Soil science and management Books

Book SynopsisThis book reviews the potential mechanisms in arbuscular mycorrhizas (AMs), in the hope that this can help arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) to be more used efficiently as a biostimulant to enhance stress tolerance in the host plants. AMF, as well as plants, are often exposed to all or many of the abiotic and biotic stresses, including extreme temperatures, pH, drought, water-logging, toxic metals and soil pathogens. Studies have indicated a quick response to these stresses involving several mechanisms, such as root morphological modification, reactive oxygen species change, osmotic adjustment, direct absorption of water by extraradical hyphae, up-regulated expression of relevant stressed genes, glomalin-related soil protein release, etc. The underlying complex, multi-dimensional strategy is involved in morphological, physiological, biochemical, and molecular processes. The AMF responses are often associated with homeostatic regulation of the internal and external environment, and are therefore critical for plant health, survival and restoration in native ecosystems and good soil structure.Table of ContentsChapter 1 Arbuscular Mycorrhizas: An Overview.- Chapter 2 Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi and Tolerance of Drought Stress in Plants.- Chapter 3 Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi and Tolerance of Waterlogging Stress in Plants.- Chapter 4 Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi and Tolerance of Salt Stress in Plants.- Chapter 5 Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi and Tolerance of P Stress in Plants.- Chapter 6 Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi and Tolerance of Fe Stress in Plants.- Chapter 7 Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi and Tolerance of Zn Stress in Plants.- Chapter 8 Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi and Heavy Metal Tolerance in Plants.- Chapter 9 Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi and Tolerance of Temperature stress in Plants.- Chapter.10 Roles of Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi in Protecting against Plant/soil Pathogens.- Chapter 11 Arbuscular Mycorrhizas and Reactive OxygenSpecies.- Chapter 12 Arbuscular Mycorrhizas and Ecosystem Restoration.- Chapter 13 Application of Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi into Agriculture.

Read more less

Book SynopsisDesigned for undergraduate and graduate students interested in learning basic soil physics and its application to environment, soil health, water quality and productivity, this book provides readers with a clear coverage of the basic principles of water and solute transport through vadose zone, the theory behind transport and step-by-step guidance on how to use current computer models in the public domain along with soil erosion and contaminant remediation. Students will develop a deeper understanding of the fundamental processes within the soil profile that control water infiltration, redistribution, evapotranspiration, drainage, and erosion. The updated second edition features one new chapter, highlighting new problems, new computer models, and remediation.Features Serves as the most up-to-date textbook on soil physics available Includes one new chapter and many new numerical examples Offers mathematical descriptions supported byTable of Contents 1. Introduction to Soil Physics 2. Units and Dimensions 3. Characteristics of Soils of the Vadose Zone 4. Sampling Concepts and Designs 5. Spatial Variability of Vadose Zone Properties 6. Fundamentals of Hydrology 7. Properties of Water 8. Water in the Vadose Zone 9. Flow through the Vadose Zone 10. Water Infiltration into the Vadose Zone 11. Energy Flow through the Vadose Zone 12. Evaporation from Soil 13. Root Water Uptake 14. Airflow through the Vadose Zone 15. Chemical Transport through the Vadose Zone 16. Modeling Flow through the Vadose Zone Using the HYDRIS-1D Model 17. Flow through the Vadose Zone Using RZWQM 18. Special Topics: Soil Erosion, Contaminant Remediation and Salt Removal

Read more less

Book SynopsisSoils and sediments influence current processes, preserve evidence of past processes, indicate evolutionary phases in landscapes and provide a basis for relative and absolute chronologies. They provide an important key to the integration of short-term process studies and investigation of longer-term landform evolution. This book, first published in 1985, has been arranged to provide wide temporal and spatial coverage, with studies ranging from historic to geologic time scales and micro- to macro-spatial scales. The interdisciplinary nature of the subject is reflected in contributions from soil scientists, engineering geologists, hydrologists and geomorphologists.Table of ContentsIntroduction K.S. Richards, R.R. Arnett and S. Ellis. Part 1. Soils and Landforms 1. Soil Properties, Slope Hydrology and Spatial Patterns of Chemical Denudation T.P. Burt and S.T. Trudgill 2. Duricrusts and Landforms A.S. Goudie 3. Pre-Quaternary Weathering Residues, Sediments and Landform Development: Examples from Southern Britain C.P. Green 4. Soil Erosion and Landscape Stability in Southern Iceland: a Tephrochronological Approach A.J. Gerrard Part 2. Soil Properties and Slope Processes 5. Aggregate Stability, Runoff Generation and Interrill Erosion J. De Ploey and J. Poesen 6. Soil Properties and Subsurface Hydrology M. McCaig 7. Soil Creep: a Formidable Fossil of Misconception B.L. Finlayson 8. Soil Mechanics and Natural Slope Stability C. Rouse and A. Reading Part 3. Soil Properties and Process Reconstruction 9. Scanning Electron Microscopy and the Sedimentological Characterisation of Soils W.B. Whalley 10. Soil Particle Size Distribution and Minerology as Indicators of Pedogenic and Geomorphic History: Examples from the Loessial Soils of England and Wales J.A. Catt 11. Geomorphological Applications of Soil Micromorphology with Particular Reference to Periglacial Sediments and Processes C. Harris 12. The Minerology and Weathering History of Scottish Soils M.J. Wilson 13. Geomorphological Linkages between Soils and Sediments: the Role of Magnetic Measurements J.A. Dearing, B.A. Maher and F. Oldfield Part 4. Soils and Dating 15. Soil Chronosequences on Neoglacial Moraine Ridges, Jostedalsbreen and Jotunheimen, Southern Norway: a Quantitative Pedogenic Approach A. Mellor 16. A Late Pleistocene-Holocene Soil Chronosequence in the Ventura Basin, Southern California, USA T.K. Rockwell, D.L. Johnson, E.A. Keller and G.R. Dembroff 17. Pedogenic and Geotechnical Aspects of Late Flandrian Slope Instability in Ulvadalen, West-Central Norway S. Ellis and K.S. Richards 18. Palaeosols and the Interpretation of the British Quaternary Stratigraphy J. Rose, J. Boardman, R.A. Kemp and C.A. Whiteman Part 5. Soil-Geomorphic Applications 19. Soil Degradation and Erosion as a Result of Agricultural Practice R.P.C. Morgan 20. Forecasting the Trafficability of Soils M.G. Anderson 21. Geotechnical Characteristics of Weathering Profiles in British Overconsolidated Clays (Carboniferous to Pleistocene) D.J. Russell and N. Eyles

