Download or read book Biological Processes and Soil Fertility written by J. Tinsley and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2012-12-06 with total page 409 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The success of shifting cultivation systems developed by subsistence farmers testifies to the resilience of the "natural" soil-plant ecosystems to recover from the offtake of nutrients in crops and loss of soil struc ture. By contrast, the development of intensive cropping systems requires large inputs especially of nitrogen, together with phosphorus, sulphur and other essential elements in order to maintain the nutrient levels needed for abundant crop yields. As Dr. Cooke ably pointed out in his introductory lecture, the dis coveries and experiments of the 19th century encouraged farmers in temperate zones to rely greatly on chemical fertilizers supplements. However, the work of Charles Da{win on soil mixing by earthworms and the discovery by Hellriegel and Wilfarth in 1886 that the nodules on legume roots contain colonies of symbiotic bacteria able to "capture" atmospheric nitrogen molecules to the benefit of the host plant heralded a growing realization of the importance of soil biota in fertility studies. Biological fixation of nitrogen has been the theme of many meetings and publi~ations hitherto but at this Conference, convened on the delightful campus of Reading University, attention was mainly focussed on other biological processes in soil fertility. These Proceedings record the dominant themes and include six keynote addresses delivered at plenary sessions and seven introductory lectures to paper reading sessions by invited individuals plus 22 of the proferred papers, in six sections as tabled in the contents list.
Download or read book Soil Biological Fertility written by Lynette K. Abbott and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2007-10-23 with total page 267 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: It is becoming more relevant to explore soil biological processes in terms of their contribution to soil fertility. This book presents a comprehensive scientific overview of the components and processes that underpin the biological characteristics of soil fertility. It highlights the enormous diversity of life in soil and the resulting effects that management of land can have on the contribution of this diverse community to soil fertility in an agricultural context.
Download or read book Soil Biological Fertility written by Lynette K. Abbott and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2007-09-27 with total page 267 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: It is becoming more relevant to explore soil biological processes in terms of their contribution to soil fertility. This book presents a comprehensive scientific overview of the components and processes that underpin the biological characteristics of soil fertility. It highlights the enormous diversity of life in soil and the resulting effects that management of land can have on the contribution of this diverse community to soil fertility in an agricultural context.
Download or read book Trees Crops and Soil Fertility written by G. Schroth and published by CABI. This book was released on 2003-02-19 with total page 456 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Annotation. Successful agroforestry requires an understanding of the complex relationship between trees, crops and soils. This book provides a review of both economic and biophysical aspects of soil use and research in agroforestry, with an emphasis on nutrient-poor forest and savanna soils. Key topics covered include the economics of soil fertility management, cycling of water, nutrients and organic matter, soil structure, and soil biological processes. The book combines synthetic overviews of research results and a review of methods used in research.From the foreword: 2The book is written within a particular context - soil fertility development under agroforestry. At first this may seem very specific and thus limited in appeal and application. But over the last decade or so agroforestry research has been one of the most influential in developing new insights into soil biology and fertility and thus provides a very suitable framework for review of progress. Furthermore the influence of trees on soil is profound and of significance beyond agroforestry systems, so the book is likely to be of interest in the wider spheres of agriculture, forestry and ecological sciences.3 Mike Swift, TSBF, Nairobi, Kenya.
