Agriculture and farming Books

Book SynopsisIn light of high farm incomes and constrained federal budgets, the cost of federal farm and conservation programs, about $15 billion annually from 2009 through 2012, has come under scrutiny. Under the 2008 Farm Bill, participants whose incomes exceed specific limits are ineligible for certain program payments. The USDA''s Farm Service Agency (FSA) makes income eligibility determinations for programs it administers and also for conservation programs administered by the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). The FSA verifies that participants have incomes below the limits by reviewing either tax returns (with consent from participants) or statements from accountants or attorneys. The Government Accountability Office (GAO) was asked to review FSA''s income verification practices. Another concern has been the distribution of benefits to ineligible participants, including potentially improper payments to deceased individuals, which, as the GAO and others have reported, may call into question whether these farm safety net programs are benefiting the agricultural sector as intended. This book examines the FSA''s (1) review of tax returns and (2) review of accountants'' and attorneys'' statements and (3) FSA''s and NRCS''s recovery of payments to participants who exceeded income limits and (4) the extent to which procedures are in place to prevent the FSA and NRCS from making potentially improper payments to deceased individuals.

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Book SynopsisBarley is one of the earliest crops to be domesticated and its cultivation since the beginning of the 21st century, provides new utilities for the nutrition and sustainable development. It is one of the largest source crops used in the production of fodder, alcoholic beverages, biofuels and healthful foods. This book focuses on several topics that include the organic breeding and cultivation of barley; the biological characteristics of spring barley varieties in the far east of Russia; the contribution of barley in the bovine methane production in feedlots; the barley husk; the grain and endosperm biophysical characteristics of barley malting; the vacuolar H+ -PPhase genes in barley; the application of barley in cereal technology; the abiotic stress response in barley and the emergent roles of microRNAs; the dynamics of oxidative processes and activation of antioxidant systems in barley leaves under drought condition of soil; and the isolation of high-yielding paraquat-resistant lines of hordeum vulgare CV fibre snow.

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Book SynopsisThis book compiles research summaries from a number of different focuses in the important field of environment and agriculture.

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Book SynopsisThis book compiles research summaries from a number of different focuses in the important field of environment and agriculture.

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Book SynopsisThis book compiles research summaries from a number of different focuses in the important field of environment and agriculture.

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Book SynopsisThis book compiles research summaries from a number of different focuses in the important field of environment and agriculture.

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Book SynopsisThis book compiles research summaries from a number of different focuses in the important field of environment and agriculture.

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Book SynopsisThis book compiles research summaries from a number of different focuses in the important field of environment and agriculture.

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Book SynopsisThis book compiles research summaries from a number of different focuses in the important field of environment and agriculture.

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Book SynopsisBook & CD-ROM. This book explores the developments, issues and research outlook of global agriculture. Topics discussed in this compilation include cotton and hydropower in Central Asia; rising grain exports by the former Soviet Union region; and resources, policies, and agricultural productivity in Sub-Saharan Africa.

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Book SynopsisIncreasing dependence on foreign sources of crude oil, concerns over global climate change, and the desire to promote domestic rural economies have raised interest in renewable biofuels as an alternative to petroleum in the U.S. transportation sector. However, energy from renewable sources has historically been more expensive to produce and use than fossil-fuel-based energy. This book describes agriculture-based biofuels and the evolution of the U.S. biofuels sector with a focus on the role that federal policy has played in shaping its development. It highlights emerging issues that are critical to the biofuels sector and of relevance to Congress. This book also summarises the best available public data on the production, capacity, cost, market demand, and feedstock availability for the production of biomass-based diesel and jet fuel. It includes an overview of the current conversion processes and current state-of-development for the production of biomass-based jet and diesel fuel, as well as the key companies pursuing this effort.

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Book SynopsisOrganic farming is a system approach utilizing the natural cycles and biological interactions for crop production and protection. It aims at harmonizing with nature and a method of production without destroying the environment. Vermitechnology is one of the important components of organic farming. The earthworm (verm) is now known to be a good biological element for the recovery of vermifertilizer and vermin- protein for use in agro-ecosystems, aquaculture, poultry etc. Earthworm culture, popularly called vermiculture is being widely practicised in a big commercialized manner. Therefore, it is high time to enter into the vermitechnology as a part of the biotechnology programme. In India, some companies have adopted vermiculture, but by and large the general awareness remains limited, despite the fact that several non-governmental organizations and governmental institutions are trying hard to popularize vermitechnology. This book is an attempt to help those desirous of starting a vermicutlure and vermicompost industry. Based on this rationale, the Vermiculture Research Station in Aligarh, India embarked on an extensive programme of transferring vermitechnology to the farmers back in 2000 under the Lab to Land programme. The farmers were given specialized training through field demonstrations in vermitechnology, organizing special courses and setting-up their own field units in rural areas. It is heartening to note that female farmers have also come forward in this new venture and are now producing quality vermicompost to supplement their income.

