Agricultural science Books

Book SynopsisPresenting an overview of agroecology within the framework of climate change, this book looks at the impact of our changing climate on crop production and agroecosystems, reporting on how plants will cope with these changes, and how we can mitigate these negative impacts to ensure food production for the growing population. It explores the ways that farmers can confront the challenges of climate change, with contributed chapters from around the world demonstrating the different challenges associated with differing climates. Examples are provided of the approaches being taken right now to expand the ecological, physiological, morphological, and productive potential of a range of crop types. Describes the effects and responses of the macro and micro levels of crops under the different components of climate changeReports on the adaptation and resilience of food production systems within the changing climateCovers how planTable of ContentsAgroecology, Climate Change, and Agroecosystem Resilience. Physiological and Morphological Mechanisms Mediating Plant Tolerance to Osmotic Stress: Balancing Tolerance and Productivity. Response and Adaptation of Crops to Carbon Dioxide Rise: Coping or Dying. The Physiology and Phenology of Crop Production Under Temperate Climate Changes. Fitting Wheat Phenology to Maximize Yield in a Changing Climate. Response of Pulses to Climate Change: A Physiological Perspective. Climate Resilient Agriculture of Rice: A Physiological Perspective. Tropical Crops and Resilience to Climate Change. Grassland Resilience to Climate Change: From Species to Ecosystem. Effect of Topographic Properties on Crop Yield Variability and Farm Size in a Rural Farming Landscape: Opportunities for Engancing Resilience. Climatic Constraints in Tropical Forages and Common Beans: Suite of Plant Traits to Overcome Water Stress. Climate Change and Food Production Systems Sustainability. Mainstreaming Climate Change in Agricultural and Agroecology Education.

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Book SynopsisAn inspiring vision for restoring the soil that feeds us all and turns agriculture into a solution for environmental crises.Trade Review"How can humanity feed its burgeoning billions when one-third of agricultural soil is degraded? Pondering that question propelled geologist David Montgomery on a three-decade, six-continent survey of farmland. The insights gleaned add nuance to his pointed critiques of agrotechnology and organic farming, but it's the findings on rapid soil restoration that compel." -- Nature"Brilliant, well researched, eloquent, and deeply hopeful." -- Denis Hayes, founder of Earth Day"David Montgomery... is one of our most eloquent and precise earth science communicators... [He] has a knack for opening our minds to large, critically important questions." -- New Scientist"A wise and grounded book — restored soils are the solution." -- Jules N. Pretty, Professor of Environment and Society, University of Essex, UK"Growing a Revolution presents a clear-eyed examination of a solution to the challenges we face in feeding the world. A joy to read with the bounce and flow of a great biography. I couldn’t recommend it more." -- Jerry Harrison, keyboardist and guitarist, Talking Heads"Montgomery has written another classic. Growing a Revolution is one of the most important books ever written—an engaging and revealing service to human society and our planet." -- Amir Kassam, professor of agriculture, policy and development, University of Reading, UK"This is a such an important book... thanks to those who told me to read it... Everyone interested in what we should eat and how we should farm should read it." -- James Rebanks

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Book SynopsisThis book deals with ways and means of managing food and water security in various agroclimatic environments through the integration of R & D, training, people participation, agronomic practices, economic instruments, and administrative policies. It includes contributions by global experts in the field, who elaborate on the governance of food security, the biophysical dimensions of more food per drop, as well as on the socioeconomic dimensions of food security. Subjects are presented grouped in three sections: 1. Biophysical Dimensions of Food Security; 2. Socioeconomic Dimensions of Food Security and 3. Governance of Food Security in Different Agroclimatic and Socioeconomic settings. Recommended reading for professionals, water and agricultural scientists, engineers, planners and policy makers in the field of food and water security.Trade Review'[...] this book assumes enormous significance, and could not have been published at a more appropriate time.' 'This book deals with techno-economic-social dimensions of the problem like no other publication before.' 'The editor along with his authors deserve full credit for presenting a book with an in-depth analysis of a complex subject, penetrating and interesting, supported by valuable tables, revealing photographs and neat figures.' 'This book is a notable departure from the normal.' From: Journal of the Geological Society of India, vol. 72, p. 279-280, Aug. 2008. 'The strength of the book lies in the wide range of topics it examines-a list that includes remote sensing, aerobic rice, the benefits of fermented food, the role of microenterprises, and the need for enhanced governance of food systems.' 'The book is thus a very useful introduction on developing-country-chiefly Asian-water-for-food issues, aimed at professionals and students in the areas of agricultural and water science, engineering, and planning.' From: Environment. Science and Policy for Sustainable Development, September-October 2009.Table of Contents1. Biophysical Dimensions of Food Security; 2. Socioeconomic Dimensions of Food Security; 3. Governance of Food Security in Different Agroclimatic and Socioeconomic settings.

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Book SynopsisPresents an introduction to the weather processes and climatic conditions around the world, their observed variability and changes, and projected trends. This book offers a comprehensive coverage of global meteorology and climatology.Trade Review"A comprehensive introduction to weather and climate, describing phenomena from cloud scale to global scale in a very accessible way." Dave Gutzler, University of New Mexico"This book provides an excellent overview of the climate system from the global to the local scale. It is excellently written at a level that provides detail, whilst being accessible at the introductory level. It is my first choice for the core text for my intermediate level undergraduate climatology course." Julie Jones, Sheffield University, UKTable of Contents1. Introduction and History of Meteorology and Climatology 2. Atmospheric Composition, Mass and Structure 3. Solar Radiation and the Global Energy Budget 4. Atmospheric Moisture Budget 5. Atmospheric Instability, Cloud Formation and Precipitation Processes 6. Atmospheric Motion: Principles 7. Planetary-Scale Motions in the Atmosphere and Ocean 8. Modelling the Atmospheric Circulation and Climate 9. Mid-Latitude Synoptic Systems 10. Weather and Climate in Temperate and High Latitudes 11. Tropical Weather and Climate 12. Boundary Layer Climates 13. Climate Change

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Book SynopsisAdvances in Subsurface Contamination of Porous Media: Indicators, Processes and Modelling provides a high level understanding of the processes concerning common and emergent contaminants through their passage from soil to groundwater. The book presents new methodologies and indicators to reach a better understanding of biogeochemical processes as a basis for environmental models. The combined use of the understanding of processes and modelsâ prognosis will inform researches and water managers and will provide the possibility for better management and preservation of water resources.The book will be a valuable reference for graduate students, researchers and professionals in government and public institutions, and for those interested in soil and groundwater contamination in various aspects.Table of ContentsKeynote lectures:- Multicomponent diffusion in clays- Modelling of solute mass transfer across the capillary fringe- Strategies to quantify contaminant degradation in groundwater using stable isotope dataAlternative methods and indicators of water quality in natural porous mediaBiogeochemical processes from soil to groundwaterNumerical simulation of pollutant transport and interaction in soil and subsoil

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Book SynopsisGarden design and usage has been a feature of human civilization as far back as Neolithic times, when the first gardens began to be used for residential, horticultural and sacred tasks. Tom Turner follows the entire history of the European garden from its prehistoric roots right up to the present day in this beautifully illustrated book. European Gardens is divided into ten periods of history and garden development, detailing the advancement of land usage for over 10,000 years. Some of the topics covered in this comprehensive book include the Egyptian gardens of the Pharaohs, the castle gardens of medieval times, eclectic gardens of the nineteenth century and abstract gardens of the last 100 years. The geographical scope of this book covers the whole of the European continent, and touches the garden designs of North Africa and the Middle East. Turner is a skilled landscape architect and garden historian, who supports his engaging writing with his own detailed Trade Review"While European Gardens may look like a coffee table book at first glance, it reads like an introductory course on European garden design." - Landscape Architecture Magazine"While European Gardens may look like a coffee table book at first glance, it reads like an introductory course on European garden design." - Landscape Architecture MagazineTable of ContentsPreface 1. Design Philosophy 2. Garden Origins 10000-1000 BCE 3. Egyptian Gardens 2000 BCE- 1000 BCE 4. Classical Gardens 1400 BCE–500 AD 5. Medieval Gardens 600 AD–1500 AD 6. Renaissance Gardens 1350–1650 7. Baroque Gardens 1600–1750 8. Neoclassical and Romantic Gardens 1700–1810 9. Eclectic Gardens 1800–1900 10. Abstract and Post-Abstract Gardens 1900–2000. Notes. Picture Credits. Index