Download or read book Crop Rotation on Organic Farms written by Charles L. Mohler and published by Natural Resource Agriculture and Engineering Service (Nraes). This book was released on 2009 with total page 156 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Principles and Applications of Soil Microbiology written by Terry Gentry and published by Elsevier. This book was released on 2021-06-06 with total page 744 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Written by leading experts in their respective fields, Principles and Applications of Soil Microbiology 3e, provides a comprehensive, balanced introduction to soil microbiology, and captures the rapid advances in the field such as recent discoveries regarding habitats and organisms, microbially mediated transformations, and applied environmental topics. Carefully edited for ease of reading, it aids users by providing an excellent multi-authored reference, the type of book that is continually used in the field. Background information is provided in the first part of the book for ease of comprehension. The following chapters then describe such fundamental topics as soil environment and microbial processes, microbial groups and their interactions, and thoroughly addresses critical nutrient cycles and important environmental and agricultural applications. An excellent textbook and desk reference, Principles and Applications of Soil Microbiology, 3e, provides readers with broad, foundational coverage of the vast array of microorganisms that live in soil and the major biogeochemical processes they control. Soil scientists, environmental scientists, and others, including soil health and conservation specialists, will find this material invaluable for understanding the amazingly diverse world of soil microbiology, managing agricultural and environmental systems, and formulating environmental policy. Includes discussion of major microbial methods, embedded within topical chapters Includes information boxes and case studies throughout the text to illustrate major concepts and connect fundamental knowledge with potential applications Study questions at the end of each chapter allow readers to evaluate their understanding of the materials
Download or read book Integrated Soil Fertility Management in Africa written by Nteranya Sanginga and published by CIAT. This book was released on 2009 with total page 270 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Forward. A call for integrated soil fertility management in Africa. Introduction. ISFM and the African farmer. Part I. The principles of ISFM: ISFM as a strategic goal, Fertilizer management within ISFM, Agro-minerals in ISFM, Organic resource management, ISFM, soil biota and soil health. Part II. ISFM practices: ISFM products and fields practices, ISFM practice in drylands, ISFM practice in savannas and woodlands, ISFM practice in the humid forest zone, Conservation Agriculture. Part III. The process of implementing ISFM: soil fertility diagnosis, soil fertility management advice, Dissemination of ISFM technologies, Designing an ISFM adoption project, ISFM at farm and landscape scales. Part IV. The social dimensions of ISFM: The role of ISFM in gender empowerment, ISFM and household nutrition, Capacity building in ISFM, ISFM in the policy arena, Marketing support for ISFM, Advancing ISFM in Africa. Appendices: Mineral nutrient contents of some common organic resources.
Download or read book Soil Biological Processes and Tropical Soil Fertility written by Michael John Swift and published by . This book was released on 1984 with total page 38 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Tropical Soil Biology and Fertility written by Jonathan Michael Anderson and published by . This book was released on 1989 with total page 196 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In this handbook methods are given to determine soil characteristics, organic matter compounds, phosphorus in soil, nitrogen fixation, soil solution sampling, plant nutrient uptake and the nitrogen availability
Download or read book Biological Approaches to Sustainable Soil Systems written by Norman Uphoff and published by CRC Press. This book was released on 2006-03-03 with total page 785 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Global agriculture is now at the crossroads. The Green Revolution of the last century is losing momentum. Rates of growth in food production are now declining, with land and water resources becoming scarcer, while world population continues to grow. We need to continue to identify and share the knowledge that will support successful and sustainable
Download or read book Soil Organic Matter and Biological Activity written by D. Vaughan and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2012-12-06 with total page 475 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: It has long been recognized that soil organic matter is the key to soil fertility. As a nutrient store it gradually provides essential elements which the soil cannot retain for long in inorganic form. It buffers growing plants against sudden changes in their chemical environment and preserves moisture in times of drought. It keeps the soil in a friable, easily penetrated physical condition, well-aerated and free draining, providing young seedlings with an excellent medium for growth. But it has another property, the nature and extent of which have been the subject of argu ment and controversy ever since scientists began to study the soil, and that is its ability to affect growth directly, other than by providing nutrient elements. Any one wishing to learn about these effects has been faced with a daunting mass of literature, some confusing, often contradictory, and spread through a multitude of journals. Individual aspects have been covered from time to time in reviews but there has obviously been a need for a modern authoritative text book dealing with the many facets of this subject, so the publication of this volume is timely. The editors and authors are all specialists in their fields, fully familiar with the com plex nature of soil organic matter and with the particular difficulties arising in any study of its properties. Where controversies exist they have presented all sides of the argument and have highlighted areas where further work is badly needed.
Download or read book CONSERVATION TILLAGE written by Frank M. D'Itri and published by Springer. This book was released on 1985-10 with total page 414 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Soil Conditions and Plant Growth written by Peter J. Gregory and published by John Wiley & Sons. This book was released on 2013-03-04 with total page 508 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Building on the extremely successful and popular Russell’s Soil Conditions and Plant Growth, Wiley-Blackwell is pleased to publish this completely revised and updated edition of the soil science classic. Covering all aspects of the interactions between plant and soil, Peter Gregory and Stephen Nortcliff, along with their team of internationally-known and respected authors, provide essential reading for all students and professionals studying and working in agriculture and soil science. Subject areas covered range from crop science and genetics; soil fertility and organic matter; nitrogen and phosphoros cycles and their management; properties and management of plant nutrients; water and the soil physical environment and its management; plants and change processes in soils; management of the soil/plant system; and new challenges including food, energy and water security in a changing environment. Providing a very timely account on how better to understand and manage the many interactions that occur between soils and plants, Soil Conditions and Plant Growth is sure to become the book of choice - as a recommended text for students and as an invaluable reference for those working or entering into the industry. An essential purchase for all universities and research establishments where agricultural, soil, and environmental sciences are studied and taught.