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Book Synopsis"Food loss" represents the amount of edible food, post-harvest, that is available for human consumption but is not consumed for any reason; it includes cooking loss and natural shrinkage (eg: moisture loss); loss from mould, pests, or inadequate climate control; and plate waste. "Food waste" is a component of food loss and occurs when an edible item goes unconsumed, such as food discarded by retailers due to undesirable colour or blemishes and plate waste discarded by consumers. Food loss (particularly the food waste component) is becoming an increasingly important topic both domestically and internationally. Better estimates of the amount and value of food loss, including food waste, could help serve as quantitative baselines for policymakers and the food industry to set targets and develop initiatives, legislation, or policies to minimise food waste, conserve resources, and improve human nutrition. Reducing food loss would likely reduce food prices in the United States and the rest of the world, though the effects depend on the nature of supply, including import and export considerations. This book provides an estimated amount, value, and caloric value of post-harvest food losses at the retail and consumer level in the United States. It also discusses supermarket loss estimates for fresh fruit, vegetables, meat, poultry, and seafood and their use in the ERD loss-adjusted food availability data.

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Book SynopsisThis book describes many important principles of fertilizer management and the environmental pollution problems due to the indiscriminate soil fertilization rate. The long-term impacts of organic or mineral fertilizer use have implications on soil fertility, crop yields, water quality, climatic change, greenhouse gas emissions, etc. Twelve chapters provide the state of the art of some important topics on subsistence agriculture, modern agronomy, and technological improvements which have sharply increased yields from cultivation, with a special emphasis on the sustainable management and environmental impact of commercial and nontraditional fertilizers. Without a doubt, this book is a valuable contribution to the agricultural sciences and it would not have been possible without the invaluable contributions, immeasurable acknowledgements, and recognized expertise from the authors.

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Book SynopsisThis compilation examines agricultural research from across the globe and covers a broad spectrum of related topics. In this book, the authors discuss research including cotton pests and the actual strategies for their management control; cotton production and climatic factors: studying this relationship by different applied statistical methods; screening to select natural substances for control of postharvest aflatoxigenic fungi in maize and peanut agroecosystems; peculiarities of photosynthesis of wheat genotypes contrast in grain yield and their use in breeding programs; cunila d. royen ex. l., glechon epl. and hesperozygis epl. (lamiaceae) in South America: an ethnobotanical and phytochemical review; bacterial endophytes inhabiting potato plants (solanum tuberosum l.); and a discussion on common scab disease in central Europe.

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Book SynopsisThis compilation examines agricultural research from across the globe and covers a broad spectrum of related topics. In this book, the authors discuss research including cheese whey as a source of active peptides; technological and chemical characterization of PDO cheeses of Italy; biotechnological conversion of whey into high-value products; apple pomace; trends in precision agriculture for sugarcane biorefineries competitiveness; and fruit-based functional beverages.

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Book SynopsisNitrate and nitrite are two ions largely diffused in the environment because they take part in the nitrogen cycle. Moreover, a great part of atmospheric nitrogen may be oxidized to nitrite and nitrate by microorganisms in plants, soil or water. The more stable form of oxidized nitrogen is nitrate ion, but, through microbial activity, it can be reduced to nitrite ion which is more chemically reactive. Nitrate and its salts are widely used, especially as inorganic fertilizers, and for many other purposes such as oxidizing agents, explosives, in the chemical industry and as food preservatives. This book discusses the agricultural uses, management practices and environmental effects of nitrogen fertilizers.

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Book SynopsisThe 2014 Farm Bill makes significant changes to the structure of U.S. dairy support programs, including the elimination of several major price and income support programs from the 2008 Farm Bill, the extension of several smaller dairy programs, and the addition of two new programs, the Margin Protection Program and the Dairy Product Donation Program. This book describes the major dairy provisions contained in the 2014 Farm Bill as well as Congressional Budget Office cost projections of historical program outlays compared with outlays under the new dairy programs. The book also includes a discussion of potential issues related to the new dairy policies.

