Product Description

Sustainable agriculture is a rapidly growing field aiming at producing food and energy in a sustainable way for humans and their children. Sustainable agriculture is a discipline that addresses current issues such as climate change, increasing food and fuel prices, poor-nation starvation, rich-nation obesity, water pollution, soil erosion, fertility loss, pest control, and biodiversity depletion. Novel, environmentally-friendly solutions are proposed based on integrated knowledge from sciences as diverse as agronomy, soil science, molecular biology, chemistry, toxicology, ecology, economy, and social sciences. Indeed, sustainable agriculture decipher mechanisms of processes that occur from the molecular level to the farming system to the global level at time scales ranging from seconds to centuries. For that, scientists use the system approach that involves studying components and interactions of a whole system to address scientific, economic and social issues. In that respect, sustainable agriculture is not a classical, narrow science. Instead of solving problems using the classical painkiller approach that treats only negative impacts, sustainable agriculture treats problem sources. Because most actual society issues are now intertwined, global, and fast-developing, sustainable agriculture will bring solutions to build a safer world. This book series gathers review articles that analyze current agricultural issues and knowledge, then propose alternative solutions. It will therefore help all scientists, decision-makers, professors, farmers and politicians who wish to build a safe agriculture, energy and food system for future generations.

Product Description
How does Nature work? When one looks closely at the enormously complex web of life, it is impossible not to be caught by the wonder of how all living things - yes including rocks and crystals - are interconnected. Just as there is thought behind action, so there is energy behind matter. Schauberger is able to demonstrate how Nature works because he has been able to observe and describe how its energies manifest and produce the material world. This, the third volume in the eco-technology series, contains Schauberger's writings on trees, biodynamic agriculture and subtle energies in nautre. It answers questions like why are so many species of plant and animal disappearing? 'Industrial civilisation lurches towards ecological meltdown, Schauberger's prescient ideas and discoveries will be closely examined by all who seek to find a way for humanity to live in harmony, rather than conflict, with Nature.' - Ralph Metzner Other books by Viktor Schauberger Energy Evolution Nature as Teacher The Water Wizard. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

interesting but very scientific
A bit hard to read if you are not into reading a lot scientific information... but its a good book if you can get past that... slow read.

Viktor Schauberger was a Genius!
Viktor not only knew about water, unlike most people today, but he was a genius in regards to farming as well.When you live close to Nature, like Viktor did, you uncover a lot of truths about the world around you.This book is well written and was a pleasure reading.Without the forests we have no water and with poorly treated soil we end-up with poor quality food and more illnesses.If you care about the earth buy this book and spread the word. Cheers to Viktor Schauberger and all his insights, and to Callum Coats for translating it into English

Are you trying to save Mother Earth?
If you are in any way interested in the environement, then this book will appeal to you. This is the third book in the highly acclaimed "Eco-Technology" series by Callum Coats. Not only does the book delve into what man is doing to harm the environement, it also offers "fresh" ideas on what we can and should DO about it. I can't believe "Green Peace" or some other pro-environmental group doesn't have this book as part of their by-laws! Fascinating. Of coarse, the entire book is based on the revolutionary work of Viktor Schauberger. This one, if you are into farming, just have a back-yard garden, or are a hard core pro-earth person, will keep you reading till the end...and want to read the entire series. A very well written and inspiring book. A differnent view of natural phenomena, the influence of temperature and water movement, forestry, agriculture, the energy industry, the dying forest, timber and water in the building industry, soil fertilisation, increased productivity...wow! Again, whether you are just into learning what's happening to the earth, and why, or you are serious about trying to DO something to stop the damage already done, this book will open your eyes. ... Read more

Product Description
The Soil and Health was published in 1945, just before agricultural corporations surged to global proportions. Sir Albert Howard's work is a major inspiration to the growing organic and sustainable farming movement and a thought-provoking reminder of a road not taken in developing mainstream agriculture during the past half-century.