Download or read book Soil written by Håkan Wallander and published by Springer. This book was released on 2014-09-16 with total page 146 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Håkan Wallander is a professor in Soil Biology and the reader is guided through the fascinating world below ground. The book has a free form and the author mixes scientific facts with personal stories from active research experiences and everyday life. The main focus is to make the reader aware of the vast biodiversity that exists in the soil, and to describe the important processes provided by the soil organisms. Reflections are made on how dependent we are on living soils, and how vulnerable the soil is if managed in a wrong way. The importance of soils as carbon sinks and reflections about the possible influence of soils for taste and quality of food and wine is also covered. The book is illustrated with photographs and every picture has a legend that stands on its own. In this way the reader will have an easy way into the book, and the main aim is to gain new readers to a subject that is immensely important, but not very attractive to laypersons.
Download or read book Soil Fertility written by Roland Nuhu Issaka and published by . This book was released on 2012 with total page 252 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Soil Fertility book presents nine chapters written by renowned soil fertility experts from Africa, Asia and South America. The book is divided into two sections. Section 1, Biological Processes and Integration of Inorganic and Organic Fertilizers for Soil Fertility Improvement, examines biological processes that can enhance the soil fertility. It discusses the use of both organic and inorganic fertilizers and their integration in improving soil fertility. The second section, Improving Fertilizer Recommendation and Efficiency, looks at the state-of-the-art in leaf sampling and analysis. Proper leaf sampling and standardized methods of analysis are important steps in providing good recommendations.
Download or read book Soil Microbial Associations written by V. Vancura and published by Elsevier. This book was released on 2012-12-02 with total page 499 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This volume is the first publication of its kind to provide a fully comprehensive and detailed approach to the survey of microbial associations in soil: their structure and function in relation to soil fertility and environment protection. The problems covered by this title are presented on various levels of the ecological system; from subcellular phenomena occurring in the microbial cell (genetic and enzyme regulation), to processes taking place in the flow of mass and energy in the agroecosystem. The aim of this monograph is to contribute to the understanding of the laws of formation and function of microbial associations in natural and agricultural soils, and to build a scientific basis for the control of soil biological processes. Using a contemporary approach to some fields of soil microbiology, the book highlights the possibility of utilizing certain microorganisms and microbial processes to increase soil fertility and protect the environment. These critically evaluated and selected results were obtained at the Institute of Microbiology and the Institute of Experimental Phytotechnics of the Czechoslovak Academy of Sciences, in cooperation with the Institute of Microbiology of the Academy of Sciences of the USSR.
Download or read book Handbook of Ecological and Ecosystem Engineering written by Majeti Narasimha Vara Prasad and published by John Wiley & Sons. This book was released on 2021-05-25 with total page 548 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Learn from this integrated approach to the management and restoration of ecosystems edited by an international leader in the field The Handbook of Ecological and Ecosystem Engineering delivers a comprehensive overview of the latest research and practical developments in the rapidly evolving fields of ecological and ecosystem engineering. Beginning with an introduction to the theory and practice of ecological engineering and ecosystem services, the book addresses a wide variety of issues central to the restoration and remediation of ecological environments. The book contains fulsome analyses of the restoration, rehabilitation, conservation, sustainability, reconstruction, remediation, and reclamation of ecosystems using ecological engineering techniques. Case studies are used to highlight practical applications of the theory discussed within. The material in the Handbook of Ecological and Ecosystem Engineering is particularly relevant at a time when the human population is dramatically rising, and the exploitation of natural resources is putting increasing pressure on planetary ecosystems. The book demonstrates how modern scientific ecology can contribute to the greening of the environment through the inclusion of concrete examples of successful applied management. The book also includes: A thorough discussion of ecological engineering and ecosystem services theory and practice An exploration of ecological and ecosystem engineering economic and environmental revitalization An examination of the role of soil meso and macrofauna indicators for restoration assessment success in a rehabilitated mine site A treatment of the mitigation of urban environmental issues by applying ecological and ecosystem engineering A discussion of soil fertility restoration theory and practice Perfect for academic researchers, industry scientists, and environmental engineers working in the fields of ecological engineering, environmental science, and biotechnology, the Handbook of Ecological and Ecosystem Engineering also belongs on the bookshelves of environmental regulators and consultants, policy makers, and employees of non-governmental organizations working on sustainable development.