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Book SynopsisThe gardens made on the fringes of Central Asia in the past 5000 years form a great arc. From the Fertile Crescent, it runs west to Europe and east to China and Japan. Asia''s fringe was a zone of interchange: a vast landscape in which herders encountered farmers and the design of symbolic gardens began. It appears that as they became settlers, nomads retained a love of mobility, hunting and the wild places in which their ancestors had roamed. Central Asian and Indian ideas influenced the garden culture of China, Japan and South East Asia.In West Asia, Aryan settlers made hunting parks known as paradises. They were walled enclosures stocked with exotic plants and animals. In East Asia, great landscape parks were used for similar purposes and had a sacred role. Across Asia, gardens were influenced by religious and other beliefs: polytheist, Hindu, Buddhist, Muslim, Daoist, Shinto and Modernist. Early parks and gardens symbolized wild and civilized nature, sometimes conceived aTrade Review"Here Turner—with his characteristic use of summary diagrams and tightly structured analyses—charges through polytheist, Islamic, Hindu, Buddhist, Daoist, and Shinto gardens of West, South, East, and North Asia, with a welcome concluding chapter on abstract modernism. Some readers may be troubled by Turner’s reductionist approach, yet his books pack much between their covers in a manner that is at once quirky, refreshing, and stimulating." - Journal of Australian Garden History"Tom Turner's Asian Gardens is a visually powerful work, worth its $60-plus price for the photos, plans, and diagrams" - Landscape Archictecture Magazine"...Especially illuminating from a historical viewpoint is the author's use of satellite photos to give a better understanding of the geography of place. Not designed to be a field manual for Asian gardens, this is a thoughtful, convincing analysis of garden design as an expression of the nature of the world, determined by physical, conceptual, and religious influences... Highly recommended." - CHOICE"Here Turner—with his characteristic use of summary diagrams and tightly structured analyses—charges through polytheist, Islamic, Hindu, Buddhist, Daoist, and Shinto gardens of West, South, East, and North Asia, with a welcome concluding chapter on abstract modernism. Some readers may be troubled by Turner’s reductionist approach, yet his books pack much between their covers in a manner that is at once quirky, refreshing, and stimulating." - Journal of Australian Garden History"Tom Turner's Asian Gardens is a visually powerful work, worth its $60-plus price for the photos, plans, and diagrams" - Landscape Architecture Magazine"...Especially illuminating from a historical viewpoint is the author's use of satellite photos to give a better understanding of the geography of place. Not designed to be a field manual for Asian gardens, this is a thoughtful, convincing analysis of garden design as an expression of the nature of the world, determined by physical, conceptual, and religious influences... Highly recommended." - CHOICETable of Contents1. Belief and Gardens 2. Polytheist Gardens 3. Islamic Gardens 4. Hindu Gardens 5. Buddhist Gardens 6. Daoist-Buddhist Gardens in China 7. Shinto-Buddhist Gardens in Japan 8. International Modern Gardens in Asia. Afterword. Maps

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Book SynopsisGarden design began in West Asia and spread through Europe. This book tells how, in the British Isles, it flourished to an extraordinary degree. Following the historical method in Tom Turnerâs books on Asian gardens (2010) and European gardens (2011), it uses almost 1000 colour photographs, plans and style diagrams to provide a word and image history of garden design. Individual chapters cover the Celtic, Roman, Medieval, Renaissance, Baroque, Neoclassical, Romantic, Arts and Crafts, Modern and Postmodern periods. Additional information about the gardens in the book is available on the Gardenvisit.com website, which the author edits http://www.gardenvisit.com/history_theory/british_gardens_companionTrade Review"A guide to an understanding of the ideas we bring to bear in making our own gardens and enjoying those of others" - The RHS Garden magazine"Tom Turner appears to be on a mission to write the definitive historical account of gardens. He has already covered European and Asian gardens, and has now delivered an account of the development of gardens closer to home. The latest arrival delivers a narrative mix of academic research interspersed with idiosyncratic observations, balanced with photos and diagrams articulating the key design principles of the reviewed sites and historical periods."— Darryl Moore, Garden Design Journal Review of Asian Gardens:"Here Turner—with his characteristic use of summary diagrams and tightly structured analyses—charges through polytheist, Islamic, Hindu, Buddhist, Daoist, and Shinto gardens of West, South, East, and North Asia, with a welcome concluding chapter on abstract modernism. Some readers may be troubled by Turner’s reductionist approach, yet his books pack much between their covers in a manner that is at once quirky, refreshing, and stimulating." - Journal of Australian Garden HistoryTable of ContentsPreface 1. Neolithic gardens & landscapes: 3500BCE-43 2. Romano-British gardens & landscapes: 43-1066 3. Medieval gardens & landscapes: 1066-1485 4. Renaissance gardens & landscapes: 1485-1660 5. Baroque gardens & landscapes: 1660-1750 6. Neoclassical gardens & landscapes: 1730-1794 7. Romantic gardens & landscapes: 1794-1880 8. Arts and Crafts gardens & landscapes: 1880-1970 9. Abstract modern gardens: 1925-1972 1925-1980 10. Post-Abstract and sustainable gardens: post-1980 Appendix I: Asia, Europe and the British Isles Appendix II: Names for styles and periods Appendix III Wollaton Hall: Garden history and creative conservation Michael Simonsen

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Book SynopsisThe need and demand to feed the ever-increasing global population pose major challenges for increasing crop productivity in an eco-friendly manner. The cultivation of crops under input-intensive conditions has however resulted in an enhanced vulnerability of high-yielding cultivars to a multitude of pests and pathogens at all phenological stages. The disease spectrum and intensity are continuously changing because of the dynamic nature of crop systems, pests and pathogens. Disease management has therefore become the major functional component of the crop production systems. This reference volume and manual covers the complete spectrum of current issues in pest and pathogen disease management: Insect pests: pathogens of rice, sorghum, chickpea and castor and their management; Molecular marker-assisted breeding and transgenic crops for disease management; Management of forest insect pests; Effect of climate change on insects, pathogeTable of Contents1. Insect Pests of Rice in India and their Management 2. Rice Diseases of Importance and the Management Options in India 3. Biotechnological Approaches for Management of Grain Mold Disease of Sorghum 4. Major Biotic Stresses of Chickpea and Strategies for their Control 5. Potential of Transgenic Grain Legumes for Pest Management and Sustainable Crop Production 6. Integrated Pest Management in Grain Legume Crops in India 7. Insect Pests of Castor (Ricinus communis L) and their Management Strategies 8. Biology and Management of Forest Insect Pests 9. Botanical Pesticides for Management of Insect Pests in Field and Stored Rice 10. Botanicals for the Management of Phytonematodes 11. Microbial Chitinases as Potential Biopesticides 12. Insect Resistance to Pyrethroid with Special Reference to the Cotton Bollworm 13. Effect of Climate Change on Insects, Pathogens, Plants and Pesticide Usage 14. Molecular Marker-assisted Breeding for Improving Disease Resistance in Crop Plants 15. Antimicrobial Peptides and Production of Disease Resistant Transgenic Plants 16. Plant Lectins and their Utilization for Development of Insect Resistant Transgenic Crop Plants 17. Insect-Resistant Transgenic Crops 18. Bioinformatics with Solutions in Pest Management Science: An Insight into the Evolving Technologies 19. Concepts and Components of Integrated Pest Management

