Agricultural science Books

Book SynopsisGrapes (Vitis spp. ) are economically the most important fruit species in the world. Over the last decades many scientific advances have led to understand more deeply key physiological, biochemical, and molecular aspects of grape berry maturation.Table of ContentsList of contributors x 1 Grapevines in a changing environment: a global perspective 1Gregory V. Jones 1.1 Introduction 2 1.2 Climate suitability for viticulture and wine production 4 1.3 Climate change and variability 6 1.4 Environmental impacts on viticulture and wine production 8 1.5 Conclusions 12 References 13 2 The ups and downs of environmental impact on grapevines: future challenges in temperate viticulture 18H.R. Schultz and M. Hofmann 2.1 Introduction 19 2.2 Variability and trends in evapotranspiration and precipitation – global is ≠ regional 20 2.3 Variability and trends in plant water status globally and regionally 24 2.4 The underground risk of variability affecting above ground quality 27 2.5 The CO2 problem 29 References 32 3 Drought and water management in Mediterranean vineyards 38O. Zarrouk, J.M. Costa, R. Francisco, C. Lopes and M.M. Chaves 3.1 Introduction 39 3.2 Varietal adaptation to water scarcity and heat stress 40 3.3 Deficit irrigation – a tool to increase transpiration efficiency and control grapevine and berry growth/development 43 3.4 Soil management practices 47 3.5 Impact of deficit irrigation on berry metabolism 50 References 59 4 Rootstocks as a component of adaptation to environment 68N. Ollat, A. Peccoux (deceased), D. Papura, D. Esmenjaud, E. Marguerit, J.‐P. Tandonnet, L. Bordenave, S.J. Cookson, F. Barrieu, L. Rossdeutsch, J. Lecourt, V. Lauvergeat, P. Vivin, P.‐F. Bert and S. Delrot 4.1 Introduction 69 4.2 Main components of root architecture and morphology 71 4.3 Rootstock as a key component to cope with pests 72 4.4 Contribution of rootstocks to drought responses 78 4.5 Rootstocks to cope with salinity 86 4.6 Iron chlorosis and rootstocks 88 4.7 Concluding remarks 93 Acknowledgements 93 References 94 5 Carbon balance in grapevine under a changing climate 109H. Medrano, J. Perez Peña, J. Prieto, M. Tomás, N. Franck and J.M. Escalona 5.1 General introduction 110 5.2 Grapevine carbon balance as an integration of different physiological processes: main components of carbon fluxes 111 5.3 How to measure the plant carbon balance 114 5.4 Environment and genotype affect whole plant carbon fluxes 123 5.5 Whole plant carbon fluxes and carbon footprint calculation 126 5.6 Future challenges 127 Acknowledgements 127 References 128 6 Embolism formation and removal in grapevines: a phenomenon affecting hydraulics and transpiration upon water stress 135Sara Tramontini and Claudio Lovisolo 6.1 Introduction 136 6.2 Organs affected 137 6.3 Spread and recovery 138 6.4 Genotype effect 141 6.5 Conclusions 143 Acknowledgements 143 References 143 7 Grapevine under light and heat stresses 148Alberto Palliotti and Stefano Poni 7.1 Introduction 149 7.2 Light and heat stresses: excess 150 7.3 Effects of light and heat stress on morphostructural and biochemical characteristics at leaf and shoot level 151 7.4 Effects of light and heat stress on physiological behaviour 154 7.5 Effects of light and heat stress on vine yield and grape composition 162 7.6 Energy dissipation mechanisms 164 7.7 Protective strategies 166 7.8 Conclusions 169 Acknowledgements 170 References 171 8 Remote