Download or read book The Irrigation Sector written by and published by World Bank Publications. This book was released on 1999 with total page 148 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: India's irrigated agriculture sector has been basic to India's economic development and poverty alleviation. One of India's major achievements is its rapid expansion of irrigation and drainage infrastructure. However, the major emphasis on development has been achieved at a cost. The importance put on new construction has diverted attention away from the need to ensure the quality, productivity, and sustainability of the services. Further, a governmental subsidy based approach has been used and this has resulted in irrigation and drainage services which, while enabling significantly higher productivity than from non-irrigated lands, are well below their potential. 'The Irrigation Sector' discusses directions for future growth, the framework for reform, and the reform agenda.
Download or read book Google Earth Engine Applications written by Lalit Kumar and published by MDPI. This book was released on 2019-04-23 with total page 420 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In a rapidly changing world, there is an ever-increasing need to monitor the Earth’s resources and manage it sustainably for future generations. Earth observation from satellites is critical to provide information required for informed and timely decision making in this regard. Satellite-based earth observation has advanced rapidly over the last 50 years, and there is a plethora of satellite sensors imaging the Earth at finer spatial and spectral resolutions as well as high temporal resolutions. The amount of data available for any single location on the Earth is now at the petabyte-scale. An ever-increasing capacity and computing power is needed to handle such large datasets. The Google Earth Engine (GEE) is a cloud-based computing platform that was established by Google to support such data processing. This facility allows for the storage, processing and analysis of spatial data using centralized high-power computing resources, allowing scientists, researchers, hobbyists and anyone else interested in such fields to mine this data and understand the changes occurring on the Earth’s surface. This book presents research that applies the Google Earth Engine in mining, storing, retrieving and processing spatial data for a variety of applications that include vegetation monitoring, cropland mapping, ecosystem assessment, and gross primary productivity, among others. Datasets used range from coarse spatial resolution data, such as MODIS, to medium resolution datasets (Worldview -2), and the studies cover the entire globe at varying spatial and temporal scales.
Download or read book The Health of Our Water written by D. R. Coote and published by Research Branch Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada. This book was released on 2000 with total page 198 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Using a variety of research findings and case studies, this publication provides a broad picture of water quality and quantity in Canada as they are affected by agriculture and as they affect agriculture itself. The first part contains background on the water cycle, water supplies in Canada, agriculture & other rural uses of water, and issues related to water quality. The second part describes what is currently known about the health of Canada's rural surface water and groundwater, and the implications for natural ecosystems. The third part describes responses to the various issues of water quality & quantity, citing farming practices and regulatory tools, among other measures. The final part discusses how the growth of agriculture may be limited by issues related to water and how the future might proceed. Includes glossary.
Download or read book Nitrate Contamination written by Istvan Bogardi and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2013-06-29 with total page 438 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The nitrate content of drinking water is rising at an alarming rate in several regions of NATO countries and elsewhere in the world. The increase is due to lack of proper sewage treatment, and primarily to excess fertilizer application. Also, eutrophication in several coastal areas is triggered by high nitrate concentrations. The main purpose of this book is to integrate scientific knowledge related to exposure assessment, health consequences and control of nitrate contamination in water. The motivation is related to the magnitude, the possible adverse health effects, and the high cost of control ling nitrate contamination. Future research tasks are defined by an interaction among hydro logists, toxicologists and environmental engineers in an integrated framework for nitrate risk management. The target readership of this book is a mix of university colleagues, practitioners from both the private and public sectors and advanced graduate students working with the hydrological, health science or environmental engineering aspects of nitrate contamination. The main conclusions include: 1. For risk assessment purposes, knowledge and sufficiently accurate models are available to predict nitrate load and its fate in water under changes in land use. 2. Once agricultural exposure controls are implemented, the response times in ground water may be so long as to make controls unrealistic. 3. It is still unknown whether agricultural best management practice is a compromise between nitrate risk reduction and agricultural revenue. 4. The current drinking water guidelines of 10 mg/L NOrN need not be changed.
Download or read book Invasive plants of Alaska written by and published by Government Printing Office. This book was released on 2005 with total page 310 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: NOTE: NO FURTHER DISCOUNT FOR THIS PRODUCT -- Significantly reduced price -- Overstock List Price Describes invasive, non-native plants moving into Alaska.
Download or read book Pollination Biology written by Dharam P. Abrol and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2011-10-05 with total page 812 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book has a wider approach not strictly focused on crop production compared to other books that are strictly oriented towards bees, but has a generalist approach to pollination biology. It also highlights relationships between introduced and wild pollinators and consequences of such introductions on communities of wild pollinating insects. The chapters on biochemical basis of plant-pollination interaction, pollination energetics, climate change and pollinators and pollinators as bioindicators of ecosystem functioning provide a base for future insights into pollination biology. The role of honeybees and wild bees on crop pollination, value of bee pollination, planned honeybee pollination, non-bee pollinators, safety of pollinators, pollination in cages, pollination for hybrid seed production, the problem of diseases, genetically modified plants and bees, the role of bees in improving food security and livelihoods, capacity building and awareness for pollinators are also discussed.