Read more less

Book SynopsisSoils and sediments influence current processes, preserve evidence of past processes, indicate evolutionary phases in landscapes and provide a basis for relative and absolute chronologies. They provide an important key to the integration of short-term process studies and investigation of longer-term landform evolution. This book, first published in 1985, has been arranged to provide wide temporal and spatial coverage, with studies ranging from historic to geologic time scales and micro- to macro-spatial scales. The interdisciplinary nature of the subject is reflected in contributions from soil scientists, engineering geologists, hydrologists and geomorphologists.Table of ContentsIntroduction K.S. Richards, R.R. Arnett and S. Ellis. Part 1. Soils and Landforms 1. Soil Properties, Slope Hydrology and Spatial Patterns of Chemical Denudation T.P. Burt and S.T. Trudgill 2. Duricrusts and Landforms A.S. Goudie 3. Pre-Quaternary Weathering Residues, Sediments and Landform Development: Examples from Southern Britain C.P. Green 4. Soil Erosion and Landscape Stability in Southern Iceland: a Tephrochronological Approach A.J. Gerrard Part 2. Soil Properties and Slope Processes 5. Aggregate Stability, Runoff Generation and Interrill Erosion J. De Ploey and J. Poesen 6. Soil Properties and Subsurface Hydrology M. McCaig 7. Soil Creep: a Formidable Fossil of Misconception B.L. Finlayson 8. Soil Mechanics and Natural Slope Stability C. Rouse and A. Reading Part 3. Soil Properties and Process Reconstruction 9. Scanning Electron Microscopy and the Sedimentological Characterisation of Soils W.B. Whalley 10. Soil Particle Size Distribution and Minerology as Indicators of Pedogenic and Geomorphic History: Examples from the Loessial Soils of England and Wales J.A. Catt 11. Geomorphological Applications of Soil Micromorphology with Particular Reference to Periglacial Sediments and Processes C. Harris 12. The Minerology and Weathering History of Scottish Soils M.J. Wilson 13. Geomorphological Linkages between Soils and Sediments: the Role of Magnetic Measurements J.A. Dearing, B.A. Maher and F. Oldfield Part 4. Soils and Dating 15. Soil Chronosequences on Neoglacial Moraine Ridges, Jostedalsbreen and Jotunheimen, Southern Norway: a Quantitative Pedogenic Approach A. Mellor 16. A Late Pleistocene-Holocene Soil Chronosequence in the Ventura Basin, Southern California, USA T.K. Rockwell, D.L. Johnson, E.A. Keller and G.R. Dembroff 17. Pedogenic and Geotechnical Aspects of Late Flandrian Slope Instability in Ulvadalen, West-Central Norway S. Ellis and K.S. Richards 18. Palaeosols and the Interpretation of the British Quaternary Stratigraphy J. Rose, J. Boardman, R.A. Kemp and C.A. Whiteman Part 5. Soil-Geomorphic Applications 19. Soil Degradation and Erosion as a Result of Agricultural Practice R.P.C. Morgan 20. Forecasting the Trafficability of Soils M.G. Anderson 21. Geotechnical Characteristics of Weathering Profiles in British Overconsolidated Clays (Carboniferous to Pleistocene) D.J. Russell and N. Eyles

Read more less

Book SynopsisAgroecosystems in a Changing Climate considers the consequences of changes in the atmosphere and climate on the integrity, stability, and productivity of agroecosystems. The book adopts a novel approach by bringing together theoretical contributions from ecologists and the applied interpretations of agriculturalists. Drawing these two approaches together, the book provides the theoretical underpinning that guides scientists on what phenomena to look for, looking beyond first-order responses in the creation of sustainable agroecosystems. This unique approach provides an interpretation of ecological insights and general theory, and then relates them to agroecosystem performance. Each section of the book combines general principles of response with an examination of the applied consequences. The authors cover the supply of resources necessary to sustain agriculture in the future and discuss the incidence of pests, weeds, diseases, and their control. They provide an understandTable of ContentsIntroduction. Resource Supply and Demand and Climate Change. Pests, Weeds and Diseases and Climate Change. Capacity to Adapt to Climate Change.

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe term soil health refers to the functionality of a soil as a living ecosystem capable of sustaining plants, animals, and humans while also improving the environment. In addition to soil health, the environment also comprises the quality of air, water, vegetation, and biota. The health of soil, plants, animals, people, and the environment is an indivisible continuum. One of the notable ramifications of the Anthropocene is the growing risks of decline in soil health by anthropogenic activities. Important among these activities are deforestation, biomass burning, excessive soil tillage, indiscriminate use of agrochemicals, excessive irrigation by flooding or inundation, and extractive farming practices. Soil pollution, by industrial effluents and urban waste adversely impacts human health. Degradation of soil health impacts nutritional quality of food, such as the uptake of heavy metals or deficit of essential micro-nutrients, and contamination by pests and pathogens. IndirecTable of ContentsPreface. About the Editor. List of Contributors. 1.The Soil-Human Health-Environment Trinity. 2.Health of Soil, Plants, Animals, and People. 3.Transport of Mineral Elements from Soil and Human Health. 4.Soils and Human Health: Communication Between Soil Scientists and Health Care Providers. 5.Soil and Cancer. 6.Addressing Urban Mal- and Undernourishment Through Sustainable Home Gardens. 7.Improving Human Health by Remediating Polluted Soils. 8.Managing Soil for Global Peace by Eliminating Famines and Pandemics. 9.Illustrating a Disjoint in the Soil-Plant-Human Health Nexus with Potassium. 10.Soil Aquaphotomics for Understanding Soil - Health Relation through Water-Light Interaction. 11.Healthy Soils – Healthy People. Soil and Human Health – The Reality of the Balkan Region. 12.Heavy Metals Bioavailability in Soils and Impact on Human Health. 13.Managing Soil Biology for Multiple Human Benefits. 14.Structural Attributes of Disease-Suppressive Soils and Their Impact on Human Health. 15.Soil Health and Human Nutrition. Index.

