Soil Biota, Nutrient Cycling and Farming Systems

Soil Biota, Nutrient Cycling and Farming Systems PDF

Author: David C. Coleman

Publisher: CRC Press

Published: 1993-06-09

Total Pages: 334

ISBN-13: 9780873719193

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Soil Biota, Nutrient Cycling and Farming Systems is a timely reference volume that explores the relationship between soil biota and environmental and agricultural practices. It addresses topics such as agroecosystems structure and function, cycling of nutrients and soil contamination, use of soil invertebrates as soil bioindicators, application of organic matter to soil, and impact of high-input agriculture to sustainable agriculture. The book will be important for anyone studying sustainable agriculture, agroecology, soil interacting processes, crop science, environmental contamination, and landscape ecology.

Soil Biota Management in Sustainable Farming Systems

Soil Biota Management in Sustainable Farming Systems PDF

Author: C. E. Pankhurst

Publisher:

Published: 1994

Total Pages: 276

ISBN-13:

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The aim of the workshop on Management of the Soil Biota in Sustainable Farming Systems was to provide insight into the need for, and approaches to, the development of land use practices that capture and exploit the beneficial activities of the soil biota and soil biotic processes. It contains a collection of 27 review papers that cover a range of issues and topics concerned with the management of the soil biota

Soil Biological Fertility

Soil Biological Fertility PDF

Author: Lynette K. Abbott

Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media

Published: 2007-09-27

Total Pages: 267

ISBN-13: 140206618X

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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.

Alternative Farming Systems, Biotechnology, Drought Stress and Ecological Fertilisation

Alternative Farming Systems, Biotechnology, Drought Stress and Ecological Fertilisation PDF

Author: Eric Lichtfouse

Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media

Published: 2011-01-19

Total Pages: 360

ISBN-13: 9400701861

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Sustainable agriculture is a rapidly growing field aiming at producing food and energy in a sustainable way for our children. This discipline addresses current issues such as climate change, increasing food and fuel prices, starvation, obesity, water pollution, soil erosion, fertility loss, pest control and biodiversity depletion. Novel solutions are proposed based on integrated knowledge from agronomy, soil science, molecular biology, chemistry, toxicology, ecology, economy, philosophy and social sciences. As actual society issues are now intertwined, sustainable agriculture will bring solutions to build a safer world. This book series analyzes current agricultural issues, and proposes alternative solutions, consequently helping all scientists, decision-makers, professors, farmers and politicians wishing to build safe agriculture, energy and food systems for future generations.

Carbon and Nitrogen Cycling in Soil

Carbon and Nitrogen Cycling in Soil PDF

Author: Rahul Datta

Publisher: Springer Nature

Published: 2019-08-24

Total Pages: 498

ISBN-13: 9811372640

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Several textbooks and edited volumes are currently available on general soil fertility but‚ to date‚ none have been dedicated to the study of “Sustainable Carbon and Nitrogen Cycling in Soil.” Yet this aspect is extremely important, considering the fact that the soil, as the ‘epidermis of the Earth’ (geodermis)‚ is a major component of the terrestrial biosphere. This book addresses virtually every aspect of C and N cycling, including: general concepts on the diversity of microorganisms and management practices for soil, the function of soil’s structure-function-ecosystem, the evolving role of C and N, cutting-edge methods used in soil microbial ecological studies, rhizosphere microflora, the role of organic matter (OM) in agricultural productivity, C and N transformation in soil, biological nitrogen fixation (BNF) and its genetics, plant-growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPRs), PGPRs and their role in sustainable agriculture, organic agriculture, etc. The book’s main objectives are: (1) to explain in detail the role of C and N cycling in sustaining agricultural productivity and its importance to sustainable soil management; (2) to show readers how to restore soil health with C and N; and (3) to help them understand the matching of C and N cycling rules from a climatic perspective. Given its scope, the book offers a valuable resource for educators, researchers, and policymakers, as well as undergraduate and graduate students of soil science, soil microbiology, agronomy, ecology, and the environmental sciences. Gathering cutting-edge contributions from internationally respected researchers, it offers authoritative content on a broad range of topics, which is supplemented by a wealth of data, tables, figures, and photographs. Moreover, it provides a roadmap for sustainable approaches to food and nutritional security, and to soil sustainability in agricultural systems, based on C and N cycling in soil systems.