sensing and other imaging technologies to monitor grapevine performance 179Hamlyn G. Jones and Olga M. Grant 8.1 Introduction 180 8.2 Sensor technologies 181 8.3 Deployment of sensors 189 8.4 Applications 190 8.5 Concluding comments 195 References 196 9 Boron stress in grapevine: current developments and future prospects 202Carlos Meyer‐Regueiro, Rudolf Schlechter, Carmen Espinoza, Alejandro Bisquertt, Felipe Aquea and Patricio Arce‐Johnson 9.1 Introduction 203 9.2 Function of boron in plants 205 9.3 Stress triggered by boron in grapevine 207 9.4 Uptake and transport mechanisms of boron in plants 209 9.5 Grapevine boron transporters VvBOR 212 9.6 Conclusion and outlook 218 Acknowledgements 219 References 219 10 Berry response to water light and heat stresses 223Jérémy Pillet, Mariam Berdeja, Le Guan and Serge Delrot 10.1 Introduction 224 10.2 Berry composition 225 10.3 Abiotic stress and grapevine physiology 233 10.4 Abiotic stress in grapevine berry and its impact on berry quality 236 10.5 Concluding remarks 245 Acknowledgements 246 References 246 11 Grapevine responses to low temperatures 258Mélodie Sawicki, Cédric Jacquard, Christophe Clément, Essaïd Aït Barka and Nathalie Vaillant‐Gaveau 11.1 Introduction 259 11.2 Distribution and acclimation 260 11.3 Modifications to plant cell membranes 260 11.4 Formation of ice 261 11.5 Photosynthesis and photosynthesis‐related pigments 262 11.6 Calcium and cold temperatures 264 11.7 Cold‐mediated transcription regulation 265 11.8 Expression of pathogenesis‐related genes and synthesis of antifreeze proteins 266 11.9 Changes in phytohormone metabolism 266 11.10 Cold‐induced osmolites/osmoprotectants 267 11.11 Effect on reproductive organs 270 11.12 Effect of microorganisms on cold tolerance in grapevine 271 11.13 Conclusion 272 Acknowledgements 272 References 272 12 Metabolic rearrangements in grapevine response to salt stress 279Artur Conde, R. Breia, J. Moutinho‐Pereira, Jérôme Grimplet and Hernâni Gerós 12.1 Introduction 280 12.2 NaCl toxicity and irrigation and cultivar dependency 281 12.3 Metabolic readjustments in response to salt stress 284 12.4 Conclusions and future perspectives 291 Acknowledgements 292 References 293 13 Copper stress in grapevine 299Viviana Martins, António Teixeira, Mohsen Hanana, Eduardo Blumwald and Hernâni Gerós 13.1 Introduction 300 13.2 Grapevine diseases and copper‐based fungicides 301 13.3 Effect of copper in grapevine physiology and mineral balance 301 13.4 Intracellular accumulation of copper in grape cells 304 13.5 Effect of copper in grapevine metabolism and in grape berry composition 307 13.6 Effect of copper in soil and berry microbiome 309 13.7 Effect of copper in fermentation and wine quality 311 13.8 Conclusions 313 Acknowledgements 313 References 313 14 Grapevine abiotic and biotic stress genomics and identification of stress markers 320Jérôme Grimplet 14.1 Introduction 321 14.2 Abiotic stress 323 14.3 Biotic stress 333 14.4 Conclusions 339 Acknowledgements 339 References 339 15 Exploiting Vitis genetic diversity to manage with stress 347Pablo Carbonell‐Bejerano, Luisa Cristina de Carvalho, José Eduardo Eiras Dias, José M. Martínez‐Zapater and Sara Amâncio 15.1 Introduction 348 15.2 Grapevine diversity 348 15.3 Grapevine responses and adaptation to stressful conditions 351 15.4 Breeding strategies to manage with stress 357 15.5 Conclusions 368 Acknowledgements 369 References 369 Index 381

