Agricultural dissemination / What are herbaceous plants?

In the agricultural sector it is very common to hear the term herbaceous plants or herbs, these are actually a diverse group and far from being simple herbs as some people express, they turn out to be plant species that house a wide variety of shapes, colors and functions that make them essential elements of ecosystems. Among the functions that they can fulfill within natural or agricultural ecosystems is that they are used as food by a wide variety of animals.

In this same vein, a big difference that these plants have and that make them very palatable by animals is that their stems are not woody like trees or shrubs, instead, their stems, usually green and flexible, bend easily, giving them a fragile and adaptable appearance, this characteristic, together with the absence of bark, distinguishes them as a unique plant group. Its fragility is due to the fact that it contains a low amount of a substance known as lignin, which is what gives the stems consistency. That logically means that woody plants have a high amount of lignin.

Of these species it is important to mention that they exhibit a great variety in terms of their life cycle, some are annual since they complete their cycle in a single year, from germination to seed production and death, others are biennial, they dedicate their first year to vegetative development (formation of their vegetative organs stem, leaves) and the second to flowering and seed production. Finally, the perennials, the longest-lived of the group, live for several years as grasses.

These herbaceous plants have developed ingenious strategies to face adverse circumstances in ecosystems, many of them have underground storage organs, such as thickened roots, rhizomes, bulbs or tubers. These underground treasures allow them to store energy and nutrients during the dormant season, ensuring their survival until the return of favorable conditions. An example of this are the grasslands that some have rhizomes and in their roots they can accumulate reserves so that once they are cut by the animals they can regrow safely and remain on the surface.

If we talk about natural ecosystems, these plant species can beautify the landscape by having striking inflorescence, but as we have mentioned, they are not only beautiful to look at, but also play a crucial role in maintaining ecological balance, they serve as the basis of the food chain, providing food to a wide variety of herbivores, from small insects to large mammals. In addition, they contribute to the fertility of the soil, releasing nutrients as its remains decompose.

Focusing on the agricultural sector we can observe a series of crops, in the family of grasses we have wheat, corn, rice, barley, oats, rye, sorghum; in the family of legumes we have chickpeas, lentils, beans, beans, peas, alfalfa; in vegetables tomato, potato, onion, carrot, lettuce, cabbage, pepper and of course the popular grasses that we have described in different articles on our blog.

Dear readers it can be evidenced that arable crops are an important source of food for humans and livestock.They are also used to produce a variety of industrial products such as biofuels, textiles and oils. The production of arable crops is an important activity worldwide as they play an important role in the global economy and are essential for food security. It is important to develop sustainable agricultural practices to minimize production impacts and ensure that arable crops continue to be a source of food and resources for generations to come.