Product Description
Ideas for sustainable agricultural practices

Long-term security of the global food supply requires a balance between increasing production and environmental sustainability. Both nutrient scarcities and surpluses alike can threaten this balance. Integrated Nutrient Management for Sustainable Crop Production examines the challenges of managing both organic and inorganic nutrient sources in agricultural systems where nutrients are deficient or in excess supply. Through a combination of theoretical and applied knowledge, this collection provides a practical understanding of how any type of production system can successfully adopt integrated nutrient management (INM).

A frank and factual discussion of the challenges and possibilities INM holds, Integrated Nutrient Management for Sustainable Crop Production brings together essays and scientists from around the world. This essential text presents international case studies on the potential for continuing production with a focus on sustainability. Comprehensive and wide-ranging in its scope, this accessible book looks at many concerns central to INM--from the risks of excess supply and depletion to technological requirements for improved management. Here is a single source that not only presents a range of options for managing nutrients, but offers viable ideas for future directions as well.

Along with a wealth of informative maps, graphs, and tables, some of the topics covered in Integrated Nutrient Management for Sustainable Crop Production include:

trends in global food, feed, and fiber production and consumption
current and future challenges of nutrient depletion and excess
socio-economic factors of implementing INM
crop production and nutrient removals in harvests
monitoring soil fertility levels in the USA
agricultural production and nutrient balances in Canada
the European experience
concepts from New Zealand
technical requirements for INM in South Asia
benefits and limitations of chemical fertilizers for China
green manures
Southeast Asia's INM techniques
cases from South America
experience from Sub-Saharan Africa
case studies from the Middle East
and many more!

Integrated Nutrient Management for Sustainable Crop Production is an invaluable resource for research scientists, students, agronomists, professors, and extension workers. ... Read more

Product Description
Contents include the basis of all crop yield, the botany of crop production, the progress, problems and prospects of yield, yield and duration of photosynthesis, net assimilation rate, leaf area and plant architecture, photosynthesis, row width, plant architecture and plant population, economic yield, biological yield and harvest index, carbon dioxide and yield, application of photosynthetic concepts, crop mixtures, mono-cultures and yield, biological nitrogen fixation, cropping programs and soil productivity, cropping practices in an agro-ecosystem, cultural energy and crop production, preservation and storage, branch or tiller development in crop plants, crop lodging, root growth seeding development and crop production, glossary. ... Read more

Product Description
Olive culture is growing rapidly, and expanding all over the world outside traditional centres of olive growth and production. Olives are not only a significant food source, but also contribute to human health and are becoming popular in health-conscious diets far beyond their Mediterranean origins.Reviewing an extensive array of literature from both a theoretical and practical perspective, this comprehensive guide deals with all aspects of olive culture, from its history, origins and traditional techniques to the latest horticultural procedures and basic physiology. The book's accessible and broadly illustrated format makes it an indispensable text for students, interested individuals and both active and amateur horticulturists. ... Read more

Product Description
New technologies are becoming available for managing glyphosate resistant (GR) weeds and reducing their spread. GR crop technology has revolutionized crop production in the developed world and the benefits are gradually spilling over to the developing world. In order to sustain an effective, environmentally safe herbicide such as glyphosate and the GR crop technology well in to the future, it is imperative that the issue of GR weeds be comprehensively understood. This book provides such an essential, up-to-date source of information on glyphosate resistance for researchers, extension workers, land managers, government personnel, and other decision makers. 

• Provides comprehensive coverage of the intensely studied topic of glyphosate resistant (GR) in crops
• Details the development of glyphosate resistance and how to detect and manage the problem in crops
• Helps standardize global approaches to glyphosate resistance
• Encompasses interdisciplinary approaches in chemistry, weed science, biochemistry, plant physiology, plant biotechnology, genetics, ecology
• Includes a chapter on economic analysis of GR impact on crops

Product Description
This college text deals with the principles, production practices, management, and handling of vegetables. Its purpose is to provide complete, reliable, and up-to-date information on all phases of vegetable production. This edition features new material and increased emphasis on plant growth and development. ... Read more

Product Description
Presents readers with a user-friendly, non-technical introduction to statistics and the principles of plant and crop experimentation. Avoiding mathematical jargon, it explains how to plan and design an experiment, analyse results, interpret computer output and present findings. Using specific crop and plant case studies, this guide presents:

• The reasoning behind each statistical method is explained before giving relevant, practical examples
• Step-by-step calculations with examples linked to three computer packages (MINITAB, GENSTAT and SAS)
• Exercises at the end of many chapters
• Advice on presenting results and report writing

Customer Reviews (1)