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Book SynopsisAn in-depth treatment of cutting-edge work being done internationally to develop new techniques in crop nutritional quality improvement Phytonutritional Improvement of Crops explores recent advances in biotechnological methods for the nutritional enrichment of food crops.Table of ContentsList of Contributors xv Foreword xxi 1 Important Plant-Based Phytonutrients 1Avik Basu, Saikat Kumar Basu, Ratnabali Sengupta, Muhammad Asif, Xianping Li, Yanshan Li, Arvind Hirani, Peiman Zandi, Muhammad Sajad, Francisco Solorio-Sánchez, Ambrose Obongo Mbuya, William Cetzal-Ix, Sonam Tashi, Tshitila Jongthap,Danapati Dhungyel and Mukhtar Ahmad List of Abbreviations 1 1.1 Introduction 2 1.2 Nutraceuticals and Functional Foods in Human Health 3 1.3 Plants with Potential for Use as Nutraceutical Source and Functional Food Component 49 1.4 Nutraceutical Values of Fenugreek 49 1.4.1 Fenugreek Possesses the Following Medicinal Properties 50 1.5 Coloured Potatoes as Functional Food 51 1.6 Red Wine as Functional Food 54 1.7 Tea as Functional Food 54 1.8 Cereals as Nutraceuticals 55 1.9 Nutraceutical Properties of Wheat Bran and Germ 58 1.9.1 Wheat Bran 58 1.9.2 Wheat Germ 59 1.10 Barley and Oat as Nutraceuticals 59 1.11 Value-Added Products 59 1.12 Conclusion 61 Acknowledgements 61 References 61 2 Biotechnological Interventions for Improvement of Plant Nutritional Value: From Mechanisms to Applications 83 Rajan Katoch, Sunil Kumar Singh and Neelam Thakur 2.1 Introduction 83 2.2 Improvement of Food Nutrition 84 2.3 Improvement of Nutritional Value Through Crop Improvement 85 2.4 Identification of Genes With the Potential to Improve the Nutritional Quality 86 2.5 Genetic Engineering for the Introduction of Nutritionally Potential Genes 90 2.6 Nutritional Improvement Through Recent Biotechnological Advances 92 2.7 Production of Health Care Products 94 2.7.1 The Development of Oral Vaccines in Plant System 95 2.7.2 Advantages of Plant System in the Development of Oral Vaccines 96 2.7.3 Edible Vaccine against Hepatitis B Virus 98 2.8 Major Biotechnological Advances in Nutritional Improvement of Plants 99 2.9 Conclusion 100 References 100 3 Nutrient Biofortification of Staple Food Crops: Technologies, Products and Prospects 113Chavali Kameswara Rao and Seetharam Annadana 3.1 Introduction 113 3.2 The Concepts of Nutrition and Malnutrition 114 3.2.1 Nutrition, Macronutrients, Micronutrients and Balanced Diets 114 3.2.2 Hunger, Nutritional Security, Undernutrition and Malnutrition 116 3.2.3 The Metabolic Syndrome 116 3.3 Strategies to Enhance Nutrient Intake and Nutrient Content of Plant Foods 118 3.3.1 Interventions to Enhance Nutrient Intake 118 3.3.2 Technologies for Biofortification 119 3.3.3 Common Genetic Engineering Technologies 120 3.3.4 Alternative Genetic Engineering Technologies 122 3.3.5 Recent Genetic Engineering Technologies 123 3.3.6 Moral and Ethical Arguments Against Genetic Engineering Technologies 124 3.4 Quantitative and Qualitative Modification of Dietary Carbohydrates 125 3.4.1 The Carbohydrates 125 3.4.2 Modifying Levels of Components of Starch 128 3.4.3 Engineering Levels of Fructans 129 3.4.4 Quantitative and Qualitative Enhancement Dietary Fibre 130 3.5 Quantitative and Qualitative Enhancement of Proteins and Amino Acids 131 3.5.1 The Proteins and Amino Acids 131 3.5.2 Enhancement of Total Protein 132 3.5.3 Enhancement of Levels of