This integrated collection describes the importance of forage legumes for pasture development and improvement in the tropics and subtropics. Leading agronomists review the magnitude of the need for pasture improvement; tropical and subtropical soil and climate environments; reports of the successful use of legumes in pasture development in a wet and a dry tropical environment; and the scope of the problem in terms of area to be developed and development logistics required. Three legume genera,

Centrosema, Desmodium,

and

Stylosanthes,

are discussed in detail--information is presented on taxonomy, adaptation, distribution, productivity, and usefulness--and considerable emphasis is placed on

Rhizobium

germplasm resources for these genera. A concluding section of technical essays addresses special considerations in using tropical legumes in pasture development and presents a coordinated multidisciplinary approach to legume exploration and evaluation.