The central tenet of Howard's philosophy is that healthy soil, vegetation, animals, and humans are connected and that undernourishment of soil is the source of modern agricultural and health problems. In Howard's estimation, heavy reliance on chemical fertilizers will ultimately lead to widespread disease and destruction of vibrant communities. As the environmental and social consequences of industrial farming are being hotly debated, The Soil and Health remains vital to understanding what is at stake in the battle between chemical and organic farming. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

This book does not have $ value---it is PRICELESS, beyond any price
[[ASIN:0813191718 The Soil and Health: A Study of Organic Agriculture (Culture of the Land)]

Robert Rodale dedicated the September,1948 issue of ORGANIC GARDENING as a memorial to Albert Howard .I made this note from that issue, "The purpose of this book is threefold:to record my own observations and reflections, which have accumulated during some forty-five years, on the occurance and prevention of disease, to establish the thesis that most disease can be traced to am impoverished soil, which leads to imperfectly synthesized protein in the green leaf and finally to the breakdown of those protective arrangements which Nature has designed for us." Howard's preface.

Also from my notes, "The quality of our food and health decreases each year.In 1995the USA ranked 17th in life expectancy, in 10000 we ranked 24th.Countries are not ranked 17th in life expectancy on the internet at WHO Statistical Information System.Dr. Christopher Murray, MD,PhD of Who has this to say,"Basically you die earlier and spend more time sidabled if you are an American rather than a member of most other developed countries"

A God bless you to Wendell Barry for your introduction.I am still haunted by your UNSETTLING OF AMERICA;CULTURE AND AGRICULTURE which I read many years ago.

For the Agriculturally Literate
As a long time reader of Wendell Berry, I have been fascinated to read this book that Berry claims to have influenced his thinking to such a great extent. Sir Albert Howard is a wonderful science writer, able to lucidly explain complicated biological processes and marshall all of his observations in the service of a coherent argument about our relationship to nature. I see deep truth in this book, and an approach to scientific thinking that never loses site of our unavoidable ignorance or our ultimately spiritual destiny.

Why does soil matter? Read this first
Jared Diamond and others have written about how civilizations have destroyed themselves by exploiting their soils. Sir Albert Howard said the same thing, but he said it 100 years ago. Howard was the father of the modern organic, holistic farming movement. This book is incredibly readable and will change how you think about food, soil, and the fate of civilization.

Great Early Book on Organic Agriculture
The Soil and Health is a wonderful book that is equal parts agricultural science and environmental advocacy, with just a dash of kooky Nature worship thrown in.Howard was a conventionally trained agricultural scientist in the late 19th and early to mid 20th century who was employed by the British government to bring modern industrial agriculture, based on chemical fertilizers, pesticides, fungicides and herbicides to Britain's tropical colonies.Soon, though, he realized the value of more traditional agricultural practices from India and China, especially in keeping the microbial, fungal and invertebrate life in the soil healthy.

If you believe in the value of organic agriculture, it is somewhat sad to see how little has changed since 1945.Howard confidently predicts in his book that organic methods based on compost would soon sweep the globe.Things have changed some, though.We can now buy "organic" labeled products in most markets in America, and I believe that more people have an appreciation for the importance of treating the earth well.This book does an excellent job of establishing and reinforcing that appreciation. ... Read more

Product Description
Soil Science Simplified, Fifth Edition is a significant update and revision of the classic introductory soils text. The new edition includes greater coverage of non-agricultural uses of soils ranging from municipal to engineering uses, as well as an expanded discussion of environmental uses of soils and soil conservation. In addition, the chapters covering the basic scientific aspects of soil from its physical, chemical and biological properties to basic formation will be thorougly revised and updated.

Soil Science Simplified will serve as a valuable introduction to soil science that addresses many new developments to this ever-changing field while maintaining the elements that have made it a user-friendly introductory text for more than 25 years. This text will be essential reading for anyone studying soil science as well as professionals working with this valuable resource. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Excellent, clear, readable
As a gardener who's been looking at online soil maps, I wanted to know a little more about soil and the meaning of some of these terms.Reading this book has been immensely helpful and generally enjoyable - I can understand it, and it makes sense.College chemistry being more than 20 years behind me, some things like clay chemical structure have been difficult to make sense of, and there's a lot of specialized vocabulary that's made the soil classification chapter unclear.But in general, I'm amazed that I can read this book without huge mental effort and chapter after chapter it continued to be understandable. The only complaint is that there are no photographs, and a good number of the illustrations provide no help or are less clear than they could be - I think some better illustations would help clarify clay chemical structure.

I highly recommend this book.