Lysine 132 3.5.4 Enhancement of Levels of Methionine 133 3.5.5 Simultaneous Enhancement of levels Several Amino Acids 133 3.5.6 Artificial Storage Protein 133 3.5.7 Alternate Interventions 134 3.5.8 Non]Proteinogenic Amino Acids 135 3.6 Quantitative and Qualitative Enhancement of Fatty Acids in Oil Seed Crops 136 3.6.1 Lipids, Fats and Oils 136 3.6.2 Cholesterol 136 3.6.3 Characterisation of Fatty Acids, Dietary Fats and Oils 136 3.6.4 Quantitative and Qualitative Improvement of Oil Seed Crops 137 3.6.5 The New Shift in Fat Paradigm and Its Implications 140 3.7 Enhancement of Levels of Vitamins 141 3.7.1 The Vitamins 141 3.7.2 Retinoids (Vitamin A) 142 3.7.3 Folate (Vitamin B9) 145 3.7.4 Ascorbic Acid (Vitamin C) 146 3.7.5 Tocopherols (Vitamin E) 147 3.7.6 Multi]vitamin Corn 148 3.8 Enhancement of Levels of Mineral Elements 148 3.8.1 Role of Mineral Elements in Human Health 148 3.8.2 Iron (Fe) 150 3.8.3 Zinc (Zn) 152 3.8.4 Calcium (Ca) 154 3.8.5 Selenium (Se) 155 3.8.6 Iodine (I) 156 3.8.7 Fluoride (Fl) 157 3.9 Enhancement of Antioxidants 157 3.9.1 The Antioxidants 157 3.9.2 Lycopene 158 3.9.3 Flavonoids 159 3.9.4 Carotenoids 159 3.9.5 Other Antioxidants 160 3.9.6 Thermal Stability of Antioxidants 160 3.10 Mitigation of Levels of Antinutritional Factors 160 3.10.1 The Antinutritional Factors 160 3.10.2 Phytate 160 3.10.3 Inhibitors of Digestive Enzymes 162 3.10.4 Reducing Levels of Allergens 162 3.10.5 Other Significant Antinutritional Factors 163 3.11 Conclusions and Recommendations 163 Acknowledgement 167 References 167 4 Applications of RNA-Interference and Virus-Induced Gene Silencing (VIGS) for Nutritional Genomics in Crop Plants 185Subodh Kumar Sinha and Basavaprabhu L. Patil 4.1 Introduction 185 4.2 RNA Interference 186 4.2.1 RNAi in Modification of Primary Metabolism 186 4.2.2 RNAi for Modification of Secondary Metabolism 188 4.3 Virus-Induced Gene Silencing (VIGS) for Biofortification 192 4.4 Conclusions 195 References 196 5 Strategies for Enhancing Phytonutrient Content in Plant-Based Foods 203Carla S. Santos, Noureddine Benkeblia and Marta W. Vasconcelos 5.1 Introduction 203 5.2 What are Phytonutrients? 204 5.3 Which Plant-Based Foods are the Best Known Sources of Phytonutrients? 205 5.4 How Can We Enhance Phytonutrients? 207 5.4.1 Conventional Breeding 207 5.4.2 Molecular Breeding 208 5.4.3 Metabolic Engineering and Genetic Modification 208 5.5 Phenotyping for Phytonutrients at Different Levels 210 5.5.1 Low Throughput Techniques 210 5.5.2 High]Throughput Techniques 213 5.6 The Future Ahead/Concluding Remarks 216 Acknowledgements 217 References 217 6 The Use of Genetic Engineering to Improve the Nutritional Profile of Traditional Plant Foods 233Marta R.M. Lima, Carla S. Santos and Marta W. Vasconcelos 6.1 Introduction 233 6.1.1 Nutrients in Plant Foods 233 6.1.2 Consequences of Malnutrition 235 6.1.3 Strategies to Overcome Malnutrition 235 6.2 What Are Genetically Engineered Crops? 