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Book SynopsisWhen the Nuclear Safety Commission in Japan reviewed safety-design guidelines for nuclear plants in 1990, the regulatory agency explicitly ruled out the need to consider prolonged AC power loss. In other words, nothing like the catastrophe at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station was possibleâno tsunami of 45 feet could swamp a nuclear power station and knock out its emergency systems. No blackout could last for days. No triple meltdown could occur. Nothing like this could ever happen. Until it didâover the course of a week in March 2011. In this volume and in gripping detail, the Independent Investigation Commission on the Fukushima Nuclear Accident, a civilian-led group, presents a thorough and powerful account of what happened within hours and days after this nuclear disaster, the second worst in history. It documents the findings of a working group of more than thirty people, including natural scientists and engineers, social scientists and researchers, business peoTrade Review"In a subject area beset by controversy and seemingly interminable disagreements, The Bulletin has long served to provide highly reliable analyses of things nuclear. The Fukushima Dai-ichi disaster is a case in point, with numerous – often conflicting – reports on what went wrong and what went right, who did what, and who did not… and this book does a great job of distilling the principal issues, and providing a clear-headed analysis of what actually transpired. While there is still much to learn about, and from, this nuclear disaster, the interested reader will not find a better current analysis, and I urge all with a stake in learning how to do better in the nuclear power arena to read this book." – Robert Rosner, former director of Argonne National Laboratory, William E. Wrather Distinguished Service Professor, Astronomy and Astrophysics and Physics at University of Chicago, and Co-Director, Energy Policy Institute at Chicago, USA."A primary lesson of the text is that the time to be responsive to threats, natural or human-made, and to bridge understanding between business and government’s need to regulate in the public interest, is before a disaster. The story stands as a stark warning to highly specialized businesses that believe in a myth of safety, and to governments who fail to regulate in the public interest. It is written with a vital style that is suspenseful and immediate. This book offers insight for businesses planning for emergency responses in technical environments, readers interested in studying the interactions of business and government in crises, and students of emergency management, while also providing general readers an inside view of one of the greatest technological disasters of our time." – Christopher L. Atkinson, Ph.D., Global Business Review, Florida Atlantic University, USA"The English version of this volume goes beyond a simple translation; the authors expended significant efforts to update and edit their chapters. The first chapter in particular, an overview of the crisis as it unfolded, is one of the most detailed while easily accessible accounts of the disaster available." – Social Science Japan, Kenji E. Kushida, Stanford UniversityTable of Contents1. A Fukushima Diary, March 11-16, 2011 2. Nuclear Energy Development in Japan 3. The Safety Myth 4. Actors in Japanese Nuclear Safety Governance 5. International Safety 6. Accident Preparedness and Operation 7. Impact of Radioactive Material Released into the Environment 8. Communicating the Fukushima Disaster 9. US-Japan Relationship 10. Lessons of the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station Accident and the Quest for Resilience

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Book SynopsisThe complete 4-volume reference set ''Analysis and Control Methods for Food and Agricultural Products'', edited by J.-L. Multon, offers researchers in the food and pharmaceutical industries a complete source of technical information for answering important questions on when and how to conduct an analysis of a specific product, how to interpret the resulting data how to define the risks associated with the introduction of a new product. Each volume includes a biobliograghy for further reading. The first volume ''Microbiological Control for Foods and Agricultural Products'', edited by Bourgeois and Leveau, contains a wealth of practical information on applied food microbiology and food safety. It covers basic methods and procedures on specific microbes important to food industry, including new technology like PCR, DNA and RNA probes. This volume should be a useful reference and handy manual for food and applied microbiologists.Table of ContentsFrom the Contents: Part I:General and Basic Techniques/ Sample Removal/ Rapid Methods of Enumerating Microorganisms/ Evaluation of Microflora by Non-Microbiological Techniques/ Micribiological Applications of Immunology/ Mechanization and Automation of Techniques/ Prediction of Product Life Span/ Part II: Methods of Evaluation of Various Technologically Significant Microflora Total Aerobic Mesophilic Microflora/ Psychotrophic Microflora/ The Latic Microflora/ Bacteriophages of Lactic Starters/ The Yeasts/ The Molds/ Part III: Evalution Methods for Microflora of Sanitary Incidence/ Indicators of Local Contamination/ The Genus Salmonella/ The Genus Campylobacter/ The Genus Yorsinia/ The Genus Clostridium and the Sulfite-Reducing Anaerobes/ Coagulase-Positive Staphylococci/ The Genus Listeria/ Part IV: Microbiological Testing of Starting Materials and Finished Products/ Water/ Milk and Dairy Products/ Beer and Soft Beverages/ Meat Products/ Egg Products/ Fishenes Products/ Vegetable Products/ Prepared Meals/ Preserves and Semi-Preserves/ Testing of Intermediate Moisture Foods/ Part V: Miscellaneous Applications of Microbiological Testing/ Testing of Starter Cultures for Purity/ Microbiological Monitoring Factory Equipment, Atmosphere and Personnel

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Book SynopsisPlant Breeding Reviews is an ongoing series presenting state-of-the art review articles on research in plant genetics, especially the breeding of commercially important crops. Articles perform the valuable function of collecting, comparing, and contrasting the primary journal literature in order to form an overview of the topic. This detailed analysis bridges the gap between the specialized researcher and the broader community of plant scientists.Table of ContentsDedication: Arnel R. Hallauer, Scientist, Maize Breeder,Quantitative Geneticist (K. Lamkey). Molecules Involved in Self-Incompatibility in Flowering Plants (P.Dodds, et al.). Genetic Mosaics and Plant Improvement (M. Marcotrigiano & T.Gradziel). Quantitative Trait Loci: Separating, Pyramiding, and Cloning (Y.Xu). Doubled Haploid Breeding in Cereals (S. Raina). Spelt: Agronomy, Genetics, and Breeding (K. Campbell). Cowpea Breeding (A. Hall, et al.). Recurrent Selection in Soybean (K. Lewers & R. Palmer). Gene Action and Plant Breeding (D. Fasoula & V. Fasoula). Indexes.

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Book SynopsisHorticultural Reviews presents state-of-the-art reviews on topics in horticultural science and technology covering both basic and applied research. Topics covered include the horticulture of fruits, vegetables, nut crops, and ornamentals. These review articles, written by world authorities, bridge the gap between the specialized researcher and the broader community of horticultural scientists and teachers.Table of ContentsContributors. Dedication: A. A. De Hertogh (Paul V. Nelson). 1. Protea: A Floricultural Crop from the Cape Floristic Kingdom (J. H. Coetzee and G. M. Littlejohn). I. Introduction. II. History. III. Reproductive Biology. IV. Crop Improvement. V. Physiology. VI. Production. VII. Conclusion. Literature Cited. 2. The Molecular Biology of Plant Hormone Reception (Carole L. Bassett). I. Introduction. II. Current Status of Signal Receptor Research. III. Plant Hormone Receptors. IV. Future Prospects. Literature Cited. 3. Molecular Biology of Cassava (Johanna Puonti-Kaerlas). I. Introduction. II. Botany and Distribution. III. Production and Use. IV. Constraints to Cassava Use and Cultivation. V. Traditional Breeding and Biotechnology in Cassava Improvement. VI. Molecular Genetics. VII. Tissue Culture and Regeneration. VIII. Genetic Transformation. IX. Applications and Potential Molecular Biology. X. Future Prospects. Literature Cited. 4. Postharvest Physiology and Quality of Coated Fruits and Vegetables (Cassandra Amarante and Nigel H. Banks). I. Introduction. II. Permeability of Coating Films and Permeance of Coated Commodities. III. Physico-Chemical Characteristics, and Barrier Properties to Water Vapor and Gases, of Edible Coatings. IV. Factors Affecting Water Loss, Gas Exchange, and Modification of Internal Atmosphere of Coated Commodities. V. Postharvest Physiology and Quality of Coated Commodities. VI. Summary and Conclusions. Literature Cited. 5. Greenhouse Tomato Fruit Quality (M. Dorais, A. P. Papadopoulos, and A. Gosselin). I. Introduction. II. Quality Attributes. III. Genetic Characteristics Affecting Tomato Fruit Quality. IV. Environmental Factors Affecting Tomato Fruit Quality. V. Cultural Practices Affecting Fruit Quality. VI. Postharvest. VII. Conclusion. Literature Cited. Subject Index. Cumulative Index. Cumulative Contributor Index.