Textbook review
I find this book to be very informative and the price is much more reasonable than most books chosen as textbooks for these types of classes.

The information is brief and to the point, which may be a plus in some cases and may be a detriment in other cases, but that's what the instructor is for, filling in the blanks.

An excellent guide to the basic principles of soil science
Now in a newly updated and expanded fourth edition with additional topical material and the results of current research and trends, Soil Science Simplified is an excellent guide to the basic principles of soil science. From soil physical properties, chemical equations, water, and fertility to soil conservation, surveys, and engineering, Soil Science Simplified is densely packed with so much information that it is eminently suitable as a high school or undergraduate soil science textbook. Black-and-white sketches and diagrams illustrate the scholarly, methodical, highly instructional text. Soil Science Simplified is strongly recommended for students and professionals in seeking to understand soil science principles -- especially engineers, environmentalists, landscape architects, as well as anyone with an interest or career in agriculture.

cool
I think it will be good for me. however, there is others which is the best.. ... Read more

Product Description

Completely revised and updated, incorporating almost a decade’s worth of developments in this field, Environmental Soil Science, Third Edition, explores the entire reach of the subject, beginning with soil properties and reactions and moving on to their relationship to environmental properties and reactions. Keeping the organization and writing style that made previous editions bestsellers, the author addresses the definitions of environmental science, ecology, and soil science, underscoring their combination into environmental soil science.

The book highlights the live biological constituents that make up the soil, exploring the changes made by agricultural operations and other human activities that lead to changes in the environment and our natural ecosystem. These include causes, effects, and solutions for acid rain, global warming, and destruction of the ozone layer. The author also provides extensive coverage of soilless agriculture, hydroponics, fish farming, vanishing biodiversity due to the destruction of jungles and the rain forest, and what to do about it.

New in the Third Edition:

• Al Gore’s Nobel Prize winning politics on global warming and apocalyptic predictions
• Biofuel production from agricultural trash and the controversy over using corn for alcohol production
• Advances in biotechnology and the issues surrounding golden rice, flavr savr tomato, roundup ready plants, and GM crops
• The effects of agricultural operations and other human activities on changing soil properties and environment
• Introduction of a new soil group, Paddy soils, a unique man made soil formed by centuries of rice cultivation
• Blue Revolution and marine biodiversity
• Use of eutrophication in aquaculture

Growing ecological awareness has put the spotlight on all environmental disciplines, and environmental soil science is no exception. This has created broader interest in what has traditionally been a fundamental subject. This book tackles matters which must be urgently addressed due to the mounting evidence of climate change.

Product Description
Agricultural ecology, or agroecology, deals in general with the structure and function of agroecosystems at different levels of resolution. In this text/reference, the authors describe in terms of agroecology the tropical environments of sub-Saharan Africa, Southeast Asia, and Latin and Central America, focusing on production and management systems unique to each region. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Best book on the subject
The book by Juo and Franzluebbers is the best book ever written on the subject of tropical soils and their management for sustainable agriculture. Authors discused systematically the properties of the major tropical soils, their linkage with agroecosystems and management options based on current knowledge. The book is very informative, easy to read, well illustrated and contains useful tables. It is highly recommended as introductory textbook for students in tropical soils and also for agricultural and environmental workers interested in natural resource management for agricultural production in the tropics. ... Read more

Product Description
The Spirit of the Soil challenges environmentalists to think more deeply and creatively about agriculture. Paul B. Thompson identifies four `worldviews' which tackle agricultural ethics according to different philosophical priorities; productionism, stewardship, economics and holism. He examines current issues such as the use of pesticides and biotechnology from these ethical perspectives. This book achieves an open-ended account of sustainability designed to minimise hubris and help us to recapture the spirit of the soil. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Superb general intro. to politics and ethics of agriculture
The educated layperson will find Dr. Thompson's *Spirit of the Soil* to be a perfect introduction to the bewilderingly complex ethical and economic questions that increasingly surround modern agriculture.The author ruthlessly dissects politically charged and often intentionally vague terms and concepts such as "sustainability," "stewardship," the consumer mentality, and the flawed yet indispensible materialism of modern production agriculture.This book will be enormously helpful to anyone who wants to attack farm policy with a more mature understanding of the ethical issues upon which the cultural and physical sustainability of modern agriculture depends ... Read more

Product Description
This book investigates the emergence of organic food and farming as a social movement. Using the tools of political sociology, it analyzes and explains how both people and ideas have shaped a movement that from its inception aimed to change global agriculture.Starting from the British Empire in the 1930s, where the first trans-national roots of organic farming took hold, through to the internet-mediated social protests against genetically modified crops at the end of the twentieth century, the author traces the rise to prominence of the movement.As well as providing a historical account, the book explains the movement's on-going role in fostering and organizing alternatives to the dominant intensive and industrial forms of agriculture, such as promoting local food produce and animal welfare.