236 6.2.1 Plant Genetic Transformation Technologies 236 6.2.2 Traditional Foods with Enhanced Nutritional Profiles: Case Studies 238 6.3 GM Plant Foods Under Approval for Commercial Utilisation 245 6.4 Socioeconomic Impact and Safety of GM Foods 247 Acknowledgements 248 References 248 7 Carotenoids: Biotechnological Improvements for Human Health and Sustainable Development 259George G. Khachatourians 7.1 Introduction 259 7.2 Occurrence 260 7.3 Discovery and Early History 260 7.4 Carotenoids Use in Human Foods and Biotechnology 262 7.5 Use of Carotenoids in Animal Feed 264 7.6 Global Market Situation and Sustainability 264 7.7 Carotenoid Biosynthesis and Function in Plants 266 7.8 Conclusion and Perspectives 268 References 268 8 Progress in Enrichment and Metabolic Profiling of Diverse Carotenoids in Tropical Fruits: Importance of Hyphenated Techniques 271Bangalore Prabhashankar Arathi, Poorigali Raghavendra]Rao Sowmya, Kariyappa Vijay, Vallikannan Baskaran and Rangaswamy Lakshminarayana 8.1 Introduction 271 8.2 Trends in Biosynthesis of Carotenoids and their Profiling in Plants and Tropical Fruits 274 8.3 Biotechnological Approaches to Enrich Carotenoids in Tropical Fruits 281 8.3.1 Conventional Approaches to Enrich Carotenoids in Tropical Fruits 283 8.3.2 Pre] and Post]Harvest Technology to Improve Carotenoids Contents in Tropical Fruits 283 8.4 Bioaccessibility and Bioavailability of Carotenoids From Fruits and Their Products 285 8.5 Techniques to Characterise Carotenoids from Fruits 291 8.6 Conclusion 294 Acknowledgements 294 References 295 9 Improvement of Carotenoid Accumulation in Tomato Fruit 309Lihong Liu, Zhiyong Shao, Min Zhang, Tianyu Liu, Haoran Liu, Shuo Li, Yuanyuan Liu and Qiaomei Wang List of Abbreviations 309 9.1 Introduction 310 9.2 Metabolism of Carotenoid in Tomato 312 9.2.1 Biosynthesis of Carotenoid 312 9.2.2 Catabolism of Carotenoid 315 9.3 The Biosynthetic Capacities of the Plastid 316 9.4 Hormonal Regulatory Network of Carotenoid Metabolism 317 9.4.1 Ethylene 317 9.4.2 Jasmonates 318 9.4.3 Brassinosteroids 319 9.4.4 Abscisic acid 319 9.4.5 Gibberellin 320 9.4.6 Auxin 320 9.5 Environmental Regulation of Carotenoid Metabolism 320 9.5.1 Light 320 9.5.2 Temperature 322 9.5.3 Carbon Dioxide (CO2) 322 9.5.4 Post]Harvest Regulation 322 9.6 Bioavailability of Carotenoid 322 9.7 Food Omics 324 Acknowledgements 324 References 327 10 Modern Biotechnologies and Phytonutritional Improvement of Grape and Wine 339Atanas Atanassov, Teodora Dzhambazova, Ivanka Kamenova, Ivan Tsvetkov, Vasil Georgiev, Ivayla Dincheva, Ilian Badjakov, Dasha Mihaylova, Miroslava Kakalova, Atanas Pavlov and Plamen Mollov 10.1 Grape Genomics 339 10.1.1 Identifying Genes Behind the Main Secondary Metabolites 340 10.1.2 Identifying Disease Resistance Genes in Vitis sp.—a New Level of Grapevine Breeding 341 10.2 Marker Assisted Selection (MAS) and Genomic Selection (GS) of Grapevine 342 10.3 Engineered Resistance to Viruses 343 10.4 Diagnosis of Grapevine Viruses 350 10.4.1 Biological Assays 350 10.4.2 Serological Assays 350 10.4.3 Molecular Assays 351 10.5 Phytonutritional Compounds with Biological Activity in Grape and Wine and Their Target Analyses 353 10.5.1 Biologically Active Substances Found in Grape and Wine 353 10.5.2 LC]MS and GC]MS Based Analysis and Metabolomics 358 10.5.3 NMR–Based Metabolomic Analysis of Grape and Wine 360 10.6 Wine Quality 361 10.6.1 What is the Particular Meaning We Imply to the Term ‘Quality of Wine’? 361 10.6.2 How is the Wine Quality Created? 