Great book for practical statistics in crop science!
I do okay with statistics, but they have never been my strength.I like this book, because it discusses some of the nuts and bolts of basic statistical analysis for crop science, as well as supplying the formulas for the statistical parameters.I would recommend this book for graduate students or researchers looking for a useful description of common experimental designs, statistical tests such as regression analysis, anova, and basic analysis of covariance.As with any statistics textbook meant for general readership, it will be a little above the capabilities of someone without any background in statistics and a little inadequate for those who are heavily invested in detailed statistical analysis, but I think it covers a nice middle ground in the literature.It would be nice if the next edition had an appendix of the basic formulas that are used commonly in the book so that there would be a more ready reference. ... Read more

Product Description
This single volume explores the theoretical and the practical aspects of crop physiological processes around the world

The marked decrease over the past century in the land available for crop production has brought about mounting pressure to increase crop yields, especially in developing nations. Physiology of Crop Production provides cutting-edge research and data for complete coverage of the physiology of crop production, all in one source, right at your fingertips. This valuable reference gives the extensive in-depth information soil and crop professionals need to maximize crop productivity anywhere the world. Leading soil and plant scientists and researchers clearly explain theory, practical applications, and the latest advances in the field.

Crop physiology is a vital science needed to understand crop growth and development to facilitate increases of plant yield. Physiology of Crop Production presents a wide range of information and references from varying regions of the world to make the book as complete and broadly focused as possible. Discussion in each chapter is supported by experimental data to make this book a superb resource that will be used again and again. Chapter topics include plant and root architecture, growth and yield components, photosynthesis, source-sink relationship, water use efficiency, crop yield relative to water stress, and active and passive ion transport. Several figures and tables accompany the extensive referencing to provide a detailed, in-depth look at every facet of crop production.

Physiology of Crop Production explores management strategies for:

ideal plant architecture

maximizing root systems

ideal yield components

maximizing photosynthesis

maximizing source-sink relationship

sequestration of carbon dioxide

reducing the effects of drought

improving N, P, K, Ca, Mg, and S nutrition

improving micronutrient uptake

Physiology of Crop Production is an essential desktop resource for plant physiologists, soil and crop scientists, breeders, agronomists, agronomy administrators in agro-industry, educators, and upper-level undergraduate and graduate students. ... Read more

Product Description
The potato is one of the world's most important food crops. It produces more nutritious food from less land in a shorter time than any other major crop. Therefore advances in the production of new potato varieties will greatly contribute to the world's food supply. The book outlines strategies used in the breeding and testing of potato varieties. It considers prospects for varietal improvement using both traditional and new techniques, including genetic manipulation, tissue culture and protoplast fusion. Opportunities for breeding varieties suitable for propagation from true seed, of particular significance to the agricultural systems of developing countries, are also featured, together with an extensive and bibliography. The book is based on the proceedings of a joint meeting of EAPR and EUCARPIA at King's College, Cambridge, December 1985. It contains contributions from many leading authorities in potato breeding and variety assessment throughout the world, and will interest post-graduate students in plant breeding, genetics and molecular biology, together with professionals engaged in potato research and the application of molecular biology to agriculture. ... Read more

Product Description
The use of simulation models is a necessity and also an aid in the decision-making process in sustainable agricultural systems. Organizing the experimental knowledge of crop production systems without the book keeping and deductive methods of mathematics is very difficult. This book aims to guide readers in the process by which the properties of the systems can be grasped in the framework of mathematical structure with minimal mathematical prerequisites. The objective of this book is to help the undergraduate, graduate and post-graduate students in the disciplines of agronomy, plant breeding, agricultural meteorology, crop physiology, agricultural economics, entomology, plant pathology, soil science and ecology (environmental science). This book may also be useful for administrators in various agricultural universities in order to direct research, extension and teaching activities. Planners at national and state levels may also benefit from this book. ... Read more

Product Description
This book provides a comprehensive overview of the complex story of human-plant interactions, from the hunter-gatherers of the Palaeolithic Era, through to the 21st century and the molecular genetic manipulation of crops. It links the latest advances in molecular genetics with the science and history of plant domestication, the evolution of plant breeding, and the implications of this new knowledge for both the agriculture of today and the future.
Modern societies still rely on plants for most of their food needs, not to mention clothing, shelter, medicines and tools. This special relationship has tied together people and their plants in mutual dependence for over 50,000 years. Yet despite these millennia of intimate contact, people have only gone on to domesticate and cultivate a few dozen of the tens of thousands of edible plants available. Thanks to the latest genomic studies, we can now begin to explain how, when, and where some of the most important crops came to be domesticated, and the crucial role of plant genetics and climatic change in these processes. Indeed, it was their unique genetic organisations that ultimately determined which plants eventually became crops, rather than any conscious decisions by their human cultivators.