Soil Health and Intensification of Agroecosystems

Soil Health and Intensification of Agroecosystems PDF

Author: Mahdi M. Al-Kaisi

Publisher: Academic Press

Published: 2017-03-15

Total Pages: 418

ISBN-13: 0128054018

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Soil Health and Intensification of Agroecosystems examines the climate, environmental, and human effects on agroecosystems and how the existing paradigms must be revised in order to establish sustainable production. The increased demand for food and fuel exerts tremendous stress on all aspects of natural resources and the environment to satisfy an ever increasing world population, which includes the use of agriculture products for energy and other uses in addition to human and animal food. The book presents options for ecological systems that mimic the natural diversity of the ecosystem and can have significant effect as the world faces a rapidly changing and volatile climate. The book explores the introduction of sustainable agroecosystems that promote biodiversity, sustain soil health, and enhance food production as ways to help mitigate some of these adverse effects. New agroecosystems will help define a resilient system that can potentially absorb some of the extreme shifts in climate. Changing the existing cropping system paradigm to utilize natural system attributes by promoting biodiversity within production agricultural systems, such as the integration of polycultures, will also enhance ecological resiliency and will likely increase carbon sequestration. Focuses on the intensification and integration of agroecosystem and soil resiliency by presenting suggested modifications of the current cropping system paradigm Examines climate, environment, and human effects on agroecosystems Explores in depth the wide range of intercalated soil and plant interactions as they influence soil sustainability and, in particular, soil quality Presents options for ecological systems that mimic the natural diversity of the ecosystem and can have significant effect as the world faces a rapidly changing and volatile climate

Interactions in Soil: Promoting Plant Growth

Interactions in Soil: Promoting Plant Growth PDF

Author: John Dighton

Publisher: Springer

Published: 2014-05-19

Total Pages: 240

ISBN-13: 9401788901

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This book investigates soil ecology and biodiversity for its ability to maintain a balance of beneficial organisms to support plant growth. This subject is discussed by a group of international authors in natural, agricultural and urban systems. The importance of biodiversity per se and, specifically, the feedbacks between the plant and soil biota in mediating soil function are emphasized. Examples are selected from allelopathy and invasive plant species along with the, hitherto overlooked, role of viruses in soil. The book is intended to provide a framework for a holistic understanding of the essential role of soil organisms in promoting plant growth.

Integrated Plant Nutrition Systems

Integrated Plant Nutrition Systems PDF

Author: Raoul Dudal

Publisher: Food & Agriculture Org.

Published: 1995

Total Pages: 440

ISBN-13: 9789251036655

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This publication is structured on the main themes of the consultation: the importance of plant nutrition for meeting agricultural product requirements; soil organic matter, biomass, soil microflora and management of integrated plant nutrition systems; renewable supply of plant nutrients from natural sources and plant nutrient transfer to crops; the place and role of local and external sources of plant nutrients in cropping systems and their evaluation; plant nutrient management in farming systems and in watersheds and territories; and priorities for FAO's Integrated Plant Nutrion Systems (IPNS) programme

Rainfed Farming Systems

Rainfed Farming Systems PDF

Author: Philip Tow

Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media

Published: 2011-09-16

Total Pages: 1324

ISBN-13: 140209132X

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While a good grasp of the many separate aspects of agriculture is important, it is equally essential for all those involved in agriculture to understand the functioning of the farming system as a whole and how it can be best managed. It is necessary to re-assess and understand rain-fed farming systems around the world and to find ways to improve the selection, design and operation of such systems for long term productivity, profitability and sustainability. The components of the system must operate together efficiently; yet many of the relationships and interactions are not clearly understood. Appreciation of these matters and how they are affected by external influences or inputs are important for decision making and for achieving desirable outcomes for the farm as a whole. This book analyses common rain-fed farming systems and defines the principles and practices important to their effective functioning and management.