Download or read book Microbial mediated Induced Systemic Resistance in Plants written by Devendra K. Choudhary and published by Springer. This book was released on 2016-03-22 with total page 233 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: With a focus on food safety, this book highlights the importance of microbes in sustainable agriculture. Plants, sessile organisms that are considered as primary producers in the ecosystem and communicate with above- and below-ground communities that consist of microbes, insects, and other vertebrate and invertebrate animals, are subjected to various kinds of stress. Broadly speaking, these can be subdivided into abiotic and biotic stresses. Plants have evolved to develop elaborate mechanisms for coping with and adapting to the environmental stresses. Among other stresses, habitat-imposed biotic stress is one serious condition causing major problems for crop productivity. Most plants employ plant-growth-promoting microorganisms (PGPMs) to combat and protect themselves from stresses and also for better growth. PGPMs are bacteria associated with plant roots and they augment plant productivity and immunity. They are also defined as root-colonizing bacteria that have beneficial effects on plant growth and development. Remarkably, PGPMs including mycorrhizae, rhizobia, and rhizobacteria (Acinetobacter, Agrobacterium, Arthrobacter, Azospirillum, Bacillus, Bradyrhizobium, Frankia, Pseudomonas, Rhizobium, Serratia, Thiobacillus) form associations with plant roots and can promote plant growth by increasing plants’ access to soil minerals and protecting them against pathogens. To combat the pathogens causing different diseases and other biotic stresses, PGPMs produce a higher level of resistance in addition to plants’ indigenous immune systems in the form of induced systemic resistance (ISR). The ISR elicited by PGPMs has suppressed plant diseases caused by a range of pathogens in both the greenhouse and field. As such, the role of these microbes can no longer be ignored for sustainable agriculture. Today, PGPMs are also utilized in the form of bio-fertilizers to increase plant productivity. However, the use of PGPMs requires a precise understanding of the interactions between plants and microbes, between microbes and microbiota, and how biotic factors influence these relationships. Consequently, continued research is needed to develop new approaches to boost the efficiency of PGPMs and to understand the ecological, genetic and biochemical relationships in their habitat. The book focuses on recent research concerning interactions between PGPMs and plants under biotic stress. It addresses key concerns such as – 1. The response of benign microbes that benefit plants under biotic stress 2. The physiological changes incurred in plants under harsh conditions 3. The role of microbial determinants in promoting plant growth under biotic stress The book focuses on a range of aspects related to PGPMs such as their mode of action, priming of plant defence and plant growth in disease challenged crops, multifunctional bio-fertilizers, PGPM-mediated disease suppression, and the effect of PGPMs on secondary metabolites etc. The book will be a valuable asset to researchers and professionals working in the area of microbial-mediated support of plants under biotic stress.
Download or read book Evaluation of Soil Organic Matter Models written by David S. Powlson and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2013-06-29 with total page 424 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Soil organic matter (SOM) represents a major pool of carbon within the biosphere, roughly twice than in atmospheric CO2. SOM models embody our best understanding of soil carbon dynamics and are needed to predict how global environmental change will influence soil carbon stocks. These models are also required for evaluating the likely effectiveness of different mitigation options. The first important step towards systematically evaluating the suitability of SOM models for these purposes is to test their simulations against real data. Since changes in SOM occur slowly, long-term datasets are required. This volume brings together leading SOM model developers and experimentalists to test SOM models using long-term datasets from diverse ecosystems, land uses and climatic zones within the temperate region.
Download or read book Quantification and Mitigation Strategies to Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Livestock Production Systems written by Mizeck Chagunda and published by MDPI. This book was released on 2020-06-17 with total page 168 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Ruminants contribute significantly to human food security. However, the production of ruminants contributes to greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions that are responsible for climate change. GHGs such as methane, carbon dioxide, and nitrous oxide are produced from different processes of ruminant production. Ruminant enteric methane is a substantial component of methane produced by agriculture. This book presents novel and established methods in quantifying and reducing enteric methane emission from ruminants in different production systems. The book covers different types of ruminants including cattle, sheep, and goats. The chapters are contributed by scientists and authors from different parts of the world, demonstrating the importance of this problem and the universal drive for immediate and sustainable solutions. Although, biologically speaking, the production of enteric methane cannot be reduced to zero, high emissions are an indicator of inefficient digestion of feed in the rumen and low utilisation of feed energy. By presenting research that could lead to robust and yet practical quantification methods and mitigation strategies, this book not only contributes to the discourse and new knowledge on the magnitude of the problem but also brings forward potential solutions in different livestock production systems.