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Book SynopsisThis major revision of a bestselling text shows that soil is three-dimensional and dynamic. This concept is developed in the first two chapters and is built on throughout the book. Chapters 3 through 7 explore soil physical properties and water, with expanded coverage of tillage and traffic and an increased emphasis on water and wind erosion processes. Chapters 8 through 11 discuss the biological aspects of soils as well as their mineralogical and chemical properties. In Chapters 12 through 15, the general area of soil fertility and fertilizer use is covered. Other chapters examine soil genesis, taxonomy, geography, land use and soil survey, and land use interpretations. Finally in chapter 20, the importance of nonagronomic factors in the food population problem are discussed. Both English and metric units are used for crop yields, new figures and tables are included, summary statements are given at the end of the more difficult sections and at the end of each chapter, and non-agricultTable of ContentsSoil as a Medium for Plant Growth. Soil as a Natural Body. Soil Physical Properties. Tillage and Traffic. Soil Water. Soil Water Management. Soil Erosion. Soil Ecology. Soil Organic Matter. Soil Mineralogy. Soil Chemistry. Plant-Soil Macronutrient Relations. Micronutrients and Toxic Elements. Fertilizers. Soil Fertility Evaluation and Fertilizer Use. Soil Genesis. Soil Taxonomy. Soil Geography and Land Use. Soil Surveys and Land-Use Interpretations. Land and the World Food Supply. Appendices. Glossary. Index.

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Book SynopsisContributed papers by experts in the field detail how to put integrated pest management to work. Presents the philosophy and practice, ecological and economic background as well as strategies and techniques including not only the use of chemical pesticides but also biological, genetic and cultural methods to manage the harm done by insect pests. Covers such key crops as cotton, corn, apples and forage. This edition reports important advances of the last decade including an increased environmental and ecological awareness and a trend toward lower chemical pesticide use.Table of ContentsPartial table of contents: The Pest-Management Concept (W. Luckmann & R. Metcalf). Ecological Aspects of Pest Management (P. Price & G.Waldbauer). Plant Resistance in Pest Management (M. Kogan). Parasitoids and Predators in Management of Arthropod Pests (M.Hoy). Insect Pathogens as Biological Control Agents (J. Maddox). Insecticides in Pest Management (R. Metcalf). Systems Analysis and Modeling in Pest Management (W. Ruesink &D. Onstad). Cotton Insect Pest Management (R. Frisbie, et al.). Apple Insect Pest Management (R. Prokopy & B. Croft). Pest Management and the Future (W. Luckmann & M. Irwin).

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Book SynopsisAn introduction to the principles of plant and crop experimentation and the statistics used in the design and analysis of experiments, this work aims to give the plant and crop scientist an understanding of the commonly used experimental techniques and the practical problems associated with them.Trade Review"This introduction to the principles of plant and crop experimentation avoid mathematical jargon in its explanations of how to plan and design an experiment, analyze results, interpret computer output, and present findings...presents the reasoning...before giving practical examples and offers step-by-step calculations..." (SciTech Book News, Vol. 25, No. 3, September 2001)Table of ContentsPreface. Basic Principles of Experimentation. Basic Statistical Calculations. Basic Data Summary. The Normal Distribution, the t-Distribution and ConfidenceIntervals. Introduction to Hypothesis Testing. Comparison of Two Independent Sample Means. Linear Regression and Correlation. Curve Fitting. The Completely Randomised Design. The Randomised Block Design. The Latin Square Design. Factorial Experiments. Comparison of Treatment Means. Checking the Assumptions and Transformation of Data. Missing Values and Incomplete Blocks. Split Plot Designs Comparison of Regression Lines and Analysis of Covariance. Analysis of Counts. Some Non-parametric Methods. Appendix 1: The Normal Distribution Function. Appendix 2: Percentage Points of the Normal Distribution. Appendix 3: Percentage Points of the t-Distribution. Appendix 4a: 5 Per Cent Points of the F-Distribution. Appendix 4b: 2.5 Per Cent Points of the F-Distribution. Appendix 4c: 1 Per Cent Points of the F-Distribution. Appendix 4d: 0.1 Per Cent Points of the F-Distribution. Appendix 5: Percentage Points of the Sample CorrelationCoefficient (r) When the Population Correlation Coefficient is 0and n is the Number of X,Y Pairs. Appendix 6: 5 Per Cent Points of the Studentised Range for Use inTukey and SNK Tests. Appendix 7: Percentage Points of the Chi-Square Distribution. Appendix 8: Probabilities of S or Fewer Successes in the BinomialDistribution with n 'trials' and p = 05. Appendix 9: Critical Values of T in the Wilcoxon Signed Rank orMatched Pairs Test. Appendix 10: Critical Values of U in the Mann-Whitney Test. References. Further Reading. Index.

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Book SynopsisICARDA International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas Address: P.O. Box 5466, Aleppo, Syria Telex: 331206 ICARDA SY, 331208 ICARDA SY Fax: 963-21-213490 Established in 1977, ICARDA is governed by an independent Board of Trustees. Based at Aleppo, Syria, it is one of 18 centres supported by the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR), which is an international group of representatives of donor agencies, eminent agricultural scientists, and institutional administrators from developed and developing countries who guide and support its work. The CGIAR seeks to enhance and sustain food production and, at the same time, improve the socioeconomic conditions of people through strengthening national research systems in developing countries. ICARDA focuses its research efforts on areas with a dry summer, where precipitation in winter ranges from 200 mm to 600 mm. The Center has a global responsibility for the improvement of barley, lentil and faba bean,Table of ContentsPartial table of contents: CYTOGENETICS OF THE TRITICEAE. Applications of Molecular Cytogenetics in the Triticeae (J.Heslop-Harrison). TAXONOMY OF THE TRITICEAE. Variation in Breeding Systems in the Triticeae (K. Hammer & F.Matzk). WIDE-CROSSING AND HYBRIDIZATION. Alien Gene Transfer and Genetic Enrichment of Bread Wheat (P.Jauhar). RESISTANCE TO DISEASES. Use of Non-Host Resistance in Wheat Breeding (R. Niks & D.Rubiales). ABIOTIC STRESS TOLERANCE. Yield Components and Transpiration Efficiency in Wild Wheats (J.Waines, et al.). EVALUATION OF BIODIVERSITY. Isoenzymes in the Evaluation of Germplasm Diversity in Wild DiploidRelatives of Cultivated Wheat (V. Jaaska). UTILIZATION OF BIODIVERSITY. Seed Storage Proteins of Wild Wheat Progenitors (D. Lafiandra, etal.). RESEARCH BY NATIONAL PROGRAMS. Wild Wheats in Southern Italy (P. Perrino, et al.). Summary and Recommendations. Acronyms. Index.