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Book SynopsisThis book is for those who are seriously engaged in the problems of tillage. Mechanical tillage plays a very important role in shaping the harvest on all soil types under normal weather conditions. The preparation of soil with specified properties (characteristics) depending on arable crops has always been a significant problem. The task of preparing soil can be solved by many types (sorts) of working bodies, tools and traction machines, and in the future by a direct effect on the soil of various types of radiation: thermal, acoustic, microwave, etc. Which technology should be chosen, which method of tillage soil will be used? The answer is always clear: the technologies, tools or machines that provide maximum efficiency will be applied. The most effective way to improve the use of soil, to apply the most effective technologies nowadays, to develop new tools and aggregates is economic and mathematical modelling.

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Book SynopsisAgriculture is one of the defining elements of a nation. This series consists of analyses on a variety of agricultural issues including (but not limited to) the developments, policies, programs, trade, trends and economics of agriculture. Topics will be seen from a U.S. perspective, but not to the exclusion of other countries particularly when the discussion has an international scope. Topics discussed in this issue include the United States'' farm income; agriculture in the World Trade Organization; agricultural disaster assistance; weather effects on expected corn and soybean yields; and air quality issues and animal agriculture.

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Book SynopsisSanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) measures are the laws, rules, standards, and procedures that governments employ to protect humans, animals, and plants from diseases, pests, toxins, and other contaminants. Examples include meat and poultry processing standards to reduce pathogens, residue limits for pesticides in foods, and regulation of agricultural biotechnology. Technical barriers to trade (TBT) cover technical regulations, product standards, environmental regulations, and voluntary procedures relating to human health and animal welfare. Examples include trademarks and patents, labeling and packaging requirements, certification and inspection procedures, product specifications, and marketing of biotechnology. SPS and TBT measures both comprise a group of widely divergent standards and standards-based measures that countries use to regulate markets, protect their consumers, and preserve natural resources. This book describes formal challenges involving SPS/TBT that the United States has brought against some U.S. trading partners, which have resulted in trade disputes that have been, or continue to be, reviewed by the World Trade Organization (WTO). It also discusses the United States and European Union hormone and use of pathogen reduction treatment disputes; and the country-of-origin labeling for foods and the WTO trade dispute on meat labeling.

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Book SynopsisIn an increasingly interconnected and bioeconomic world, agriculture is one of the vital and extremely complex links; on one hand, it provides food for the world while, on the other hand, it brings considerable environmental degradation. The negative by-products of agriculture have come to the forefront in recent years. As a result, agricultural production has undergone considerable scrutiny resulting in strong consumer movements for sustainable agriculture. However, many countries cannot worry about the environmental aspects when they do not produce enough food to be secure because farmers cannot compete with the artificially low prices of food due to the subsidies from developed countries. However, this trend is unlikely to continue as farm operations in developed countries must increase the amount of inputs, such as fertilizer, to maintain their levels of production. Furthermore, agricultural subsidies are likely to end due to the national debts of many countries. Therefore, it becomes more and more accepted that, for a sustainable agriculture, rural regions and developing countries will have to use local, traditional knowledge. This would support economic development and food security, especially since consumers are increasing demand for sustainably grown food.

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Book SynopsisAn understanding of food demand and food trends across countries and the ability to predict potential shifts in demand for different food products is an invaluable tool for all individuals involved in the agricultural sector. In a 2003 report, International Evidence on Food Consumption Patterns, ERS and collaborating economists estimated income and price elasticities of demand for broad consumption categoriessuch as food, clothing, education, and other goodsand for food categories such as cereals, meats, and dairy across 114 countries using 1996 International Comparison Program (ICP) data. These elasticities measure the degree to which consumption changes when prices or incomes change. This book provides an update on the International Evidence on Food Consumption Patterns using the 2005 International Date Program Data; and discusses global drivers of agricultural demand and supply.

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Book SynopsisThe federal crop insurance program is considered by many farmers and policy makers as the centerpiece of the farm safety net. The program makes available subsidised insurance policies for about 130 commodities ranging from apples to wheat. These "multiple peril" policies help producers manage financial risks associated with crop yield or revenue losses. Insurable causes of losses include adverse weather (e.g., drought and flood), insects or disease outbreaks, and failure of irrigation water supply. The enacted 2014 farm bill enhances the federal crop insurance program by expanding its scope, covering a greater share of farm losses, and making a variety of other modifications that broaden policy coverage. This book describes in detail changes made to the program as part of the 2014 farm bill. It also discusses the agricultural disaster assistance.