By considering it as a trans-national movement from its inception, aiming at cultural and social change, the book highlights what is unique about the organic movement and why it has risen only relatively recently to public attention.The author reports original research findings, focusing largely on the English-speaking world. The work is grounded in academic enquiry and theory, but also provides a narrative through which the movement can be understood by the more general interested reader. ... Read more

Product Description
This is a durable, useful, and transportable 'pocket version' of the soil manual. This paperback edition is bound in sewn signatures, like a hardback book, and the paper cover is laminated for durability. This edition is ideal for field work, as it is easily transportable and will not fall apart when taken into the field or when wet.Keys to Soil Taxonomy offers the latest available soil classification information, contains eighteen chapters, and includes and appendix and an index. ... Read more

Product Description
The Biochar Debate is the first book to introduce both the promise and concerns surrounding biochar (fine-grained charcoal used as a soil supplement) to nonspecialists. Charcoal making is an ancient technology. Recent discoveries suggest it may have a surprising role to play in combating global warming. This is because creating and burying biochar removes carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. Furthermore, adding biochar to soil can increase the yield of food crops and the ability of soil to retain moisture, reducing need for synthetic fertilizers and demands on scarce fresh-water supplies.

Customer Reviews (18)

Charcoal to replenish the Earth
This is a fascinating book, about the process of using charcoal - Biochar - to build fertility in the soil and reverse climate change.

I had heard some conversations about this in my organic gardening group and was very curious to read the book. There are many things that we can do to increase soil fertility, compost and rotate grazing so that the soil can be fertilized by animals. Using charcoal to fertilize turns out to be a very old method and very useful in areas of sparse conditions.

The Biochar fund even developed a stove that can be used in countries where there is a shortage of firewood, such as desert areas of Africa. The stoves are very simply made, use less natural resources and have the added bonus of producing Biochar which can then be added to the soil to increase yields.

If you are interested in Permaculture, organic gardening or climate change you will find this book has some great new information.

Biochar for the ordinary person
Biochar as an answer to the climate problem is an extremely important subject.The author makes the subject interesting and easy for the layman to understand.

What is this biochar of which you write?
I'd never heard of biochar before I saw this book, so what a surprise to find out humans have been creating it for at least 2500 years! This slim book contains a lot of interesting information, and could give you something to talk and sound smart about at a dinner party - but I was a bit disappointed to get 100 pages of history, politics and science but no real practical information on how I could apply any of this in my own backyard.

Worth a try!
I think biochar is a very interesting substance, and this "brief" convinced me that I'd like to give it a try if I could get a hold of some charcoal that has already been ground up. Although many of the messages in the book were redundant (it could have been half the length it is), the point comes across that biochar is something that every farmer/gardener should consider before planting (if materials and workload is affordable).

The author warns about potential industrialization of biochar (producing charcoal does, after all, require burning), but in some respects mass-producing charcoal specifically for farm usage seems like one of the only ways to really get enough people using it. That is basically the history (and popularity) of industrial fertilizers. Right now it seems as though the initiative is only being directed to farmers in developing nations; products such as cooking stoves that simultaneously produce charcoal are a good idea: I think something similar could be done for rural temperate areas with people who still heat their homes with wood.