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Book SynopsisWhile not all metals in Soil--plant systems are inherently toxic, particularly in low concentrations, there is an increasing incidence of metal pollution from aerial fallout, spoils, wastes and agricultural amendments including sewage sludge. Toxic Metals in Soil--Plant Systems discusses the processes of trace-metal cycling in contaminated ecosystems under conditions where their concentrations become toxic through high loading rates, long-term exposure or altered environmental conditions. Other environmental and pedological concentration mechanisms are discussed, including cation exchange and anion adsorption onto different soil materials. The book is divided into two sections; the first part discusses the sources and fates of metals in ecosystems, with an up-to-date review of the processes which control metal speciation in soils, metal uptake mechanisms, and plant responses to toxic metal concentrations in soils. A clear understanding of these processes and their interactions in soil Table of ContentsPartial table of contents: THEORY AND PROCESSES. Sources and Forms of Potentially Toxic Metals in Soil-Plant Systems(S. Ross). Retention, Transformation and Mobility of Toxic Metals in Soils (S.Ross). Toxic Metals: Fate and Distribution in Contaminated Ecosystems (S.Ross). CASE STUDIES. Mechanisms of Ecosystem Recovery Following 11 Years of NutrientEnrichment in an Old-Field Community (S. Brewer, et al.). The Impact and Fate of Heavy Metals in an Oak Woodland Ecosystem(M. Martin & R. Bullock). Caesium Cycling in Heather Moorland Ecosystems (A. Horrill & G.Clint). A Metal Budget for a Monsoonal Wetland in Northern Australia (C.Finlayson). Index.

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Book SynopsisThe perfect guide for anyone who wants to know more about genetically modified crops -- and why they're a problemTrade Review'A precise and accessible guide to the biotech industry's destructive control over our food' -- Green Shopping Catalogue'The book reveals evidence and proof against the claims that GM food is beneficial for people, and, rather, illuminates the advantages for big businesses of GM food, seed patenting, and agribusiness' -- Oxfam'Highly recommended!' -- Dr Arpad Pusztai, the world's leading expert on plant lectins'Lies and spin are dissected and then pulverised in this copiously documented exposé. Rees unmasks the biotech industry's horrific tactics in their race to take over our food supply and the devastation that their GM crops will inflict if we don't act quickly' -- Jeffrey M. Smith, international best-selling author, Seeds of DeceptionTable of ContentsAcknowledgements Foreword Abbreviations-Acronyms 1. Introduction 2. An Overview 3. The Players 4. Exposing the Wild Claims Made by the Biotech Lobby 5. The Risks and Dangers of GMOs 6. The Biotech Lobby’s Dirty Tricks Department – Part 1 7. The Biotech Lobby’s Dirty Tricks Department – Part 2 8. Setbacks for the Biotech Lobby 9. A More Constructive Way Forward 10. A Last Word Resources References Index

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Book SynopsisIndustries are developing radical, new biotechnology processes to expand and develop their range of products that originate from the world''s forests. As a result of the growing understanding of the process involved, biotechnology is also helping reduce any adverse impact on the environment.; This book presents a review of specialist research directed towards efficient and environmentally sensitive use of forests. An introductory chapter explaining the structure and anatomy of wood is followed by a chapter-by-chapter review of the most current developments on individual topics associated with a wide range of forest products such as timber, trees, pulp and paper, drugs and valuable chemicals. In addition, chapters focus on the ways of resolving some of the environmental problems faced by these industries.Table of ContentsWood as material; biotechnology in the study of brown and white rot decay; biopulping; enzymes in pulp bleaching; anaerobic treatment of pulp mill effluents; bioremediation of soils contaminated with organic wood preservatives; bioremediation of wood treated with preservatives by using white rot fungi; biotechnology production of wood composites; special (secondary) metabolites from wood; wood/bark extracts as adhesive and preservatives; ethanol production and forest products' wastes; production of mushrooms from wood waste substrates; drugs from plants; the role of biological metal chelators in wood degradation and xenobiotic degradation; biological control of wood decay; biological control of forests pests - a biological perspective; transgenic trees; the use of molecular methods for the detecting and identification of wood decay fungi.

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Book SynopsisAgroforestry has come of age during the past fifteen years. During this period, activities and interest in agroforestry education and training have increased tremendously, as in other aspects of agroforestry development. Today, agroforestry is taught at the senior undergraduate and postgraduate levels in many institutions around the world, either as a separate subject or as a part of the regular curricula of agriculture, forestry, ecology, and other related programs. Although several books on the subject have been published during the past few years, there is still no single publication that is recognized as a textbook. This book is an effort to make up for this deficiency. The need for such a book became obvious to me when I was faced with the task of teaching a graduate-level course in agroforestry at the University of Florida five years ago. Subsequently, the Second InternatioTable of ContentsPreface. I: Introduction. 1. The History of Agroforestry. 2. Definition and Concepts of Agroforestry. II: Agroforestry Systems and Practices. 3. Classification of Agroforestry Systems. 4. Distribution of Agroforestry Systems in the Tropics. 5. Shifting Cultivation and Improved Fallows. 6. Taungya. 7. Homegardens. 8. Plantation Crop Combinations. 9. Alley Cropping. 10. Other Agroforestry Systems and Practices. III: Agroforestry Species. 11. General Principles of Plant Productivity. 12. Agroforestry Species: the Multipurpose Trees. 13. Component Interactions. IV: Soil Productivity and Protection. 14. Tropical Soils. 15. Effects of Trees on Soils. 16. Nutrient Cycling and Soil Organic Matter. 17. Nitrogen Fixation. 18. Soil Conservation. V: Design and Evaluation of Agroforestry Systems. 19. The Diagnosis and Design (D&D) Methodology. 20. Field Experiments in Agroforestry. 21. On-Farm Research. 22. Economic Considerations. 23. Sociocultural Considerations. 24. Evaluation of Agroforestry Systems. 25. Agroforestry in the Temperate Zone. Glossary. SI Units and Conversion Factors. List of Acronyms and Abbreviations. Subject Index.

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Book SynopsisOffers a comprehensive introduction to systems biology and a point of entry to detailed literature. Reviews case studies from current research initiatives world-wide. Features chapters on pathogens, reproductive biology, and animal nutrition.Table of ContentsList of Contributors vii Preface xi Chapter 1. Introduction to Systems Biology for Animal Scientists 1Christopher K. Tuggle, Fadi Towfic, and Vasant G. Honavar Chapter 2. Modeling Approaches in Systems Biology, Including Silicon Cell Models 31Alexey N. Kolodkin, Fred C. Boogerd, Frank J. Bruggeman, and Hans V. Westerhoff Chapter 3. The IUPS Physiome Project: A Worldwide Systems Biology Initiative 53Gregory O’Grady, Peng Du, and Leo K. Cheng Chapter 4. Systems Biology in Livestock Health and Disease 83Gordon M. Kirby Chapter 5. Systems Biology of Host–Food–Microbe Interactions in the Mammalian Gut 109Vitor A.P. Martins dos Santos, Michael Muller, Willem M. de Vos, Jerry Wells, Marinus F.W. te Pas, Guido Hooiveld, Peter van Baarlen, Mari A. Smits, and Jaap Keijer Chapter 6. From Visual Biological Models Toward Mathematical Models of the Biology of Complex Traits 137Marinus F.W. te Pas, Arend J.W. Hoekman, and Ina Hulsegge Chapter 7. Molecular Networks as Sensors and Drivers of Uterine Receptivity in Livestock 161Stefan Bauersachs and Eckhard Wolf Chapter 8. Modeling Approaches to Link Various Levels of Organization in Animal Physiology 191Andre Bannink, James France, and Jan Dijkstra Chapter 9. Systems Biology and Animal Nutrition: Insights from the Dairy Cow During Growth and the Lactation Cycle 215Juan J. Loor, Massimo Bionaz, and Guido Invernizzi Chapter 10. Host-Pathogen Interactions 247Mari A. Smits and Dirkjan Schokker Chapter 11. Systems Biology in Livestock Science and Commercial Livestock Business 277Marinus F.W. te Pas, Henri Woelders, and Andre Bannink Index 287