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Book SynopsisThe Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) provides payments to agricultural producers to take highly erodible and environmentally sensitive land out of production and install resource conserving practices for 10 or more years. CRP was first authorized in the Food Security Act of 1985 and is administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture''s (USDA''s) Farm Service Agency (FSA) with technical support from other USDA agencies. This book discusses the issues and considerations of the CRP.

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Book SynopsisThis compilation examines agricultural research from across the globe and covers a broad spectrum of related topics. In this book, the authors discuss research including the efficacy of growing and consuming locally grown produce in New England (USA) and New Zealand; significance of seed and root crop properties in organic farming; diagnostic methods for seed-transmitted viruses; remotely sensed detection and monitoring of crop diseases; rice tolerance to the impact of high temperatures; enzyme activity variability in soils under medicinal and food-crop plants; and determining the efficient relations between climatic factors and cotton flower and boll production behaviours.

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Book SynopsisThis compilation examines agricultural research from across the globe and covers a broad spectrum of related topics. In this book, the authors discuss research including meeting the challenges of food security of 21st century by earthworms; the effect of organic sources of insect pest management strategies and nutrients on cotton insect pests; in vitro culture techniques; nanoscience applied in agriculture for food production; retrosynthetic strategies for the preparation of heterocyclic rings present in pesticides; application of soil and water assessment modeling tools in agricultural research; potato peels in the treatment of burn wounds; and enzymatic saccharification of lemon peel and antioxidative ability of saccharified peel solution.

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Book SynopsisLocal and regional food systems generally refer to agricultural production and marketing that occurs within a certain geographic proximity (between farmer and consumer) or that involves certain social or supply chain characteristics in producing food (such as small family farms, urban gardens, or farms using sustainable agriculture practices). Sales of locally produced foods comprise a small but growing part of U.S. agricultural sales. USDA estimates that farm-level value of local food sales totaled about $4.8 billion in 2008, or about 1.6% of the U.S. market for agricultural products. An estimated total of 107,000 farms are engaged in local food systems, or about 5% of all U.S. farms. This book provides background on local and regional food systems, focusing on available data on direct-to-consumer sales, farmers'' markets, farm-to-school programs, community-supported agriculture (CSA), and community gardens. It highlights available resources within existing federal programs administered by USDA and other agencies that may be applied to support local food systems. This book also describes some of the Obama Administration''s initiatives that leverage existing USDA programs to support local food systems. Finally, this book discusses some of the legislative options that have been proposed by Congress and intended to broaden support for local and regional food systems.

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Book SynopsisThis book examines the most up-to-date research in the agricultural field including chapters on the general authenticity issues associated with various dairy products; enzymatic approaches that can enhance the extraction of food constituents from diverse agricultural resources; recent research on polymorphism of high stearic high oleic (HSHO) sunflower oil stearins; the effects of food processing and canning technologies on the nutritional value of foods; the process of selection and improvement of maize cultivars; the classification, quantification and physicochemical characterization of the mesquite seed protein; an analysis of the technological strategies and research trends that have been developed for the transition of traditional sugarcane field crops to sustainable and diversified commercial plantations; and strategies to conserve water, a key natural resource for survival of life on earth, and one which is a ''vanishing resource.''

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Book SynopsisAgricultural Management for Climate Change includes work from various international institutions that consider agricultural management to address climatic changes and extremes. Our team of editors and authors hope to add a valuable contribution to address global climate change in relation to agricultural ecosystems in vulnerable locations. For this book and its contents, the intended audience includes the international climate change community: contributors to the UNFCCC-IPCC process, policymakers, consultants, project developers, researchers and their institutions. Agricultural Management for Climate Change aims to be a valuable addition to multidisciplinary and international cooperation efforts (policies, cultural practices, new technologies, and adaptation measures), to development and selection appropriate GHG mitigation measures, governmental and nongovernmental agencies worldwide as well as the general public. The editors of Agricultural Management for Climate Change believe the book is an effective tool to help the international community progress in understanding management of agricultures role in GHG mitigation and also agricultural adaptation options. They aim to address climate change through international collaboration and cooperation.