362 10.7 Grapevine Genetic Resources] Prospects in Management and Sustainable Use 367 10.7.1 European Policy, Regulation and Coordination Initiatives 367 10.7.2 Vitis Grapevine Genebanks, Collections and Databases 368 10.7.3 European Scientific Achievements 369 References 370 11 Phytonutrient Improvements of Sweetpotato 391 Noureddine Benkeblia 391 11.1 Introduction 391 11.2 Nutritional Qualities of Sweetpotato 393 11.3 Phytonutrient Improvements of Sweetpotato 396 10.3.1 Sweetpotato Improvement for β]Carotene 396 10.3.2 Sweetpotato Improvement for Anthocyanins and Phenolics 397 10.3.3 Other Nutrient Improvements 399 11.4 Conclusion and Future Perspectives 399 Acknowledgements 400 References 400 12 Improvement of Glucosinolate in Cruciferous Crops 407Huiying Miao, Bo Sun, Yanting Zhao, Hongmei Qian, Congxi Cai, Jiaqi Chang, Mingdan Deng, Xin Zhang and Qiaomei Wang List of Abbreviations 407 12.1 Introduction 408 12.2 Glucosinolate Breakdown 408 12.2.1 Glucosinolate Breakdown Upon Tissue Damage 409 12.2.2 Glucosinolate Breakdown in Living Plant Cell 410 12.2.3 Glucosinolate Hydrolysis in Mammalian 411 12.3 Biological Functions of Glucosinolates and Their Hydrolysis Products 411 12.3.1 Anticarcinogenic Mechanism 411 12.3.2 Other Chemopeventive Effects 413 12.3.3 Adverse Effects 413 12.4 Glucosinolate Biosynthesis 414 12.4.1 Side-Chain Elongation 414 12.4.2 Formation of Core Glucosinolate Structure 414 12.4.3 Secondary Modifications 416 12.4.4 Regulators of Glucosinolate Biosynthetic Pathway 416 12.5 Metabolic Engineering of Glucosinolates in Brassica Crops 418 12.6 Glucosinolate Accumulation under Pre-Harvest and Post-Harvest Handlings 421 12.6.1 Effects of Light on Glucosinolate Accumulation 422 12.6.2 Chemical Regulation of Glucosinolate Accumulation 423 12.6.3 Glucosinolate Changes upon Post-Harvest Handlings 427 12.7 Conclusions and Future Prospects 432 Acknowledgements 433 References 433 13 Development of the Transgenic Rice Accumulating Flavonoids in Seed by Metabolic Engineering 451Yuko Ogo and Fumio Takaiwa 13.1 Introduction 451 13.2 Production of Flavonoids in Rice Seed by Ectopic Expression of the Biosynthetic Enzymes 454 13.3 Production of Flavonoids in Rice Seed by Ectopic Expression of the Transcription Factors 458 13.4 Characterisation of Flavonoids in Transgenic Rice Seed by LC–MS-based Metabolomics 460 13.5 Future Prospects 461 References 463 14 Nutrient Management for High Efficiency Sweetpotato Production 471Yong]Chun Zhang, Ji]Dong Wang, Yan]Xi Shi and Dai]Fu Ma 14.1 Patterns of Growth and Development and Nutrient Absorption in Sweetpotato 471 14.1.1 Area under Sweetpotato 471 14.1.2 Growth Characteristics 471 14.1.3 Nutrient Requirements 472 14.1.4 Factors Affecting Nutrient Absorption 472 14.2 Screening of High Efficient of Potassium Uptake and Utilised Genotypes 474 14.2.1 Potassium Deficiency 474 14.2.2 Potassium Use Efficiency and Utilisation Efficiency 476 14.2.3 Screening of High Uptake Efficiency Genotypes 476 14.2.4 Screening of High Use Efficiency Genotypes 478 14.3 Effect of Fertilisers 480 14.3.1 Effect of Nitrogen Application 480 14.3.2 Effect of Phosphorus Application 482 14.3.3 Effect of Potassium Application 482 14.3.4 Effect of Nitrogen, Phosphorus, and Potassium Application on Yield 483 14.4 Balanced Fertiliser Management in Sweetpotato at Sishui, Shandong: A Case Study 483 14.4.1 General Description of Area 483 14.4.2 Major Steps Towards Balanced Application of Fertilisers 485 14.4.3 Establishment and Application of an Expert Consultation System 491 14.5 Application of Fertilisers Through Drip Irrigation (‘Fertigation’) 493 14.5.1 Effect of Supplying Fertilisers Through Drip Irrigation on Sweetpotato 494 14.5.2 Input/output Ratio in Application of Fertilisers Through Drip Irrigation 495 Acknowledgements 495 References 495 Index 499