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Book SynopsisFollowing on from the success of the first edition, Smartcities + Eco-Warriors (2010), this book is the latest innovative response on urban resilience from one of the worldâs leading urban design and architectural thinkers. An ecological symbiosis between nature, society and the built form, the Smartcity cultivates new spatial practices and creates diverse forms of resilient landscapes including and beyond urban agriculture.The notion of the Smartcity is developed through a series of international case studies, some commissioned by government organisations, others speculative and polemic. This second edition has nine new case studies, and additional ecological sustainability studies covering sensitivity, design criteria, and assessments for ecological construction plans. The book concludes with two new essays on the romance of trees and the empowering nature of resilient landscapes.Smartcities, Resilient Landscapes + Eco-warriors represents a crucial voice in thTable of ContentsPreface 1. Urban Utopias and the Smartcity. From Soil to Table. The Perpetual Motion Machine. The American Dream Redux. Rise of the Eco-warrior. Scenic Positions. Cultivating Community. Resilient Landscapes 2. A Lexicon for the Smartcity 3. Guangming Smartcity China 4. DuSable Park USA 5. Tangshan Earthquake Memorial Park China 6. Remembering the Great American Plains USA 7. Nordhavnen Smartcity Denmark 8. Daejeon Urban Renaissance South Korea 9. The Tomato Exchange UK 10. Central Open Space: MAC South Korea 11. The Linear Park China 12. A Workplace in a Garden Ireland 13. Guangming Energy Park China 14. Newark Gateway Project USA 15. The City of a Thousand Lakes China 16. Rifle Range Regeneration Malaysia 17. Dongyi Wan East Waterfront China 18. Brockholes Wetland + Woodland Reserve UK 19. The Green Pension Plan UK 20. Wanmu Orchard Wetland China 21. Romance + Resilience: Landscapes of the imagination 22. Anna Andronova The Grand Paris of Niger: Landscape of hope 23. Carolyn Steel Sitopia – The urban future 24. Project and Reproduction Credits Index

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Book SynopsisThis second edition, Smartcities and Eco-warriors: The Ecological Landscapes for Urban Resilience, reflects CJ Lim’s latest research since the original publication, and has six additional case studies, together with a new extensive catalogue of floral and fauna for each landscape and environmental condition. Table of ContentsPreface 1. Urban Utopias and the Smartcity. From Soil to Table. The Perpetual Motion Machine. The American Dream Redux. Rise of the Eco-warrior. Scenic Positions. Cultivating Community. Resilient Landscapes 2. A Lexicon for the Smartcity 3. Guangming Smartcity China 4. DuSable Park USA 5. Tangshan Earthquake Memorial Park China 6. Remembering the Great American Plains USA 7. Nordhavnen Smartcity Denmark 8. Daejeon Urban Renaissance South Korea 9. The Tomato Exchange UK 10. Central Open Space: MAC South Korea 11. The Linear Park China 12. A Workplace in a Garden Ireland 13. Guangming Energy Park China 14. Newark Gateway Project USA 15. The City of a Thousand Lakes China 16. Rifle Range Regeneration Malaysia 17. Dongyi Wan East Waterfront China 18. Brockholes Wetland + Woodland Reserve UK 19. The Green Pension Plan UK 20. Wanmu Orchard Wetland China 21. Romance + Resilience: Landscapes of the imagination 22. Anna Andronova The Grand Paris of Niger: Landscape of hope 23. Carolyn Steel Sitopia – The urban future 24. Project and Reproduction Credits Index

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Book SynopsisEstablished by the Morrill Land-Grant College Act of 1862, America's land-grant universities have had far-reaching influences on the United States and the world. Service as Mandate, Alan I Marcus's second edited collection of insightful essays about land-grant universities, explores how these universities have adapted to meet the challenges of the past sixty-five years and how, having done so, they have helped to create the modern world. From their founding, land-grant schools have provided educational opportunities to millions, producing many of the nation's scientific, technical, and agricultural leaders and spawning countless technological and agricultural innovations. Nevertheless, their history has not always been smooth or without controversy or setbacks. These vital centers of learning and research have in fact been redefined and reconceptualized many times and today bear only a cursory resemblance to their original incarnations. The thirteen essays in this collection explor

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Book SynopsisThis book aims to provide a unifying view of the role of pH in plant growth, taking into account molecular, biochemical, functional, structural, and developmental factors in such growth, as well as environmental processes involved in plant interaction with the biotic and abiotic environment.Table of Contents1. H+-ATPases in the Plasma Membrane: Physiology and Molecular Biology 2. H+-ATPase and H+-PPase in the Vacuolar Membrane: Physiology and Molecular Biology 3. The Cytoplasmic pH Stat 4. Confocal pH Topography in Plant Cells: Shifts of Proton Distribution Involved in Plant Signaling 5. pH as a Signal and Regulator of Membrane Transport 6. The Role of the Apoplastic pH in Cell Wall Extension and Cell Enlargement 7. Mechanisms and Physiological Roles of Proton Movements in Plant Thylakoid Membranes 8. Dynamics of H+ Fluxes in Mitochondrial Membrane 9. H+ Fluxes in Nitrogen Assimilation by Plants 10. Crassulacean Acid Metabolism: A Special Case of pH Regulation and H+ Fluxes 11. Dynamics of H+ Fluxes in the Plant Apoplast 12. H+ Currents around Plant Roots 13. Role of pH in Availability of Ions in Soil 14. Regulation of Microbial Processes by Soil pH 15. The Role of Acid pH in Symbiosis between Plants and Soil Organisms 16. Distribution of Plant Species in Relation to pH of Soil and Water

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Book SynopsisEncyclopedia of Plant and Crop Science is the first-ever single-source reference work to inclusively cover classic and modern studies in plant biology in conjunction with research, applications, and innovations in crop science and agriculture. From the fundamentals of plant growth and reproduction to developments in agronomy and agricultural science, the encyclopedia's authoritative content nurtures communication between these academically distinct yet intrinsically related fields-offering a spread of clear, descriptive, and concise entries to optimally serve scientists, agriculturalists, policy makers, students, and the general public. ALSO AVAILABLE ONLINE This Taylor & Francis encyclopedia is also available through online subscription, offering a variety of extra benefits for both researchers, students, and librarians, including:Citation tracking and alertsActive reference linkingSaved searches and marked lTrade Review"…exceptionally well-illustrated and believe it will become a standard reference in plant and crop science."-Journal of Agricultural and Food Information…the encyclopedia boasts a distinguished international editorial staff!"-Library Journal"…the subjects are treated in current, rigorously accurate ways. The editorial committee has made all the I studied in the 1300-page text readily understandable to any reader who is motivated to understand contemporary, nonsimplified material….a bargain…."…a library acquisition of the first order for any high school, college, or university where those interested in plants abide…..This book is a gold lode waiting for the miner."-David B. Weaver, Department of Agronomy and Soils, Auburn University, Alabama, U.S.A."This outstanding encyclopedia will become the standard online and print reference for plant and crop science…"…Carefully assembled, well written, and fully in line with modern scientific applications…"…The individual authors were well chosen and have contributed important essays…"…An exciting book that ought to be on the shelves of all those interested in plant and crop sciences."-Peter H. Raven, Director, Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis, Missouri, U.S.A. "The new Encyclopedia of Plant and Crop Science is a source of accurate and up-to-date information on the most important topics in higher plant biology and agricultural applications…"…Entries are admirably concise, widely accessible to plant biologists, yet authoritative and impressively comprehensive."-Linda E. Graham, Professor of Botany and Environmental Studies, University of Wisconsin-Madison, U.S.A."…contributors for each particular area of subject matter are the absolute experts in their field."-David B. Weaver, Department of Agronomy and Soils, Auburn University, Alabama, U.S.A. Table of ContentsAbiotic Stress o Agronomy o Anatomy o Biodiversity o Bioinformatics o Biological Control of Pests and Pathogens o Breeding o Cell and Tissue Culture o Cell Division and Cell Cycle o Cropping Systems o Cytogenetics o Domestication o Ecological Indicators o Entomology o Food Security o Gene Regulation o Genetics o Genome Evolution o Genomics o Germplasm o Industrial Uses of Plants and Plant Products o Intellectual Property and Plant Sciences o Medicinal Uses of Plants o Metabolism o Morphology o Nutriceuticals o Pests and Pathogens o Photosynthesis o Phytochemistry o Plant Defenses o Plant Development o Plant Pathology o Plant Physiology o Plant Responses to Environmental Cues o Plant-Microbe Symbioses: Nitrogen Fixation, Mycorrhizae, and More o Plants and People o Plants and Water o Plastids o Reproduction and Propagation o Seeds: Development, Pathogens, Pests, Physiology, and Technologies o Sustainable Agriculture o The Major Crops o Transgenic Plants: Uses and Precautions o Weeds and Weed Control