The book is primarily aimed at geneticists, molecular biologists, biotechnologists, and plant breeders who require a detailed and up-to-date account of modern crop genetics and genomic research and its wider significance for agriculture. However, the accessible style will appeal to a wider readership of agronomists, archaeologists, and even historians, who wish to explore the many interactions that have shaped the often crucial relationships between plants and human societies. ... Read more

Product Description

This comprehensive volume provides the scientific basis for assessing the likelihood of gene flow between twenty important crops and their wild relatives. The crops discussed include both major staples and minor crops that are nonetheless critical to food security, including barley, corn, cotton, cowpea, wheat, pearl millet, and rice.

Each chapter is devoted to one of the crops and details crop-specific information as well as relevant factors for assessing the probability of gene flow. The crop-specific reviews provide insights into the possible ecological implications of gene escape. For each crop, a full-color world map shows the modeled distributions of crops and wild relatives. These maps offer readers, at a glance, a means of evaluating areas of possible gene flow. The authors classify the areas of overlap into three "gene-flow categories" with respect to the possibility of genetic exchange.

The systematic, unbiased findings provided here will promote well-informed decision making and the conservation of wild relatives of crops. This book is particularly relevant to agriculture in developing countries, where most crop biodiversity is found and where current knowledge on biodiversity conservation is limited.

Given the ecological concerns associated with genetically modified crops, this reference is an essential tool for everyone working to feed a growing world population while preserving crop biodiversity.

Product Description
This book provides an up-to-date account of how crops are grown in Australia.It discusses the principles surrounding the creation of new varieties of crops, and the establishment, management, and marketing of those crops.Issues such as climatic variability and pest management are also explored in detail. ... Read more

Product Description
Corn or maize is a crop that originated in Mexico and has spread all over the world as a major food crop. Sustainable production of a corn field crop as grain corn for feed, food and biofuels, as well as sweet corn for fresh market or processing, and as silage for high energy sources, requires scientific management of nutrients along with several other crop management practices such as proper plant population density, timely seeding and harvesting, soil water, weeds and pests control. Corn has become the major item in the diet of many tropical people, the main grain used for animal feed in temperate regions, as well as new stocks for many other purposes including recently used as feedstock for biofuels. Rapid expansion of grain based ethanol production in North America, has already caused concern about future food and feed supplies. This important book gathers the latest research from around the world in this dynamic field. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Author of One Chapter
Abstract for Chapter 9: Wrongful Exploitation and Terminator Technology

In an effort to restrict seed piracy, Monsanto intends to implement some variation of genetic use restriction technology (GURT). Regarding such intentions, many activist groups throughout the world (mainly in the US, Canada, and the UK) adamantly contend that Monsanto and possibly other multinational agrochemical corporations (MACs) will be acting immorally if GURTs, such as Terminator Technology (TT), are implemented in the global agricultural industry. These activists argue that the potential implementation of TT is immoral because it will grant Monsanto the power to wrongfully exploit resource-poor farmers (RPFs) by reducing RPFs to mere means of production.

I contend that Monsanto will not necessarily be wrongfully exploiting RPFs through the implementation of TT. More specifically, as long as Monsanto allows these RPFs to make an autonomous choice to use terminator seeds and sponsors public plant breeding initiatives (PPBIs), then Monsanto cannot be accurately considered to be wrongfully exploiting these farmers.

There are three main parts to this essay. In the first part, I explain what exploitation is and the conditions that must obtain for it to be immoral from a Kantian perspective. In the second part, I briefly describe a few of the major objections that some activist groups have made regarding the potential implementation of TT. In the third part of this essay, I apply the conception of wrongful exploitation developed below to the current debate concerning the potential implementation of TT in the global agricultural industry.

Corn Crop Production is not as scholarly as it could have been and is overpriceD
REVIEW FOR AMAZON OF TWO BOOKS ON CORN PURCHASED THIS PAST
DECEMBER, 2009AS GIFTS FOR MY FATHER, A RESEARCH HYBRID CORN BREEDER, GENETICIST, AND PROFESSOR OF GENETICS AND BOTANY

I ordered two books for my father at Christmas.He is a PhD geneticist specializing in hybrid corn, so the announcement of two new books related to corn crop production was exciting news!

I purchased both books below:
1. Corn Crop Production - Growth, Fertilization and Yield
Edited by Arn T. Danforth

2. Maize and Grace - Africa's Encounter with New World Crop 1500-2000
By James C. McCann

The first book: Corn Crop Production, a hard back, is not as scholarly as it could have been and is overpriced at $145.00.It was clearly edited by a non-English speaker.A book claiming to be scholarly which misspells scientific words such as "inbred" (a term crucial to plant breeding and corn) as "inbreed" leads the reader to assume the book will be lacking, and it is.It is somewhat superficial for what it promises to be - for the scientist it is not complete and is not sound enough,for the lay person it is way beyond them.This is a book about corn - yet Chapter 3 is about rice, and Chapter 4 is about millet.There is a degree of dishonesty in this book - a book on corn production with 3 chapters on other grains and those other grains unannounced in the title, is an editorial dishonesty.In terms of what would is needed - editing for logic and English usage would have been a help.It is vastly too expensive a book for what it is.

