This book is largely written by experts on individual forage species, or groups of species, who have contributed chapters dealing mainly with germplasm resources, taxonomy and cytogenetics with brief treatments of molecular mapping approaches and genomics. The chapters cover many of the most important forage species, namely: alfalfa, wheatgrass and wild rye grasses, bahia grass, Brachiaria, birdsfoot trefoil (Lotus corniculatus), clovers, Bermuda grass and ryegrass. As can be seen, both temperate and tropical species are dealt with. In general, the chapters are well written and comprehensive and are particularly strong regarding germplasm resources and the gene pools available for crop improvement. There is some variability in the extent to which crop improvement per se is considered and relatively little that could be classed as ‘chromosome engineering’. Clearly the book is not fully comprehensive with respect to important forage crops: e.g. there is no treatment of fescues, timothy or cocksfoot. The chapters on clovers and perennial ryegrass are considerably shorter and less comprehensive than those on crops of less agricultural importance such as birdsfoot trefoil.

There is a strong ‘Americas’ emphasis to much of the book with very little mention of the considerable amount of work on some of these species in Europe, Australia and New Zealand. In general however, this book is a very useful addition to publications on forage crops and should appeal to practitioners (plant breeders, geneticists, forage scientists) as well as advanced students in this area.