Read more less

Book SynopsisDrawing on contributions from more than thirty scholars and experts in the field, this book examines the role of business as an enabler, as an inhibitor, and ultimately as a co-actor in global sustainability transformations expected over the next few decades.The Role of Business in Global Sustainability Transformations employs several theoretical perspectives and provides abundant examples and cases to discuss a variety of emerging concepts, phenomena, and trends shaping business sustainability. Weaving through the chapters, the editors present core tensions and sources of inertia towards transformative change, and acknowledge that envisioning multiple solutions and pathways are possible and desirable. They advocate for the need to align visions, actions and time horizons between policy, society and business in addressing the interlinked socio-ecological challenges that our society currently faces.This book will be an important resource for scholars and profesTrade Review"This book is a little gem! It succeeds in the ambitious task of putting together what businesses, governments, and the civil society could do in tandem – through collaborative but also adversarial action – to forward a systemic transformation toward sustainability, especially within business. The readers are offered a comprehensive understanding of theories of sustainability transformation, particularly as concerns sustainability change within business, coupled with concrete examples from different parts and contexts of the globe. If you seeking for new ideas for how to change businesses toward sustainability in a systemic setting, this is book is a perfect choice."Minna Halme, Professor of Sustainability Management, Aalto University School of Business"As The Role of Business in Global Sustainability Transformations sets out, a green economy based on natural capital, as well as social and human capital, is going to be essential in the global sustainability transformation. The authors delve into the challenges of this and consider some of the potential solutions for business, connecting the jigsaw of activities in an engaging overview of where we find ourselves today."Mark Gough, CEO, Capitals Coalition"Society must find a way to halt the climate and biodiversity crisis if we are to leave a habitable world for future generations. Sustainable business approaches are recognised as being critical for achieving that aim. This extremely timely and important book is essential reading for policy makers, academics and those working in the private sector. It provides an insightful collection of essays critically reflecting on the most prominent business pathways, opportunities and challenges to the sustainability transition."Lyndall Bull, Honorary Research Fellow, University of MelbourneTable of ContentsTable of ContentsPart 1 – Business sustainability today A little chapter on the big picture Robert Kozak, Anne Toppinen, Dalia D’Amato Towards the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals in business strategy and operations Angelina Korsunova and Kaisa Korhonen-Kurki Sustainable business models: state of the art and emerging avenues Romana Rauter, Tomas Santa-Maria, and Josef-Peter Schöggl Part 2 – Framing and managing sustainability Potential of the green economy discourse to advance sustainability in business Maria Fernanda Tomaselli, Kahlil Baker, Michael Barkusky, Noriko Kusumi The circular bioeconomy: company-level strategic perspectives Ari Jantunen and Anni Tuppura Strategies for brand owners and retailers in the circular bioeconomy transition Fabian Schipfer, Gülşah Yilan, Francesca Govoni, Piergiuseppe Morone Servitization and the future of business development – Insights from the forest industry Katja Lähtinen and Liina Häyrinen Part 3 – Governance and policy mechanisms The private sector engagement paradox: the proliferation of finance and market driven sustainability tools alongside the acceleration of environmental degradation Ben Cashore Intact forest landscapes and the FSC: lessons for NGO-business cooperation William Nikolakis and Peter Wood The internet of trees and networked surveillance: a multi-stakeholder effort to protect the resilience of ecosystem Mario Schultz and Peter Seele Part 4 – Business sustainability tomorrow? The quandary of sustainability-oriented innovations Eric Hansen, Jaana Korhonen, Rajat Panwar, Marko Hakovirta Business in a strongly sustainable society? Iana Nesterova and Ben Robra The quest for the sustainable hybrid business Ellen Stenslie Sustainable futures and the changing role of business vis-à-vis with society Anne Toppinen, Robert Kozak, Dalia D’AmatoIndex

Read more less

Book SynopsisDrawing on contributions from more than thirty scholars and experts in the field, this book examines the role of business as an enabler, as an inhibitor, and ultimately as a co-actor in global sustainability transformations expected over the next few decades.The Role of Business in Global Sustainability Transformations employs several theoretical perspectives and provides abundant examples and cases to discuss a variety of emerging concepts, phenomena, and trends shaping business sustainability. Weaving through the chapters, the editors present core tensions and sources of inertia towards transformative change, and acknowledge that envisioning multiple solutions and pathways are possible and desirable. They advocate for the need to align visions, actions and time horizons between policy, society and business in addressing the interlinked socio-ecological challenges that our society currently faces.This book will be an important resource for scholars and profesTrade Review"This book is a little gem! It succeeds in the ambitious task of putting together what businesses, governments, and the civil society could do in tandem – through collaborative but also adversarial action – to forward a systemic transformation toward sustainability, especially within business. The readers are offered a comprehensive understanding of theories of sustainability transformation, particularly as concerns sustainability change within business, coupled with concrete examples from different parts and contexts of the globe. If you seeking for new ideas for how to change businesses toward sustainability in a systemic setting, this is book is a perfect choice."Minna Halme, Professor of Sustainability Management, Aalto University School of Business"As The Role of Business in Global Sustainability Transformations sets out, a green economy based on natural capital, as well as social and human capital, is going to be essential in the global sustainability transformation. The authors delve into the challenges of this and consider some of the potential solutions for business, connecting the jigsaw of activities in an engaging overview of where we find ourselves today."Mark Gough, CEO, Capitals Coalition"Society must find a way to halt the climate and biodiversity crisis if we are to leave a habitable world for future generations. Sustainable business approaches are recognised as being critical for achieving that aim. This extremely timely and important book is essential reading for policy makers, academics and those working in the private sector. It provides an insightful collection of essays critically reflecting on the most prominent business pathways, opportunities and challenges to the sustainability transition."Lyndall Bull, Honorary Research Fellow, University of MelbourneTable of ContentsTable of ContentsPart 1 – Business sustainability today A little chapter on the big picture Robert Kozak, Anne Toppinen, Dalia D’Amato Towards the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals in business strategy and operations Angelina Korsunova and Kaisa Korhonen-Kurki Sustainable business models: state of the art and emerging avenues Romana Rauter, Tomas Santa-Maria, and Josef-Peter Schöggl Part 2 – Framing and managing sustainability Potential of the green economy discourse to advance sustainability in business Maria Fernanda Tomaselli, Kahlil Baker, Michael Barkusky, Noriko Kusumi The circular bioeconomy: company-level strategic perspectives Ari Jantunen and Anni Tuppura Strategies for brand owners and retailers in the circular bioeconomy transition Fabian Schipfer, Gülşah Yilan, Francesca Govoni, Piergiuseppe Morone Servitization and the future of business development – Insights from the forest industry Katja Lähtinen and Liina Häyrinen Part 3 – Governance and policy mechanisms The private sector engagement paradox: the proliferation of finance and market driven sustainability tools alongside the acceleration of environmental degradation Ben Cashore Intact forest landscapes and the FSC: lessons for NGO-business cooperation William Nikolakis and Peter Wood The internet of trees and networked surveillance: a multi-stakeholder effort to protect the resilience of ecosystem Mario Schultz and Peter Seele Part 4 – Business sustainability tomorrow? The quandary of sustainability-oriented innovations Eric Hansen, Jaana Korhonen, Rajat Panwar, Marko Hakovirta Business in a strongly sustainable society? Iana Nesterova and Ben Robra The quest for the sustainable hybrid business Ellen Stenslie Sustainable futures and the changing role of business vis-à-vis with society Anne Toppinen, Robert Kozak, Dalia D’AmatoIndex