Makes A Reasoned Case for Biochar Use
This book describes "biochar" (charcoal used to treat soil) and makes a reasoned case for its adoption to advance ecological and other interests.This title gives an introductory explanation of biochar, describing its manufacture and application, and makes the argument for its use for environmental and economic betterment using facts and figures.One may or may not agree with the author's conclusions, but the reasoning is even=handed. ... Read more

Product Description
While organic soils have the potential to contribute greatly to agricultural production, the irreversible processes that occur from draining organic soils need to be managed with caution. The wise use of peatlands must include the avoidance of unacceptable ecological effects on the contiguous and global environment. Organic Soils and Peat Materials for Sustainable Agriculture provides detailed information from a worldwide perspective on the degradation process of fragile peat resources used for agriculture. It documents the best management practices and defines and quantifies soil quality indicators and pedo-transfer functions for organic soils and peat materials.Co-published with the International Peat Society, this reference is the first to integrate the physical, chemical, and biological aspects of organic soils and peat materials for sustainable agriculture and horticulture. It details the principles and indicators behind positive action in sustainable management. The book presents a complete analysis of how peat works chemically, physically, and ecologically. It quantifies the moorsh-forming, or peat degradation, process in tables and figures, provides conversion equations among pH determination methods, and supplies a novel diagnosis of N and P release. In addition, the book revisits water, pesticides, phosphorus, and copper sorption characteristics of organic soils.The authors provide up-to-date information in order to define quality indicators for the optimum use of organic soils. With detailed information and a global perspective, Organic Soils and Peat Materials for Sustainable Agriculture aims to promote a shift from the current paradigm of input-based unsustainable use to a new knowledge-based approach. ... Read more

Product Description
This new edition of Soil Erosion Research Methods retains the themes and layout of the first edition. However, most chapters have been revised and some additional chapters have been added. There are new chapters on modeling wind and water erosion. Extensive revisions and updating have been done in chapters dealing with assessment of erosivity and erodibility, erosion, crop productivity, measuring sediment yield from river basins and field plot techniques. There is extensive updating of current statistics on the global magnitude of soil erosion by water and wind and on denudation rates. Several new authors have made significant improvements in revising and updating available information. ... Read more

Product Description
Text designed for use in university courses on the subject and as a reference book for practitioners and students.Describes the physical properties of soils and how these properties affect agriculture and the environment. DLC: Soil physics. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Good Book
Not the best reference, this goes to the basics and stays more in the "theoretical" realm.

Books on Amazon
I actually got a new book for the value of a used one. I have not bought other products on amazon, but all the books I bought on amazon have been good deals so far. ... Read more

Product Description
This book provides a professional text for undergraduate and graduate agricultural and biological engineering students interested in soil and water conservation in rural and urban areas.Subject matter includes all the engineering phases of soil and urban areas.Subject matter includes all the engineering phases of soil and water conservation for a one or two semester course.The authors assume that the student has a basic knowledge of calculus, surveying, mechanics, hydraulics, soils, and computers.The analytical approach is emphasized and is supplemented by sufficient field data to illustrate practical applications.The text emphasizes engineering principles in the areas of erosion, drainage,irrigation, and water resources.Tables, charts, and diagrams have been included to provide practicing engineers with readily usable information as well.Many examples and problems are included to emphasize the design principles and to facilitate an understanding of the subject matter.Computer models and software program sources have been described where applicable in the text as well as access to some computer programs and models.In many instances, students will find using a spreadsheet advantageous for reviewing example problems and solving homework problems. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Good Book
Good reference, middle of the road in terms of required knowledge (not basic, but not reference only).A little light on some topics, but good overall.

a book to have for environmental engineers
used this book for my water resources engineering class in college. Now, its in my reference shelve at work.

Good book, but needs more information
This book is a good reference for those who works on erosion and sediment control.Needs more information concerning the type of construction necessary for erosion control, because this book touches this subjectfaintly.I rate it 4 stars because all other information is coveredextensively and clear.My interest in this book was for erosion control,but when I tried to look for the information, I was dissapointed.Butcomparing this book to other similar references, this is the best you canever find. ... Read more

Product Description
Healthy soils are key to producing good harvests with minimal pest problems. How to create that balanced soil ecosystem, however, remains a challenge for even the most experienced growers.

Building Soils for Better Crops unlocks the secret of maintaining a diverse ecosystem below ground to foster healthy crops above. Ecological soil management, as detailed by the soil experts who wrote the book, can raise fertility and yields while reducing environmental impacts. The 240-page Building Soils contains detailed information about soil structure and the management practices that affect soils, as well as practical information like how to interpret soil test results.