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Book SynopsisThis textbook explains the various aspects of sustainable agricultures to undergraduate and graduate students. The book first quantifies the components of the crop energy balance, i.e. the partitioning of net radiation, and their effect on the thermal environment of the canopy. The soil water balance and the quantification of its main component (evapotranspiration) are studied to determine the availability of water to rain fed crops and to calculate crop water requirements. Then it sets the limitations of crop production in relation to crop phenology, radiation interception and resource availability (e.g. nutrients). With that in mind the different agricultural techniques (sowing, tillage, irrigation, fertilization, harvest, application of pesticides, etc.) are analyzed with special emphasis in quantifying the inputs (sowing rates, fertilizer amounts, irrigation schedules, tillage plans) required for a given target yield under specific environmental conditions (soil & climate). For all techniques strategies are provided for improving the ratio productivity/resource use while ensuring sustainability. The book comes with online practical focusing on the key aspects of management in a crop rotation (collecting weather data, calculating productivity, sowing rates, irrigation programs, fertilizers rates etc). Table of ContentsPART A: CROPS AND THE ENVIRONMENT.- Chapter 1. Introduction to agricultural systems.- Chapter 2. The soil. Physical and chemical properties.- Chapter 3. Radiation balance.- Chapter 4. Wind and turbulence.- Chapter 5. Air temperature and humidity.- Chapter 6. Soil temperature.- Chapter 7. The energy balance.- Chapter 8. Water balance: Infiltration, runoff and percolation.- Chapter 9. Evapotranspiration and crop water requirements.- PART B: DETERMINANTS OF CROP PRODUCTIVITY Chapter 10 Crop development and growth.- Chapter 11 Photosynthesis and respiration.- Chapter 12 Density and competition.- Chapter 13. Potential productivity.- Chapter 14 Water-limited productivity.- Chapter 15. Other limitations to crop productivity.- PART C: SOWING, SOIL MANAGEMENT AND SOIL CONSERVATION.- Chapter 16. Planting and sowing.- Chapter 17. Tillage.- Chapter 18. Soil erosion and soil conservation.- PART D: WATER MANAGEMENT AND CONTROL OF SALINITY.- Chapter 19. Irrigation systems.- Chapter 20. Irrigation scheduling.- Chapter 21. Deficit irrigation.- Chapter 22. Control of salinity.- PART E: FERTILIZER MANAGEMENT.- Chapter 23. Fertilizers.- Chapter 24. N fertilization.- Chapter 25. P, K and other nutrients.- Chapter 26. Fertigation.- PART F: ENVIRONMENTAL CONTROL AND OTHER TECHNIQUES.- Chapter 27. Windbreaks, agroforestry.- Chapter 28. Temperature modification.- Chapter 29. Frost control.- Chapter 30. Control of weeds and other biotic factors.- Chapter 31. Application of herbicides and other biotic control agents.- Chapter 32. Harvest and conservation.- Chapter 33. New tools and methods in agronomy: remote sensing, site specific agriculture and simulation modeling applications.- PART G: Cropping systems.- Chapter 34. Cropping and farming systems.- Chapter 35. Farming and the sustainability of food systems.

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Book Synopsis

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Book Synopsis

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Book Synopsis

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