Read more less

Book SynopsisOrganic farming is not only a philosophy; it is also a well-researched science. The second edition of The Science and Technology of Organic Farming presents the scientific basis of organic farming and the methods of application needed to achieve adequate yields through plant nutrition and protection.Organic farming is a scientifically derived method of improving soil fertility to increase agricultural yields with limited chemical inputs. As such, it can meet public demand for reduced chemical inputs in agriculture and play a key role in meeting the needs of a growing world population. The new edition of this highly regarded book gives clear and comprehensive details on how soil fertility can be maintained and how plants can be nourished in organic agriculture. Chapters on soil fertility and plant nutrition explain the chemistry of the plant, the soil, and the soil solution and outline the importance of plant macronutrients and micronutrients. The booTable of Contents 1. Definitions and Philosophies of Organic Farming 2. Soil Fertility and Plant Nutrition 3. Requirements of Plants for Soil-Derived Nutrients 4. Liming 5. Management of Farm Manures 6. Composting 7. Management of Green Manures 8. Mulches 9. Tillage 10. Weed Control 11. Insect Control 12. Plant Diseases 13. Companion Planting 14. Storage of Produce 15. Hydroponics

Read more less

Book SynopsisContinuous discoveries in plant and crop physiology have resulted in an abundance of new information since the publication of the third edition of the Handbook of Plant and Crop Physiology. Following its predecessors, the fourth edition of this well-regarded handbook offers a unique, comprehensive, and complete collection of topics in the field of plant and crop physiology.Divided into eleven sections, for easy access of information, this edition contains more than 90 percent new material, substantial revisions, and two new sections. The handbook covers the physiology of plant and crop growth and development, cellular and molecular aspects, plant genetics and production processes. The book presents findings on plant and crop growth in response to climatic changes, and considers the potential for plants and crops adaptation, exploring the biotechnological aspects of plant and crop improvement.This content is used to plan, implement, and evaluatTable of ContentsPart 1: Soil-Plant-Water-Nutrients-Microorganisms Physiological Relations 1. Evaluating the Recruitment of Soilborne Microbes to Seeds and Their Effects on Seed Germination of Crop Plants in Agricultural and Non-agricultural Soils 2. Regulation of phosphate starvation in higher plants and role of mycorrhizae 3. Potassium Effect on Growth and Physiology of Alfalfa 4. Evaluating and Managing Crops Water Requirement With Theoretical Methods and Remote Sensing Technology Part 2: Physiology of Plant/Crop Growth and Development Stages 5. Seed Dormancy and Germination in Medicinal Plants, Inhibitors and Promoters 6. Plant Aging, Developmental Stages, Reproductive and the Beginning of Flowering Stage 7. Longan Fruit Tree Physiology and Its Flowering Induction 8. The Final Phase of Plant Life Part 3: Cellular and Molecular Aspects of Plant/Crop Physiology 9. Carbon Assimilation and Partitioning in Crop Plants: A Biochemical and Physiological View 10. Epitranscriptomics in Plant Physiology: m6 A modifications 11. Characteristics of Grain Quality in Rice: Physiological and Molecular Aspects 12. Role of Melatonin in Improving the Tolerance of Plants to Salinity Stress 13. Phytohormones and Abiotic Stresses - Roles of Phytohormones in Plants under Abiotic Stresses 14. Physiological Roles of Plant Nutrients, Ions, and Phytometabolites Homeostasis in Activating Antioxidative Defense Systems and Conferring Tolerance to Osmotic Stress Part 4: Plant/Crop Physiology and Physiological Aspects of Plant/Crop Production Processes 15. Physiology of Grain Development in Cereals 16. Plant Nutrition: Rates of Transport and Metabolism 17. Plant Nutrition: Interactions of Mineral and Organic Substances 18. Roles and Implications of Arbuscular Mycorrhizas in Plant Nutrition 19. Turfgrass Nitrogen Management: A Review Part 5: Plant Growth Regulators: The Natural Hormones (Growth Promoters and Inhibiters) 20. Plant Growth Regulators and Secondary Metabolites, Downregulation and Upregulation Part 6: Physiological Responses of Plants/Crops Under Stressful (Salt, Drought, Heat, Nutrient Deficiency, and Other Environmental Stresses) Conditions 21. Physiological Basis of Abiotic Stress Tolerance in Plants 22. Physiological adaptations in temperate crops to environmental constraints during the growing season 23. Osmotic Stress: An Outcome of Drought and Salinity 24. Drought Stress Sensing-Signaling in Plants 25. Plant Morphological and Physiological Responses to Drought Stress 26. Morphological, Physiological and Biochemical Responses of Plants to Drought and Oxidative Stresses 27. Effects of Salinity Stress on Morpho-physiology, Biochemistry, and Proteomic Responses of Plants 28. Metabolic Regulation of Cytokinins for Conferring Heat and Drought Tolerance in Perennial Grass Species 29. Drought Physiology of Forage Crops 30. Physiological Mechanisms of Nitrogen Absorption and Assimilation in Plants under Stressful Conditions 31. Reactive Oxygen Species Generation, Hazards, and Defense Mechanisms in Plants under Environmental (Abiotic and Biotic) Stress Conditions 32. Oxidative Stress: Repercussions for Crop Productivity 33. Physiological and Biophysical Responses of Plants under Low and Ultralow Temperatures 34. Physiological Responses of Cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) to Salt Stress 35. Growth and Physiological Responses of Turfgrasses Under Stressful Conditions 36. Urban Landscape, Trees Physiological and Environmental Stresses, Challenges and Solutions 37. Consequences of Water Stress and Salinity on Plants/Crops; Physiobiochemical and Molecular Mitigation Approaches Part 7: Physiological Responses of Plants/Crops to Heavy Metal Concentrations and Agrichemicals 38. Heavy Metals and Phytoremediation in Plants 39. Arsenic Toxicity and Tolerance Mechanisms in Crop Plants 40. Interactions of Nanomaterials and Plants in Remediation of the Heavy Metal Contaminated Soils Part 8: Physiological Responses of Lower Plants (Algae) and Vascular Plants/Crops to Metal-based Nanoparticles 41. Impact of Metal Nanoparticles on Marine and Freshwater Algae 42. Risks and Benefits of Metal-based Nanoparticles for Vascular Plants Part 9: Physiology of Plant/Crop Genetics and Development 43. Genotyping, Phenotyping, Genetic Engineering, and Screening Techniques required for Developing Drought-Tolerant Plants 44. Genetic Diversity in Leaf Photosynthesis Among Soybeans under Field Environment Part 10: Plants/Crops Growth Responses to Climate Change and Environmental Factors 45. Climate Change and Secondary Metabolites Production, an Ecophysiological Perspective 46. Regulation of Growth Factors in Plants by Artificial and Supplementary LED Light: An Integrated View on Morphology and Physiology Part 11: Future Promises: Plants and Crops Adaptation, and Biotechnological Aspects of Plants/Crops Improvement under Normal and Stressful Conditions 47. Management of Plant Stress Physiology to Improve Crop Production and Quality 48. CAM Plants as Crops: Metabolically Flexible, Hardy Plants for a Changing World 49. Digging deeper to define the physiological responses to environmental stress: The case of common bean and brachiaria grasses 50. New Approaches for Improving Turfgrass Nutrition: Usage of Humic Substances and Mycorrhizal Inoculation

