploidy ( x =5), and the relative differences in nuclear DNA content between adjacent cytotypes is reduced, thus more precise examination of this species is required. Ploidy measurement of U. humidicola revealed some aneuploidy.