Some of the soil-building strategies include:

Increasing soil organic matter

Using appropriate tillage

Incorporating animal manures

Making and using composts

Integrating cover crops into rotations

Reducing erosion

Methods to avoid and decrease soil compaction ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

The best soils make the best crops
This book is one of the most important books in my extensive collection. We are what we eat, and so are our plants. They need the correct balance of nutrients and soil consistency, and this book teaches you how to build that, the natural way. A very important guide!

Importance of healthy soils
This is the best, practical guide to understanding how whole soil systemswork that I have read.Written in clear, illustrative language, it makesthe world of soils accessible to farmers and beginning students, as well assoil science professionals. ... Read more

Product Description
The completely revised and updated edition of the classic guide to soil physics

The revised edition of an environmental soil science classic, Soil Physics, Sixth Edition presents updated and expanded material on the latest developments in the industry, providing the best preparation for students and a state-of-the-art reference for professionals.

Through a systemic use of physical principles, Soil Physics, Sixth Edition demonstrates how to simplify the general theory used in transport processes for specific applications. With broad coverage of the role soil plays in the environment, this Sixth Edition offers more than seventy worked problems illustrating specific lessons in the book, and features:

• New material on soil’s influence on the health of an ecosystem
• Expanded coverage of modern in-site and noninvasive field-scale subsurface measurement techniques
• Discussions on the latest advances in regional and watershed hydrology
• Up-to-date information on the use of algorithms and computers in the study and modeling of soil processes
• New coverage of preferential flow

Soil Physics, Sixth Edition is an essential volume for students and professionals in soil science, natural resource management, forestry, agriculture, hydrology, and civil and environmental engineering. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Soil Physics by Jury
This is a fairly turse coverage of soil physics that underly hydrology in both saturated and vadose zones.This is not the easiest read available, yet I and many at the U of M trust it as a good reference as we use hydrologic models.The presented theoretical framework extends to transport of chemicals that partition among liquid, gas, and sorbed states in which decay rates and mobility differ.Many books don't.

If you want applied real world situations to illustrate the utility of these concepts or an expensive reference of coefficient values this book will not serve.Aside from typos in 1 or 2 equations, this book has been accurate.My course of study did not get beyond chapter six. ... Read more

Product Description
In recent years, viticulture has seen phenomenal growth, particularly in such countries as Australia, New Zealand, the United States, Argentina, Chile, and South Africa.The surge in production of quality wines in these countries has been built largely on the practice of good enology and investment in high technology in the winery, enabling vintners to produce consistently good, even fine wines.Yet relatively little attention has been paid to the influence of vineyard conditions on wines and their distinctiveness-an influence that is embodied in the French concept of terroir. An essential component of terroir is soil and the interaction between it, local climate, and grape variety on the quality of grapes and distinctiveness of their flavor. This book considers that component, providing basic information on soil properties and behavior in the context of site selection for new vineyards, and on the demands placed on soils for grape growth and production of wines.Soils of Viticulture will be of interest to professors and upper-level students in soils and agronomy as well as wine enthusiasts and professionals in the wine industry. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

A bit on the technical side
This book seems to have a great deal of information. Unfortunately it leans a bit more on the technical side than I expected or hoped for. Given the cost of this book, I'm hoping I can find some useful information in it. Had I been able to look through this book before buying it, I may have given it some careful consideration before
plopping down the money.
With the info in his book, it would be a good deal at half the cost, but at $70+ its a bit over priced.
I'm not saying its a bad book. Its just too expensive. I've bought other specialized books that were just as
good and I didn't pay more than $35 for them.
My recommendation on this would be to get a look at it before you buy it.

Soils For Fine Wines
A great book on beginning growing. To get the full understanding about what Mr white is talking about the book Science in Agriculture I feel, should be read first. Great section,along with the pros and cons, of different types of irrigation. Seems to lean a little heavy on the soils of California. For the person not growing grapes but enjoys good wine it is an excellant sorce of how the wine gets its flavor. The principles presented will aid anyone growing almost anything.

A long-needed book
In "Soils for Fine Wines" Robert White sets to provide information needed for better understanding of how soils and their properties relate to management and wine-grape production. This book is a long-needed one indeed; most other viticultural books are discussing soil as an environmental factor only in passing.