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Book SynopsisClimate change poses significant risks to future crop productivity as temperatures rise, rainfall patterns become more variable, and pest and disease pressures increase. The use of crop genetic resources to develop varieties more tolerant to rapidly changing environmental conditions will be an important part of agricultural adaptation to climate change. Finding new genetic traits that can facilitate adaptation -- and incorporating them into commercially successful varieties -- is time-consuming, expensive, and technically difficult. This book reviews the types of genetic resources, the ways they have been used, and how they might be used in the future. The book also discusses economic, scientific, and institutional factors that will determine the extent of genetic resource use and the benefits it might bring to climate change adaptation. Moreover, this title evaluates economic and institutional factors influencing the flow of genetic resources, including international agreements, and their significance for agricultural research and development in the United States. Finally, the book examines the composition of U.S. and international seed markets, regulations affecting agricultural seeds, the structure and evolution of the seed industry, and trends in private and public R&D in plant breeding.

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Book SynopsisRice, an ancient grain, is the primary staple for more than half the world''s population, through its role in the diets of billions of low-income, food-insecure consumers. Its vital role makes its availability and price politically sensitive for governments in several regions. Government intervention is often aimed at keeping prices affordable, especially for low-income consumers. In some cases, government intervention also encourages domestic production to promote national self-sufficiency. The United States faces little direct competition domestically and relies heavily on export markets; exports account for about half of the annual crop each year. This book investigates factors affecting the global competitiveness of the U.S. rice industry. It provides an overview of the rice industry in the United States and other major global producing and exporting countries and provides information on recent trade trends and developments in the global market for rice. It supplies a comparison of the competitive strengths and weaknesses of rice production and exports in the United States and other major exporting countries and assesses the impact of government policies and programs of major producing and exporting countries.

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Book SynopsisMost U.S. farms are family operations, and even the largest farms are predominantly family-run. Small farms are less profitable than larger farms, on average, and their operator households tend to rely on off-farm income for their livelihood. Generally speaking, farm operator households cannot be characterised as low-income when both farm and off-farm incomes are considered. Small family farms dominate the farm count, but midsize and large-scale family farms account for the bulk of farm production. Information on the different kinds of farms -- and the farmers who operate them -- is important for understanding the economic wellbeing of farm households and the implications of farm policy. This book proves accurate, detailed, and unbiased information on the structure and finances of U.S. farms, including the relationship of farm size and type to agricultural production, financial performance, sources of farm household income, and the extent of off-farm work. The book provides a sense of the financial position of family farms in general and of different types of family farms.

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Book SynopsisLarge farms now dominate crop production in the United States. Although most cropland was operated by farms with less than 600 crop acres in the early 1980s, today most cropland is on farms with at least 1,100 acres, and many farms are 5 and 10 times that size. This ongoing shift in farm structure raises a host of questions. How extensive is this structural change? What forces have accompanied and contributed to the shift to larger farms? What implications do these structural shifts have for family farms? The shift of acreage to larger farms is part of a complex set of structural changes in crop agriculture. The number of mid-size crop farms has declined, while farm numbers at the extremes (large and small) are growing. Because of these changes, average farm size has changed little in the last three decades, even while cropland and crop production have shifted to much larger farms. This book documents the complex nature of modern farm structure and introduces statistics aimed at better tracking consolidation of land and production. Furthermore, this book looks at small acreage farms having gross sales of $10,000 or more in a given year to better understand the product choices and strategies used by small acreage farms that appear to be operating profitably.

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Book SynopsisFarm businesses'' debt-use decisions can affect their growth and survival, as well as the economic vitality of farm-dependent rural communities. Thus policymakers, agricultural lenders, and other farm-sector participants closely follow trends in farm debt. This book is a primer on the use of debt by U.S. farm businesses for policymakers, researchers, and others interested in the financial well-being of U.S. agriculture. It presents data on basic debt-use patterns by farm businesses (in 2011, over 900,000 farms operated as farm businesses based on their size, organisational structure, or the occupation of their principal operator) and explores key trends over 20 years. U.S. farm debt use varies widely by farm size, specialisation, operator age, and other farm characteristics.

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Book SynopsisThis book examines the most up-to-date research in the agricultural field. The first chapter examines intercropping systems as a way of increasing productivity of land. The following chapter discusses hyperspectral imaging as an emerging and green chemistry technique for non-destructive and rapid food analysis. Chapter three also discusses hyperspectral imaging, with an emphasis on carrots. Chapter four aims to review recent progress and development in hydroxycinnamic acid research in barley seed and barley hull in terms of structure, biodegradation characteristics and its interrelationship to nutrient utilisation and availability in ruminant. Chapter five summarises the use of near-infrared spectroscopy as a cotton fiber quality assessment. Chapter six characterises the mean volatile composition of five distilled alcoholic beverages. Chapter seven summarises challenges associated with the processing of milk naturally enriched with bioactive lipids. Chapter eight shows the possibilities of the use of bamboo in building material and food. The final chapter aims to develop a comprehensive system of control measures against diseases of sugar beets.