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Book SynopsisAddressing a topic of major importance to the maintenance of world food supplies, this reference identifies knowledge gaps, defines priorities, and formulates recommendations for the improvement of the rice-wheat farming system. The book reveals new systems of rice intensification and management and illustrates the application of no-till and conservation farming to the rice-wheat system. With contributions from 65 international experts, and case studies from India, Nepal, Pakistan, and Bangladesh, Sustainable Agriculture and the International Rice-Wheat System focuses on seeding equipment and residue management, weed control, water and nutrient efficiency, and integrated pest management.Trade Review"…Dr. Lal and his colleagues are to be warmly congratulated on bringing together the wide range of information in this volume. It [will be] invaluable to many agricultural advisors, as well as…scientists concerned with the optimization of no-till systems .Dennis J. Greenland, Ph.D., Tropical Agriculture Consultant, Reading, and Former Director, Scientific Services, CAB International, Wallingford, EnglandTable of ContentsForeword, Preface, I. Food Security and Natural Resources, II. Challenges and Opportunities of No-Till Farming, III. Applications of No-Till Farming in the Rice-Wheat System, IV. Adaptation of No-Till Farming, V. Social and Economic Issues, VI. Networking and International Cooperation, VII. Conclusions, Index

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Book SynopsisOffers an integrated presentation of the microbial, agronomic and recycling aspects of soil faunal potentials, emphasizing agricultural ecosystems and furnishing methods for modelling food webs. The text covers morphology, reproduction, abundances, basic requirements, competition, predation, parasitism, nutrient cycling and phytopathological interactions, soil physics and agricultural management, plus methods to quantify soil faunal groups.Table of ContentsOrganic inputs and soil metabolism; protozoa - recyclers and indicators of agroecosystem quality; nematodes - harmful and beneficial organisms; enchytraeids; earthworms (lumbricidae - oligochaeta) - important promoters of soil development and soil fertility; springtails and mites - important knots in the food web of soils; gastropods, isopods, diplopods and chilopods - neglected groups of the decomposer food web; spiders, carabids and staphylinids - the ecological potential of predatory macroarthropods; soil-food web interactions and their modelling.

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Book SynopsisThe remarkable work of a brilliant botanist and linguist, this unparalleled critically acclaimed lexicon offers an indispensable guide for all those involved with plants and gardens whether they are growing, studying, or writing about them. Detailing approximately 800 generic names and thousands of species of grasses, including cereals and forages, this 3-volume set lists all relevant properties related to the main and secondary uses of the grasses, as well as detailed descriptions and geographical distribution. Entries include genus, synonyms, and etymology, as well as vernacular and rejected names, and orthographic variants. It provides a huge amount of obscure sources of nearly impossible to find information.Trade Review“… now we have easier and better access to grass data than ever before in human history. That is a marked step forward. Congratulazioni Professor Quattrocchi!” —Daniel F. Austin, Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum Tucson, Book Review Editor, Economic Botany, Vol. 60, No. 4, Winter 2006 “The work is set up as a real dictionary, presenting more than 800 grass genera with thousands of species in alphabetical order. This system is very easy to follow. … will be essential to any library linked to botany, ecology, ethnobotany, general plant science, agriculture or horticulture. It is a great resource for systematic botanists, and has value for whoever else might be interested in grasses. …” —Rainer W. Bussmann, Vice-President and Scientific Director, Nature and Culture International, Texas, in Plant Science Bulletin, No. 53(1), Spring 2007 “…a remarkable work and continuation of Quattrocchi’s excellent botanical writing…an unparalleled achievement. …This 3-volume set is a monumental work indeed, and will be essential to any library linked to botany, ecology, ethnobotany, general plant science, agriculture or horticulture. It is a great resource for systematic botanists, and has value for whoever else might be interested in grasses.” —Rainer W. Bussmann, Vice-President and Scientific Director, Nature and Culture International in the Plant Science Bulletin 53(1) 2007 “I think very highly of this work, which is better even than Umberto’s World Dictionary of Plant Names book. The breadth of his research is very impressive and gives us a remarkable compendium of facts about grasses. It represents an achievement unparalleled, to my knowledge, by any other botanist, compiler, taxonomist or encyclopaedist.” “…Umberto says that his opus is not complete in itself, and indeed this sort of work can be never-ending. But I believe that each entry is as complete as it can possibly be, and it is hard to imagine that this magisterial work could ever be improved upon...The scheme is alphabetical, and easy to follow. Each genus and species has a detailed morphological description, a note of its geographical distribution, and a list of synonyms and vernacular names in many languages. Habitats, economic uses, historical and biographical allusions, botanical exploration and linguistics are all detailed. Most important are the bibliographies, which accompany each entry. These are comprehensive, up-to-date and multi-lingual. They represent years of painstaking research, and will be of incalculable use to students and researchers in the future.” —Charles Quest-Ritson “…any work of this kind cannot be comprehensive, in particular when considering plant diversity on a global scale and the multitude of languages spoken today, all of them possessing names for plants. Therefore, an in-depth study of a single plant family is most welcome... For good reasons, Quattrocchi has chosen the grasses, a very large plant group, worldwide in distribution and of prime importance for the world economy, including such major crops as wheat, rice, maize, sugar, and barley, to mention just a few important ones. And he is most suited to do this job: he is well-read, multilingual, possessing a general level of culture equaled by few, and therefore able to go back into etymology and history, often right to the original mention of a particular grass name in the scientific literature long before Linnaeus. Quattrocchi has had to deal with tens of thousands of grass names and a considerable number of languages, several of them used only outside Europe for an obvious reason. This plant group dominates many extensive areas of the globe: the prairies in temperate North America, the forests of bamboo in Southeast Asia, the dry savannahs in subtropical Africa, as well as the spinifex grassland of central Australia or, in Europe, the wetlands in the Danube delta densely covered by reeds. In short, this new dictionary helps us to understand the complex background of grass names and forms an invaluable addition to our knowledge of this plant family.” — from the foreword by H.-Walter Lack Botanischer Garten und Botanisches Museum, Berlin-Dahlem, Freie Universität Berlin"…we have easier and better access to grass data than ever before in human history. That is a marked step forward. Congrtulazioni Professor Quattrocchi!"—Daniel F. Austin, Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum, Tucson, Arizona in Economic Botany 60 (2008)Table of ContentsAlphabetical listing of entries