Read more less

Book SynopsisOrganic farming is not only a philosophy; it is also a well-researched science. The second edition of The Science and Technology of Organic Farming presents the scientific basis of organic farming and the methods of application needed to achieve adequate yields through plant nutrition and protection.Organic farming is a scientifically derived method of improving soil fertility to increase agricultural yields with limited chemical inputs. As such, it can meet public demand for reduced chemical inputs in agriculture and play a key role in meeting the needs of a growing world population. The new edition of this highly regarded book gives clear and comprehensive details on how soil fertility can be maintained and how plants can be nourished in organic agriculture. Chapters on soil fertility and plant nutrition explain the chemistry of the plant, the soil, and the soil solution and outline the importance of plant macronutrients and micronutrients. The booTable of Contents 1. Definitions and Philosophies of Organic Farming 2. Soil Fertility and Plant Nutrition 3. Requirements of Plants for Soil-Derived Nutrients 4. Liming 5. Management of Farm Manures 6. Composting 7. Management of Green Manures 8. Mulches 9. Tillage 10. Weed Control 11. Insect Control 12. Plant Diseases 13. Companion Planting 14. Storage of Produce 15. Hydroponics

Read more less

Book SynopsisThis book focuses on the recent advents and technological breakthroughs in metagenomic approaches coupled with their applications in agriculture. The intended audience include soil and environmental microbiologists, molecular biologists and policy makers. The book expertly describes the latest fourth generation metagenomic technologies from sample collection to data analysis, metatranscriptomic, metaproteomic and metabolomics studiesNote: T& F does not sell or distribute the Hardback in India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. Table of Contents1 Introduction To Metagenomics 2 Soil Metagenomics – The Culture Independent Insight 3 Techniques in Soil Metagenomics 4 Accessing the Soil Metagenome 5 Construction of Soil Metagenomic Libraries 6 Enrichment Strategies of Soil Metagenome 7 Metagenomic Pyrosequencing and Microbial Identification 8 Metagenomic Gene Discovery 9 Taxonomic and Functional Diversity of Microbial Communities 10 Metagenomics and Ecology 11 Mobile Metagenomics 12 Viral Metagenomics – Generation of Viral Metagenome 13 Mapping the Virus World Through Metagenomics 14 Functional Viral Metagenomics 15 Metagenomics and Integrative ‘Omics’ in Bioremediation 16 Metagenomics in White Biotechnology 17 Metagenomics in Agriculture 18 Bioinformatics in Metagenomics 19 Nanotechnology in Metagenomics 20 The Future of Metagenomics

Read more less

Book SynopsisIn the present era, rapid industrialization and urbanization has resulted in unwanted physiological, chemical, and biological changes in the environment that have harmful effects on crop quality and productivity. This situation is further worsened by the growing demand for food due to an ever increasing population. This forces plant scientists and agronomists to look forward for alternative strategies to enhance crop production and produce safer, healthier foods. Biotic and abiotic stresses are major constraints to crop productivity and have become an important challenge to agricultural scientists and agronomists due to the fact that both stress factors considerably reduce agriculture production worldwide per year. Silicon has various effects on plant growth and development, as well as crop yields. It increases photosynthetic activity, creates better disease resistance, reduces heavy metal toxicity, improves nutrient imbalance, and enhances droughtTable of ContentsSilicon mineralization in plants: Transport, structure and function. Silicon deposition in monocot plants and its recycling: an overview. Silicon and lignin deposition in plants: an overview. Silicon and proteomics: an overview. Silicon uptake and translocation in plants: recent advances and future prospective. Effect of silicon application under drought stress: Focus on agricultural aspects. Role of silicon under metal stress: an emphasis on root biology. Silicon and its role in management of tissue damage under metal toxicity. Silicon and Horticulture crops: evaluation of silicon uptake and deposition in floristic crops. Silicon and alleviation of salt stress in crops genotypes differing in salt tolerance. Silicon and pathogen resistance in crop plants: an overview. Silicon and insect- pest resistance in crop plants: an overview. Silicon and rust diseases in plants: recent advances and future prospective. Silicon isotopes study in plants: Role and future prospective. Silicon and nanotechnology: role in agriculture and future prospective. Silicon fertilizers: an overview. Silicon and plants: beneficial or essential element? Silicon deposition in dicot plants: an overview. Silicon and nutrient regulation in plants under abiotic stress. Silicon uptake and dynamics in plants: and overview. Advances in silicon research against blast disease. Interaction of silicon and UV-B radiation in plants. Silicon and silicified cells in plants: an overview. Silicon status and its relationship with major physiochemical properties of soils. Effect of silicon on oxidative stress under abiotic stress. Silicon and chromium toxicity in plants: an overview. Silicon and boron toxicity in plants: an overview. Silicon and aluminum toxicity in plants: an overview. Silicon and cadmium toxicity in plants: an overview. Silicon and arsenic toxicity in plants: an overview. Role of silicon under nutrient deficiency: recent advances and future perspective. Role of silicon in plants: present scenario and future prospects. Silicon and heat stress tolerance: an overview. Silicon and antioxidant defense system against abiotic stress in plants: an overview. Silicon and antioxidant defense system against biotic stress in plants: an overview. Mechanisms of silicon-mediated alleviation of abiotic stress in plants: Recent advances and future perspective. Biochemical and molecular mechanisms of silicon-mediated alleviation of biotic stress in plants: Recent advances and future perspective. Silicon and apoplast and symplast talk in plants under metal stress: Recent advances and future perspective. Silicon nutrition and crop improvement: Recent advances and future perspective.