The book begins by explaining how the soil is formed and how it relates to the environment; how it changes with time and how it should be managed sustainably. Then it goes into a deeper analysis of the soil's makeup and structure, with a particular emphasis on understanding the vine root habitat. This is very important if a viticulturist is to understand effect of soil management practices on vine growth and production. Then the book details the supply of nutrients, explaining how these move into plant roots and what affects their availability. The reader is also given a brief introduction into precision viticulture and organic viticulture. The next section discusses soil, water and vine interrelationship, understanding of which is paramount for good irrigation management. The book contains information on various aspects of soil quality (physical, chemical and biological). The book then deals with soil as an important attribute for site selection and vineyard establishment. The final chapter discusses soil as it relates to the quality of the final product - wine. Here the author gives a well-balanced overview of the current state of knowledge of what is known as 'terroir' and he takes the reader on a journey around the wine-producing world by providing regional examples of how the soil and wine attributes seem to be related.

The book is well-written and easy to follow, although some might find it a bit technical at times. However, good explanation of technical terms is provided throughout and the book also has a number of illustrations and photographs that are helpful for easier understanding of the text.

I can recommend this book to students and professionals in viticulture and wine science. It is a long-awaited text dedicated specifically to vineyard soils and the way they affect grapevines and management strategies. This book will also be of great interest to anyone who wishes to better understand the link between environmental conditions and wine.

A must for anyone who grows winegrapes
.
If you are a grape grower of any consequence, you know that good wine depends on good grapes, that good grapes depend on good vines and that good vines depend on roots that are DEEP and STRONG. Thus, the medium in which roots grow is of crucial importance. Viticulturists can be misled by reading that vines grow in all sorts of soils all over the world. That is certainly true but that simple dictum does not mean that any soil will do, as "any" soil will certainly not do.

Robert White's book is VERY useful in helping understand what goes on below ground. If you just flip through it, it will strike you as too technical and thus daunting. However, if you will read each of the headings, (e.g., 5.1, 5.2) but not the sub-headings (e.g. 5.1.1, 5.1.2, 5.1.3) and then read his "Summary Points", you will be richly rewarded. If there points about which you want to know more or understand better, go back and delve into the sub-headings and be enlightened to your hearts content. I'm glad I own this book!

Fine Book for Fine Readers
A unique book, as fine as wine itself. No other book explains the detailed and vital nature and mechanisms of soils as they apply to grape production and wine-making. It tries to unravel the enigma of the `terroir'. This will surely help the viticulturist and the winemaker to make the most of their land and we consumers will be the grateful beneficiaries. I think I could strongly recommend it to the specialist and interested reader. ... Read more

Product Description
This book on "SOIL" has been written in a very simple and straightforward manner, which is easy to understand by anyone who may have a simple academic background of general science. This book contains the basic properties of soil, which have been distinctly described under separate chapters, which include an Introduction, Physical, Chemical, Mineralogical, and its Biological properties. In addition, a comprehensive descriptive picture of Soil has been presented in the following chapter of "Soil survey and classification " which brings out the entire philosophy of soil and its classification methodology in a very precise manner. It is based on the Classification System developed in the United States of America and is agreed upon by the Soil Scientists of the most parts of the world. This is an open system and is very viable, because it has a tremendous scope of improvements in future. This is essential when one considers that soil itself is a very dynamic system in nature. Finally the book ends with an insight for Crop production based on its variable properties followed by its last chapter "Soil Care". This last chapter aims at the sustainability and productivity of our soil resources for a longer period of time. This is possible only when we consider all aspects of soil's properties and focus on its individuality, as it exists at a particular location and time.The purpose of this book is to bring awareness in the minds of people of the world that soil is a living identity and must be used with utmost care. Based on my thirty-eight years of prolonged learning which includes all the theories and the practical aspects of Soil I must say, "It is the only natural gift on which all kinds of living things have been depended upon and will continue to depend in future too." So each of us has to remain obliged towards this, which is always under our feet. ... Read more

Product Description
Pollution is undesirable state of the natural environment being contaminated with harmful substances as a consequence of human activities so that the environment becomes harmful or unfit for living things; especially applicable to the contamination of soil, water, or the atmosphere by the discharge of harmful substances. In addition to the harm, either present or future and known or unknown, to living beings, pollution cleanup and surveillance are enormous financial drains of the economies of the world. This volume details outstanding research covering agriculture and soil pollution. ... Read more