Download or read book Australian and New Zealand Guidelines for Fresh and Marine Water Quality written by and published by . This book was released on 2000 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Emerging Technologies and Management of Crop Stress Tolerance written by Parvaiz Ahmad and published by Academic Press. This book was released on 2014-04-11 with total page 586 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Emerging Technologies and Management of Crop Stress Tolerance: Volume 1 - Biological Techniques presents the latest technologies used by scientists for improvement the crop production and explores the various roles of these technologies for the enhancement of crop productivity and inhibition of pathogenic bacteria that can cause disease. This resource provides a comprehensive review of how proteomics, genomics, transcriptomics, ionomics, and micromics are a pathway to improve plant stress tolerance to increase productivity and meet the agricultural needs of the growing human population. This valuable resource will help any scientist have a better understanding of environmental stresses to improve resource management within a world of limited resources. - Includes the most recent advances methods and applications of biotechnology to crop science - Discusses different techniques of genomics, proteomics, transcriptomics and nanotechnology - Promotes the prevention of potential diseases to inhibit bacteria postharvest quality of fruits and vegetable crops by advancing application and research - Presents a thorough account of research results and critical reviews
Download or read book Advances in Haploid Production in Higher Plants written by Alisher Touraev and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2008-12-18 with total page 341 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The importance of haploids is well known to geneticists and plant breeders. The discovery of anther-derived haploid Datura plants in 1964 initiated great excitement in the plant breeding and genetics communities as it offered shortcuts in producing highly desirable homozygous plants. Unfortunately, the expected revolution was slow to materialise due to problems in extending methods to other species, including genotypic dependence, recalcitrance, slow development of tissue culture technologies and a lack of knowledge of the underlying processes. Recent years have witnessed great strides in the research and application of haploids in higher plants. After a lull in activities, drivers for the resurgence have been: (1) development of effective tissue culture protocols, (2) identification of genes c- trolling embryogenesis, and (3) large scale and wide spread commercial up-take in plant breeding and plant biotechnology arenas. The first major international symposium on “Haploids in Higher Plants” took place in Guelph, Canada in 1974. At that time there was much excitement about the potential benefits, but in his opening address Sir Ralph Riley offered the following words of caution: “I believe that it is quite likely that haploid research will contr- ute cultivars to agriculture in several crops in the future. However, the more extreme claims of the enthusiasts for haploid breeding must be treated with proper caution. Plant breeding is subject from time to time to sweeping claims from ent- siastic proponents of new procedures.
Download or read book Irrigation Management written by Martin Burton and published by CABI. This book was released on 2010 with total page 385 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In many countries irrigated agriculture consumes a large proportion of the available water resources, often over 70% of the total. There is considerable pressure to release water for other uses and, as a sector, irrigated agriculture will have to increase the efficiency and productivity of its water use. This is particularly true for manually operated irrigation systems managed by government agencies, which provide water for a large number of users on small landholdings and represent 60% of the total irrigated area worldwide. Drawing on the author's 30 years of experience in some 28 countries, this book offers knowledge of the management of irrigation and drainage systems, including traditional technical areas of systems operation and maintenance, and expanding managerial, institutional and organizational aspects. Chapters provide guidelines to improve management, operation and maintenance processes, which move management thinking out of traditional public-sector mindsets to a more customer-focused, performance-oriented service delivery. As a practical guide to improve efficiency and productivity in irrigated agriculture, this book will be essential reading for irrigation managers and technicians as well as students and policy makers in water management, agriculture and sustainable development.
Download or read book Invasive Plants Ecological and Agricultural Aspects written by S. Inderjit and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2006-01-16 with total page 286 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Invasive plants have an impact on global biodiversity and ecosystem function, and their management is a complex task. The aim of this book is to discuss fundamental questions of invasion ecology, such as why particular communities become more invasible than others, what the mechanisms of exclusion of native species by invaders are, and whether invasion can be predicted. In addition, agricultural practices influencing invasion, the environmental and economic costs of invasion as well as possible management strategies are discussed. Readers will get a unique perspective on invasion ecology through employing general principles of ecology to plant invasions.
Download or read book Emerging Technologies and Management of Crop Stress Tolerance written by Parvaiz Ahmad and published by Academic Press. This book was released on 2014-05-02 with total page 543 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Emerging Technologies and Management of Crop Stress Tolerance: Volume II - A Sustainable Approach helps readers take technological measures to alleviate plant stress and improve crop production in various environmental conditions. This resource provides a comprehensive review of how technology can be implemented to improve plant stress tolerance to increase productivity and meet the agricultural needs of the growing human population. The book considers issues of deforestation, disease prevention, climate change and drought, water and land management, and more. It will help any scientist better understand environmental stresses to improve resource management within a world of limited resources. - Includes the most recent advances methods and applications of biotechnology to crop science - Promotes the prevention of potential diseases to inhibit bacteria postharvest quality of fruits and vegetable crops by advancing application and research - Presents a thorough account of research results and critical reviews
Download or read book Fertilizer and Plant Nutrition Guide written by and published by . This book was released on 1984 with total page 200 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Handboek samengesteld door "the Fertilizer Association of India (FAI)"