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Book SynopsisAgriculture is one of the defining elements of a nation. This series consists of analyses on a variety of agricultural issues including (but not limited to) the developments, policies, programs, trade, trends and economics of agriculture. Topics will be seen from a U.S. perspective, but not to the exclusion of other countries particularly when the discussion has an international scope. Topics discussed in this issue include farm safety net programs; specialty crop provision in the 2014 Farm Bill; background and issues in agricultural research; the effects of recent energy price reductions on U.S. agriculture; and the effect of transportation costs on fresh fruit and vegetable prices.

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Book SynopsisThis book explores the structure and function of the U.S. nutrition research system, with an emphasis on trends in Federal support. It describes how nutrition research is used, especially for nutrition education and communication, but also for regulation and food assistance. The book uses the Human Nutrition Research Information Management database maintained by the National Institutes of Health to analyse long-term trends. Furthermore, this book provides a background, and examines issues of agricultural research; and shows scenarios of public agricultural research spending and future U.S. agricultural productivity growth.

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Book SynopsisItaly''s peculiar cultural variability is the result of population movements and invasions from the Mediterranean Sea, which took place in both historical and prehistoric times. Due to many interesting places such as the city of Rome, Central Italy was endured by migrants, who have contributed to Italy''s culture, linguistics and also genetics. Chapter One reconstructs human demic movements in central Italy using both archeology and genetics. Chapter Two addresses issues in the conceptual context of land take, which is a change in agriculture, forestry, and other lands due to urbanisation and artificial land development, in Sardinian urban areas of Italy. Moreover, global warming has had a negative impact on water balance, natural systems, and agriculture activities. Chapter Three provides a seasonal analysis of crop evapotranspiration based on the Penman-Monteith equation in the Po River Delta in Italy.

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Book SynopsisThis book explores the developments, issues and research outlook of global agriculture. Topics discussed in this compilation include reviews of historical trends in Chinese corn yields in order to assess the potential for future growth; discussions on the impact that pre- and post-2004 reforms had on Public Distribution System (PDS) consumption and on rates of food insecurity; and studies on the growth in broiler meat exports to several major markets.

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Book SynopsisMonoculture farming is nowadays a widespread practice throughout the world. In order to meet the food demand of rapidly increasing populations, the diverse agroecosystems have been converted mostly into single cropping sectors. Even though food productivity with high input has been boosted to some extent, it is at the cost of local biodiversity loss. This book, drawing examples from several tropical and sub-tropical countries, documents some of the most prevailing monoculture practices and their socio-economic and environmental influences. It describes widespread commercial monoculture of rubber and oil palm, as well as the invasion of exotic mono-plantations in the forestry sector. Both rubber and oil palm are highly lucrative businesses, and these industries have brought positive impacts on rural development, regional economies, including lifting small farmers out of poverty. The rapid expansion of oil palm and rubber in the last few decades has resulted in widespread deforestation, biodiversity loss, and carbon emissions in the tropics, and has also negatively affected the livelihoods of many local communities. Similar effects have also been observed in the case of the conversion of heterogenous forests into monocuture plantations. An integrated land use planning approach is suggested in order to minimize the negative impacts and maximize the positive benefits of monoculture farming. Further, enhancing plant-soil microbial interactions through innoculation of arbuscular mycorrhiza fungi for soil fertility management is also suggested. With up-to-date information on this subject matter, this book will benefit researchers, academics, students, policymakers and practitioners.

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Book SynopsisThis book examines the most up-to-date research in the agricultural field. The first chapter discusses strategies for the management and mitigation of herbicide-resistant weeds. Chapter Two revises the available information about the diversity and plant growth promotion abilities of bacterial endophytes isolated from legume nodules and from roots of different plants, focusing on their interest for crop biofertilization. Chapter Three presents process-related technological information for the synthesis and purification of bioactive peptides from soybean and their functional properties. Chapter Four focuses on the nutritional value of wheat germ-supplemented foods, for humans and animals alike, with a specific emphasis on the protein and essential amino acid content of these foods and its related health benefits. Chapter Five provides an overview of the importance of fatty acids (FA), fructans, lipids and lipopolysaccharides in determining some grain and malt composition. Chapter Six gives insights into the production and commercialization of transgenic wheat. Chapter Seven reviews the modification of barley by binary acrylic monomers and its applications.

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