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Book SynopsisResearch data is expensive and precious, yet it is seldom fully utilized due to our ability of comprehension. Graphical display is desirable, if not absolutely necessary, for fully understanding large data sets with complex interconnectedness and interactions. The newly developed GGE biplot methodology is a superior approach to the graphical analysis of research data and may revolutionize the way researchers analyze data. GGE Biplot Analysis: A Graphical Tool for Breeders, Geneticists, and Agronomists introduces the theory of the GGE biplot methodology and describes its applications in visual analysis of multi-environment trial (MET) data and other types of research data. The text includes three parts: I) Genotype by environment interaction and stability analysis, II) GGE biplot and multi-environment trial (MET) data analysis, and III) GGE biplot software and applications in analyzing other types of two-way data. Part I presents a comprehensive but succinct treatment of genotypTable of ContentsGenotype-by-Environment Interaction. Stability Analyses in Plant Breeding and Performance Trials. Theory of Biplot. Introduction to GGE Biplot. Biplot Analysis of Multi-environment Trial Data. GGE Biplot Software-The Solution for GGE Biplot Analyses. Cultivar Evaluation Based on Multiple Traits. QTL Identification Using Biplots. Biplot Analysis of Diallel Data. Biplot Analysis of Host Genotype-by-Pathogen Strain Interactions. Biplot Analysis to Detect Synergism Between Genotypes of Different Species.

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Book SynopsisDevelopments in soil classification have accompanied parallel progress in our understanding of the soil system. However the theories behind the classifications and the purposes for which they were created have changed over time. The editors hope that this comprehensive synthesis will help to rally soil scientists around the world to develop an acceptable classification system for soils. It is only when the global soil science community agrees to such a system that we can truly say that we have science. Soil Classification: A Global Desk Reference is the first book to illustrate the current state of national and international soil classification systems. In this groundbreaking reference, distinguished soil scientists, many of whom were involved in the design of their respective national or international systems, evaluate developments in soil classification during the last century. They review the concepts, practices, and goals that led to the creation of individual classificatioTable of ContentsCONCEPTS AND INNOVATIONS IN SOIL CLASSIFICATION. Philosophies of Soil Classification: From Is to Does. How Good is Our Classification? Soil Classifications: Past and Present. Conceptual Basis for Soil Classification: Lessons from the Past. Soil Classification and Soil Research. Back to the Old Paradigms of Soil Classification. Incorporating Anthropogenic Processes in Soil Classification. Developments in Soil Chemistry and Soil Classification. DEVELOPMENTS IN CLASSIFICATION SYSTEMS. Demands on Soil Classification in Australia. Development of Soil Classification in China. The Brazilian Soil Classification System. The Future of the FAO Legend and the FAO/UNESCO Soil Map of the World. The Current French Approach to a Soilscapes Typology. New Zealand Soil Classification - Purposes and Principles. Changing Concepts of Soil and Soil Classification in Russia. Advances in South African Soil Classification System. Soil Taxonomy and Soil Survey. Classification of Soils of the Tropics: A Reassessment of Soil Taxonomy. Anticipated Developments of the World Reference Base for Soil Resources.

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Book SynopsisIdentity-Preserved Systems: A Reference Handbook provides background for the development of processes or systems of maintaining the segregation of and documenting the identity of a product. Growers and other parties that handle, transport, condition, or process the identity-preserved (IP) product must follow strict growing and handling practices, including segregation, inspections, and cleaning of equipment to prevent other varieties from mixing with or contaminating the IP variety. The key to this system is traceability. Each production, processing, and delivery step is documented, so that products can be traced from the store shelf back to the farmers' fields and every stage in between.The need for Identity Preservation (IP) is rapidly becoming of major importance in the world trade of agricultural crops that are enhanced genetically, grown under specific conditions, or have specific characteristics which must be identified and maintained from the seed planted to the delivery of the crop to the end-user. The handbook serves as an authoritative resource that unifies IP efforts, outlines the protocols for IP systems, and includes an operational manual that may be used at any point in the value-chain of the production and marketing effort.This handbook describes an overall identity-preserved (IP) system, which may be utilized in ways that will meet the particular needs of the parties involved in specific trade agreements. It discusses the background of IP systems originating in the seed industry, the basics of a total IP system, and the potential electronic transfer of data and documents. By using the system of identity-preserved verification provided in Identity-Preserved Systems, the seed, specialty crop, and grain and oilseed industries can easily provide products that are identified with a paper trail verifying identity, product quality, and special characteristics.Trade Review"… the writing is direct and clear ... During the past 40 plus years I have been involved with plant genetics and breeding and have become familiar with most of the aspects discussed in the manual … I have neither seen nor been aware of a book that included all aspects of maintaining seed purity such as is included in this manual."-Arnel R. Hallauer, C.F. Curtiss Distinguished Professor in Agriculture, Iowa State Universitywriting is direct and clear ... During the past 40 plus years I have been involved with plant genetics and breeding and have become familiar with most of the aspects discussed in the manual … I have neither seen nor been aware of a book that included all aspects of maintaining seed purity such as is included in this manual."-Arnel R. Hallauer, C.F. Curtiss Distinguished Professor in Agriculture, Iowa State UniversityTable of ContentsINTRODUCTION AND THEORY: Introduction. Crop Differentiation. Basics of an Identity-Preserved (IP) System. APPLICATION: A Complete Value-Chain IP System. Mechanics and Economics of IP Systems. Inspections, Sampling, and Testing. Verification and Documentation Requirements. Third-Party Inspection, Testing, and Verification. SEPARATE RELATED TOPICS: Innovations in IP. Implications for Each Value-Chain Level. Scenarios Regarding the Demand for IP Crops. GMO: Genetically Modified Organisms. Country Requirements for Importation. Existing IP systems. APPENDICES. GLOSSARY.

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Book SynopsisForest Certification examines the historical roots of forest certification, the factors that guide the development of protocols, the players involved, the factors determining the customers to be certified, and the benefits of certification. It covers terminology and issues that direct the structure of standards, the similarities between indicatorsTable of Contents"

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Book SynopsisI've seen the Sudan, traveled in South and Central America and been all over Europe, but I've never seen what I've been able to see on this tour [of the Loess Plateau, China].-Ed Skidmore, soil scientist, WindErosion Research Unit of the Agricultural Research Service, USDA, Manhattan, KansasOverpopulation is at the core of most environmental problems. The impacts of continued growth-with world population reaching 6 billion in October 1999-are felt in most parts of the world. China, the most populous nation, illustrates many of the pivotal problems-and solutions.Although China faces the same effects of overpopulation as the rest of the world, it still feeds over a billion people on a tillable area that allows about one tenth of a hectare per person. The country's efforts to tie together soil and water conservation, dryland farming, and economic development have been largely successful. Soil Erosion and Dryland Farming explores these trials and the lessons learned Trade Review"Soil Erosion and Dryland Farming presents these techniques and technologies to give you a forward looking perspective into the field, as well as the larger problem of tailoring food production to sustain the population."--Vol. 32 NO. 1- 2001; Agricultural Mechanization in Asia, Africa and Latin AmericaTable of ContentsSection I: Dryland Farming Systems and Soil Water Management. Section II: Environmental Quality and Sustainability. Section III: Erosion Control Techniques and Strategies. Section IV: Soil and Water Conservation Planning and Regional Development. Section V: Water and Wind Erosion Processes. Section VI: Conclusions

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Book SynopsisThis volume provides the origins and meanings of the names of genera and species of extant vascular plants, with the genera arranged alphabetically from A to C.Table of Contents1. A 2. B 3. C

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