Read more less

Book SynopsisField to Palette: Dialogues on Soil and Art in the Anthropocene is an investigation of the cultural meanings, representations, and values of soil in a time of planetary change. The book offers critical reflections on some of the most challenging environmental problems of our time, including land take, groundwater pollution, desertification, and biodiversity loss. At the same time, the book celebrates diverse forms of resilience in the face of such challenges, beginning with its title as a way of honoring locally controlled food production methods championed by field to plate movements worldwide. By focusing on concepts of soil functionality, the book weaves together different disciplinary perspectives in a collection of dialogue texts between artists and scientists, interviews by the editors and invited curators, essays and poems by earth scientists and humanities scholars, soil recipes, maps, and DIY experiments. With contributions from over 100 internationally renowned reTrade ReviewThe ambition of the editors and contributors of the book Field to Palette: Dialogues on Soil and Art in the Anthropocene is to help society reconnect with soil. The chapters are either essays that explore some of the cultural articulations of soil or incredibly informative conversations between artists, activists and scientists who share their thoughts about the material properties, cultural histories, environmental functions and existential threats of soil.Field to Palette is an amazing publication. Its almost 700 pages are packed with photos, surprising information and moving encounters. I wish i had the time to talk about everything i’ve learnt in the book. The unexpectedly sophisticated sensory abilities of nematodes or the method to turn plastic-free baby diapers into planters and nutrients for trees, for example. Since one of the greatest achievements of the book is the way it demonstrates the important role that artists can play in raising discussions with the public and in participating to the solution to the many challenges soil faces today, i’ll dedicate the rest of my review of the book to just a few of the artworks and stories i discovered in Field to Palette.http://we-make-money-not-art.com/field-to-palette-dialogues-on-soil-and-art-in-the-anthropocene/ The ambition of the editors and contributors of the book Field to Palette: Dialogues on Soil and Art in the Anthropocene is to help society reconnect with soil. The chapters are either essays that explore some of the cultural articulations of soil or incredibly informative conversations between artists, activists and scientists who share their thoughts about the material properties, cultural histories, environmental functions and existential threats of soil.Field to Palette is an amazing publication. Its almost 700 pages are packed with photos, surprising information and moving encounters. I wish i had the time to talk about everything i’ve learnt in the book. The unexpectedly sophisticated sensory abilities of nematodes or the method to turn plastic-free baby diapers into planters and nutrients for trees, for example. Since one of the greatest achievements of the book is the way it demonstrates the important role that artists can play in raising discussions with the public and in participating to the solution to the many challenges soil faces today, i’ll dedicate the rest of my review of the book to just a few of the artworks and stories i discovered in Field to Palette.http://we-make-money-not-art.com/field-to-palette-dialogues-on-soil-and-art-in-the-anthropocene/ Table of ContentsI. SUSTENANCE 1. Urban Farming: The New Green Revolution? 2. Taste of Place: Terroir as Experience 3. A Root Stew from the Kitchen of Sarah Wiener 4. Artisanal Soil 5. Black Gold 6. Temple of Holy Shit: On Human-Soil Nutrient Cycles and the Future of Sustainable Sanitation 7. S.Oil 8. Murray River Punch: A Conversation on Changes Along the River 9. Yield 10. On Corn Mothers and Meal Culture: Ecofeminist Alternatives to Food Politics and Soil Security II. REPOSITORY 11. Soil Genesis: A Dialogue for Creation 12. A Kind of Soil Genesis on Canvas 13. Painting with Earth: Earth Pigments in North Devon a Guide for Teachers and Artists 14. Pedometrics, Pictures, and Poetry 15. From Earth 16. Correlation Drawing/Drawing Correlations 17. Mineral Traces: The Aesthetic and Environmental Transcendence of Soil Mineral Properties 18. A Snapshot in Time: The Dynamic and Ephemeral Structure of Peatland Soils 19. Carbon 20. Deep-Time Moles: An Interdisciplinary Approach to Geological Archiving III. INTERFACE 21. Honoring Soil Hydrology in Pictures 22. Waterviz at Hubbard Brook: The Confluence of Science, Art and Music at Long Term Ecological Research Sites 23. Aesthetic Engineering: Giving Visual Credence to Restoration Processes 24. Rocks, Radishes, and Restoration: On the Relationships Between Clean Water and Healthy Soil 25. Dirt Dialogue 26. WATERWASH for a Swimmable Bronx River 27. Backyard Portals: A Solutions-Oriented Approach to Valuing Soil 28. Don’t Worry, It’s Only Mud 29. The Art of Decay: Soil Decomposition Explored Through the Visual Arts IV. HOME 30. Exploring the Invisible: The Exemplary Life of Soil 31. SOILED. Reflecting A Natural Body Through Socio-Aesthetical and Bio-Political Viewpoints 32. Nematode State of Mind 33. On Colour Hunting 34. A Public Chemistry of the Detritusphere 35. Soil Macrocosms: Microbes, People, and Our Cumulative Effects 36. A Soil Procession and Seed Journey to Preserve Genetic Diversity 37. Future Worlds V. HERITAGE 38. Reframing Heritage: Cultural Soilscapes and Soil Memory 39. The Weapon is Sharing 40. Stories from the Hills: Tales of the Lowland 41. Sketches in the Sands of Time 42. A Visual Ethnography of Soils in Space and Time 43. Lessons from Emma Lake: A Metamorphosis of Science and Art in Landscape and Local Colour 44. Soil Connoisseurship 45. Underground Roots 46. Soil Lovers Unite! for a Down & Dirty Q & A VI. PLATFORM 47. Seeing the Soil Platform 48. Perpetual Architecture: Uranium Disposal Cells of the Southwest 49. Wastelands 50. The Earth Print Archive: A Forensic Documentation of Land Take 51. Soil in the City: The Socio-Environmental Substrate 52. The Soil Assembly and Dissemination Authority (SADA): A Thought Experiment in Building Tomorrow's Soils Today 53. Soil Chemistry and Urban Design in the Hybrid Landscapes of South China 54. The City as Forest: Cartographic Reflections on Land Use in Brazil 55. Island Urbanism: Rethinking the Land-Use Technology of the Watershed

Read more less

Book SynopsisIncrease in global population, drastic changes in the environment, soil degradation and decrease in quality and quantity of agricultural productivity warranted us to adapt sustainable farming practices. This book focuses on soil health management and creating biased rhizosphere that can effectively augment the needs of sustainable agriculture.Trade Review"This book is well designed with six broad areas explaining the approach for sustainable agriculture which include soil basics, soil management, plant nutrients and biological protection, soil organisms, soil–water–plant relationships and rhizosphere engineering. In the recent past, it has been observed that drastic global agricultural transformations have taken place in the farming systems due to modern cultivation practices and nutrient management. The book also mentions the methods and practices of sustainable agriculture, suggesting their benefits and importance. This book should be in every library and will prove useful to soil scientists, agronomists, environmental scientists, biochemists and those involved in natural resource management."— K. P. Voswanatha, Current Science, Vol 118, 2020Table of ContentsSoil BasicsIntroduction to Sustainable AgricultureSoil Formation and ClassificationPhysical Properties of SoilChemical Properties of SoilIntroduction to Soil Water SystemSoil management for sustainable agricultureHealthy Soils for Sustainable AgricultureSoil Erosion and its ConservationSoil Pollution: causes, effects, and preventive measuresSoil Testing for Better Nutrient ManagementSoil Preparation and TillageComposting for Sustainable AgricultureOrganic Farming and Precision Agriculture for Sustainable FarmingPlant Nutrients and BiopesticidesPlant Mineral NutrientsChemical Fertilizers and FertigationOrganic FertilizersBio-fertilizers for Integrated Nutrient ManagementBiopesticides for Integrated Pest ManagementSoil Organisms in Sustainable AgricultureSoil Biology Management for Sustainable Soil HealthSoil, Water, and Plant RelationsPlant Forms and FunctionsPlant Growth and DevelopmentMechanism of Mineral Nutrient Uptake in PlantsWater Absorption and Transport in PlantsAbiotic Stress: Plant response to moisture and salt stressesRhizosphere Engineering for Sustainable AgricultureRhizosphere Structure and Rhizodeposition.Rhizosphere Interactions: Network of plants, microbes and soilRhizosphere Engineering: Enhancing sustainable plant ecosystemBioremediation: A promising rhizosphere technology