The book receives one star for looking intriguing - so sorry it was so lacking and unscholarly!



The second book: Maize and Grace is a paperback and reasonably priced at $18.00.At the beginning it goes back to the 3 parent origin of corn which has been proven to be incorrect and out-of-date, is a tri-partite hypothesis (teosinte/tripsacum/primitive) pushed by Harvard Professor Mangelsdorf.

Corn in fact is a descendent of "teosinte" of Mezo America (Southern Mexico and Northern Guatemala) and teosinte is the sole ancestor of corn.This defendable hypothesis came from a graduate student at Cornell named George Beadle.Dr. Beadle went on to earn the Nobel Prize for the recognition that one gene = one enzyme (one gene directs the formation of one enzyme).

Maize and Grace begins with correct information..."Maize comes in five phenotypes...all its forms derive from a single ancestor domesticated in Central Mexico..."- this is all fine, though actually it was geographically Southern Mexico not Central Mexico.However, on page 3 there is an incorrect statement made: "Plant geneticists have focused attention primarily on the Mexican plant teosinte, perhaps a cousin of maize but probably not its progenitor."This is not a correct statement as mentioned above.Teosinte is the sole parent of corn.

This book gets 3 stars, possibly 4 for being generally accurate, well written, and of interest.

Most sincerely,
Catherine H. Chase Peters (with the help of her father)



... Read more

Product Description
Barley is one of the world's most important crops with uses ranging from food and feed production, malting and brewing to its use as a model organism in molecular research. The demand and uses of barley continue to grow and there is a need for an up-to-date comprehensive reference that looks at all aspects of the barley crop from taxonomy and morphology through to end use. Barley will fill this increasing void. Barley will stand as a must have reference for anyone researching, growing, or utilizing this important crop. ... Read more

Product Description
Get cutting-edge information to improve crop breeding and productivity!

Crop improvement will become progressively important over the next few decades as the world’s population is expected to top 10 billion people, with more than eight billion in developing countries alone. Genetic and Production Innovations in Field Crop Technology: New Developments in Theory and Practice tackles this enormous challenge by detailing the latest available research and innovations for crop breeders and physiologists for the twenty-first century. Respected multidisciplinary scientists comprehensively discuss cutting-edge advances in field crop technology and genetic production as they keep an eye on the goal of providing nutrition to a hungry world.

Genetic and Production Innovations in Field Crop Technology emphasizes an integrated approach to solve global crop production problems and increase crop productivity. Crop research experts review methods of globally improving crop yield, food product efficiency, and providing adequate nutrition in diet. The authors discuss various types of field crops, including corn, soybeans, winter wheat, cassavas, rubber, sunflowers, and barley, as well as review the exciting innovations on the food production horizon. The text is extensively referenced and includes useful graphs and tables to clearly present data.

Genetic and Production Innovations in Field Crop Technology presents:

visionary articles by authorities in agricultural sciences

statistical design axioms and modern plot techniques

discussions of integration of crop physiology and plant breeding

information on systematic collection and preservation of germplasm

explanations of genetic diversity in soybeans

corn breeding and production research—including the economics—in the United States

research on cassava breeding in less favorable environments to alleviate poverty

strategies for improving yielding potential of rubber in sub-optimal environments

information on fine-tuning wheat genotype-by-environment interaction methodology

reviews of QTL identification, mega-environment classification, and effective strategies for marker-based selection via GGE biplot analyses

research on statistical properties and practical usefulness of the Scheffe-Calinski and Shukla models relative to genotype-by-environment interaction

Genetic and Production Innovations in Field Crop Technology: New Developments in Theory and Practice belongs in every agricultural university library. Crop breeders, geneticists, agronomists and horticulturists, educators, and students will find this an invaluable research source for now and for the future. ... Read more

Product Description
A wide variety of fruits is grown in the tropics, under a range of climatic conditions and soil types. Some have been widely used both within the tropics and also exported to temperate countries for many years, whereas others are currently grown almost exclusively for local or regional use. However, consumer demands and improvements in postharvest treatment have meant that the number of species available in temperate markets is increasing. This book provides a broad survey of all aspects of tropical fruit production and usage. It begins by defining the climate and soils of the tropics and outlining the general principles of cultivation and postharvest handling. Each type of fruit is then examined in terms of botany, origin and distribution, ecology, genetics and cultivar development, culturing practices, pests and diseases, harvest and post-harvest handling and utilization. Finally, fruits which have potential for future development are considered. The book is essential reading for students and professionals in horticulture, agronomy and food science. ... Read more