Read more less

Book SynopsisThis book provides a review of problems during design and construction on problematic soils. Design methods, site investigation, construction and analysis of the various improvement methods available are explained and discussed. Various regions may have different soils with geotechnical problems that differ from those faced in other regions. For example, in Southeast Asia, the common geotechnical problems are those associated with construction on soft clays and organic soils, while in the arid region of the Middle East, problems are generally associated with the desert soils. In the US, the problems are associated with organic soils, expansive and collapsing soils, and shale. Laterite and lateritic soils are especially problematic in Mexico. Similarly, in Europe, for example, the geotechnical problems are associated with loess (France), and organic soil (Germany). A detailed description of various methods of ground improvement has been provided in 11 chapters. Each chapter deals notTable of ContentsGeotechnical problems around the world. Field compaction method. Vibro-floatation and dynamic compaction. Replacement method, stage construction, preloading and drainage. Soil reinforcement. Shallow stabilization. Deep stabilization using chemical additives. Stabilization using light weight fills. Ground improvement using grouting ...

Read more less

Book SynopsisClimate is a soil-forming factor and soil can mitigate climate change through a reduction in the emissions of greenhouse gases and sequestration of atmospheric CO2. Thus, there is a growing interest in soil management practices capable of mitigating climate change and enhancing environmental quality. Soil and Climate addresses global issues through soil management and outlines strategies for advancing Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This volume in the Advances in Soil Science series is specifically devoted to describe state-of-the-knowledge regarding the climatesoil nexus in relation to: Soil Processes: weathering, decomposition of organic matter, erosion, leaching, salinization, biochemical, transformations, gaseous flux, and elemental cycling, Soil Properties: physical, chemical, biological, and ecological, Atmospheric Chemistry: gaseous concentrations of (CO2, CH4, N2Table of Contents Spoil and Climate. Soil--The Hidden Part of Climate: Microbial Processes Regulating Soil-Atmosphere Exchange of Greenhouse Gases. Regionally Diverse Land-Use Driven Feedbacks from Soils to the Climate System. Conservation Agriculture: Maintaining Land Productivity and Health by Managing Carbon Flows. Nutrient Requirements for Soil Carbon Sequestration. Physical Protection and Mean Residence Time of Soil Carbon. Nitrogen Cycling and Dynamics in Terrestrial Ecosystems. Biochar for Climate Change Mitigation: Navigating from Science to Evidence-Based Policy. Silicate Weathering to Mitigate Climate Change. Determination of Secondary Carbonates. Effects of Plant Invasions on the Soil Carbon Storage in the Light of Climate Change. Climate Change Impact on Soil Carbon Stocks in India. Soil Degradation and Climate Change in South Asia. The Soil-Livestock-Climate Nexus. Soil and Human Health in a Changing Climate. Climate Change and the Global Soil Carbon Stocks.

Read more less

Book SynopsisSometimes called 'black gold,' Iowa's deep, rich soils are a treasure that formed over thousands of years under the very best of the world's grasslands-the tallgrass prairie. The soils are diverse and complex and hold within them a record not only of Iowa's prehistoric past, but also of the changes that took place after settlers utterly transformed the land, as well as the ongoing adjustments taking place today due to climate change. In language that is scientifically sound but accessible to the layperson, Kathleen Woida explains how soils formed and have changed over centuries and millennia in the land between two rivers. Its soils are what make Iowa a premier agricultural state, both in terms of acres planted and bushels harvested. But in the last hundred years, large-scale intensive agriculture and urban development have severely degraded most of our soils. However, as Woida documents, some innovative Iowans are beginning to repair and regenerate their soils by treating them as the living ecosystem and vast carbon store that they are. To paraphrase Aldo Leopold, these new pioneers are beginning to see their soils as part of a community to which they and their descendants belong, rather than commodities belonging to them.Trade ReviewThis is a remarkable book. Woida's knowledge of, reverence for, and joy in soils infuses each page. With friendly scientific authority, she seamlessly connects the natural history of the landscape with its human history. This is a book for all who care about Iowa." - Michael Thompson, Iowa State University "Woida illustrates a biological history of Iowa's black gold. She weaves together the past and present of Iowa's soils, and communicates an appreciation of what we stand to lose if we don't care for it into the future." - Sarah Carlson, Practical Farmers of Iowa"Woida uses her career experience to explain the complex processes of soil formation, taxonomy, classification, and the destructive results of farming practices in Iowa's water and soils, and she does it all in easy-to-understand terms. Iowa's Remarkable Soils is an informative and enjoyable read." - Barb Stewart, former state agronomist, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service

Read more less

Book SynopsisThis book highlights the impact of climate change on the soil microbiome and its subsequent effects on plant health, soil-plant dynamics, and the ecosphere. It also discusses emerging ideas to counteract these effects, e.g., through agricultural applications of functional microbes, to ensure a sustainable ecosystem.Climate change is altering the soil microbiome distributions and thus the interactions in microbiome and plant‐soil microorganism. Improvement of our understanding of microbe-microbe and plant-microbe interaction under changing climatic conditions is essential, because the overall impact of these interactions under varying adverse environmental conditions is lacking. This book has been designed to understand the impact of climate change, i.e., mainly salt and drought stress, on the soil microbiome and its impact on plant, yield, and the ecosphere.The book is organized into four parts: The first part reviews the impact of climate change on the diversity and richness of the soil microbiome. The second part addresses effects of climate change on plant health. The third part discusses effects on soil-plant dynamics and functionality, e.g., soil productivity. The final part deals with the effects of climate change on ecosystem functioning and also discusses potential solutions.The book will appeal to students and researchers working in the area of soil science, agriculture, molecular biology, plant physiology, and biotechnology. Table of Contents

Read more less

Book SynopsisThis volume discusses innovative advancements in soil and crop microbiome technology and methods to support agricultural sustainability and reduce soil degradation. As climate change impacts agricultural productivity and soil health in impacted regions throughout the world, potential alternatives to find balance between soil health and crop yield are increasingly needed. Therefore, this book provides a timely, global perspective with a collection of expert authors to address how microbiomes can be used to achieve agricultural sustainability in threatened and degraded areas, while also covering related matters including soil health, pest management, waste disposal, environmental contamination, biofertilizer production, composting, and microbial engineering. The book is meant to serve as a reference for agriculturalists, environmentalists, graduate and post-graduate students, researchers, and professors of sustainability and agricultural management.Table of ContentsChapter 1. Integrated Approaches to Agri-Nanotechnology: Applications, Challenges and Future Perspectives.- Chapter 2. Microbiota in sustainable degradation of organic waste and its utilization in agricultural industry.- Chapter 3. Microbial degradation of toxic Agri wastes.- Chapter 4. Introduction of Biofertilizers in Agriculture with Emphasis on Nitrogen Fixers and Phosphate Solubilizers.- Chapter 5. Biofertilizers and biopesticides: approaches towards sustainable development.- Chapter 6. Credibility of biofertilizers towards restoration of fertility phenomenon in degraded soil environs.- Chapter 7. Macrophytes as biofertilizer for Agriculture: Concept and Applications.- Chapter 8. Potential role of biofertilizers in fruit crops.- Chapter 9. Microbial Biofertilizers: An Approach to Sustainable Agriculture.- Chapter 10. Actinomycetes as biofertilizers for Sustainable agriculture.- Chapter 11. Innovations in Biotechnology: Boon for Agriculture and Soil fertility.- Chapter 12. Microbiomes in Climate Smart Agriculture and sustainability.- Chapter 13. Genetic engineering towards improvement of phosphorus agricultural utilization.- Chapter 14. Pseudomonas as backbone for environmental health.- Chapter 15. Cyanobacteria as sustainable microbe for agricultural industries.- Chapter 16. Functional Diversity of Endophytic Microbiota in Crop Management of Cucumis sativus L.- Chapter 17. NANOSCIENCE IN AGRICULTURAL STEADINESS.- Chapter 18. Carbon and Silver Nanoparticles for Applications in Agriculture.

Read more less

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.

Read more less

Book SynopsisEnding hunger, achieving food security and promoting sustainable development are at the top of the list of United Nations (UN) sustainable global development priorities. In the times of high population growth and increasing pressure of agricultural systems, efficiency in use of natural resources has been at the epicenter of sustainable agricultural. The concept of ‘Input efficiency’ implies production of high quantity and quality of food, from using only finite natural resources as inputs, in the form of mainly land, water, nutrients, energy, or biological diversity. In this book, editors provide a roadmap to the food, nutritional, and environmental security in the agricultural systems. They share insight into the approaches that can be put in practice for increasing the input use efficiency in the cropping systems and achieve stability and sustainability of agricultural production systems. This book is of interest to teachers, researchers, climate change scientists, capacity builders and policymakers. Also the book serves as additional reading material for undergraduate and graduate students of agriculture, agroforestry, agroecology, and environmental sciences. National and international agricultural scientists, policymakers will also find this to be a useful read.Table of ContentsChapter 1. Input Use Efficiency in Rice-Wheat Cropping Systems to Manage the Footprints for Food and Environmental Security.- Chapter 2. Agricultural Input Use Efficiency and Climate Change – Ways to Improve the Environment and Food Security.- Chapter 3. Smart and Efficient Technological intervtion and Ecosystems Services in Rice-Wheat System for Food and Environmental Security.- Chapter 4. Use of Agrochemicals in Agriculture: Alarming Issues and Solutions.- Chapter 5. Agronomic Strategies for Improving Micronutrient Use Efficiency in Crops for Nutritional and Food Security.- Chapter 6. Advances in Input Management for Food and Environmental Security.- Chapter 7. Reduction of Energy Consumption in Agriculture for Sustainable Green Future.- Chapter 8. C Farming: for Climate Smart Agriculture and Environmental Security.- Chapter 9. Judicious Soil Management for Having Improved Physical Properties of Soil and Input Use Efficiency. Chapter 10. Input Use Efficiency for Improving Soil Fertility and Productivity.- Chapter 11. Efficient Use of Nitrogen Fertilizers: A Basic Necessity for Food and Environmental Security.- Chapter 12. Phosphorus Availability in Soils and P Use Efficiency for Food and Environmental Sustainability.- Chapter 13. Role of Potassium for Improving Nutrient Use Efficiency in Agriculture.- Chapter 14. Integrated Approaches for Biofortification of Food Crops by Improving Input Use Efficiency.- Chapter 15. Enhancing Water Use Efficiency for Food Security and Sustainable Environment in South Asia.- Chapter 16. Optical Sensors for Rational Fertilizer Nitrogen Management in Field Crops.- Chapter 17. Remote and Proximal Sensing: Optimising Input Use Efficiency for Sustainable Agriculture.- Chapter 18. Plans and Policies Towards the Input Use Efficiency for Food and Environmental Security.- Chapter 19. Precision Input Management for Minimizing and Recycling of Agricultural Waste.- Chapter 20. Recycling of Agro-wastes for Environmental and Nutritional Security.- Chapter 21. Agricultural Waste Management Policies and Programme for Environment and Nutritional Security. Chapter 22. Ethanol Production from Sugarcane: An Overview.- Chapter 23. Emerging Policy Concerns for Improving Input Use Efficiency in Agriculture for Global Food Security in South Asia.- Chapter 24. Estimating the Input Use Efficiency of Rice Farmers in Bangladesh:An Application of the Primal System of Stochastic Frontier Approach.

Read more less

Book SynopsisThis book investigates the effect of the Green Revolution (GR) on long-term changes in the fertility status of paddy soils in tropical Asia. While information on long-term changes in soil fertility status are rather limited due to difficulties in obtaining past data or samples for comparison, this investigation on temporal changes in soil fertility is possible by comparing fertility status in the 2010s, which the authors examined recently, with those from the 1960s, when GR was initiated, which was reported by Kawaguchi & Kyuma (1977). More than 220 paddy soils collected from Thailand, the Philippines, Malaysia, Bangladesh, and Indonesia were analyzed for their physicochemical properties as well as total and available fractions of plant macro- and micro- essential elements, and their temporal changes were examined in addition to their spatial variation in each country. The most significant change was a drastic increase of available phosphorus in soils, possibly due to fertilization after the GR. Changes in organic matter, pH, and other nutrients were relatively small. A considerable decrease in the content of some micronutrients was also observed. Long-term studies on soil fertility status in the past and present will be useful to establish soil/fertilizer management for sustainable rice production in the future. This book is an essential reading for soil scientists, agricultural scientists, environmental scientists, as well as policymakers and nongovernmental officers such as FAO.Table of ContentsChapter 1. Introduction.- Chapter 2. Materials and Methods.- Chapter 3. Changes in Paddy Soil Fertility in Thailand under the Green Revolution during the Last 50 Years.- Chapter 4. Changes in Lowland Paddy Soil Fertility in the Philippines after 50 years of the Green Revolution.- Chapter 5. Changes in Soil Fertility of Paddy Fields in Malaysia due to the Long-Term Effect of the Green Revolution.- Chapter 6. Changes in Paddy Soil Fertility in Bangladesh under the Green Revolution.- Chapter 7. Changes of Paddy Soil Properties under the Green Revolution in Indonesia (Java Island) during the period of 1970–2003.- Chapter 8. Comparison of Long-Term Changes in Paddy Soil Fertility among Thailand, the Philippines and Malaysia Based on the Original Data and the Factor Scores.- Chapter 9. Changes in Paddy Soil Fertility in Thailand in Relation to Total Content of Elements and Micronutrient Status under the Green Revolution during the Last 50 Years.- Chapter 10. Summary of the Current Research and Implications for the Future.-

Read more less