Based on a collaborative research project - an exciting fruit of the region's peace process - this book provides an in-depth examination and comparison of women's participation in agricultural production in four Middle-Eastern countries: Egypt, Jordan, Palestine and Israel. Each of the country studies is set in context, providing an overview of the status of women in the national economy and society, and in education and law, before proceeding to analyze the status and roles of women in the rural sector. These up-to-date overviews are based on published and unpublished data, much of which is available for the first time in English. But the book can also be read as a fascinating story of the way gender is introduced into a complex political setting where "development work" is done. It offers a reflexive, critical examination of the very process of its own production and some general observations about the links between academic and development-centred discourses.

Urban agriculture is an increasingly popular practice in cities worldwide, and a sustainable future for it is critical, especially for the urban poor of the developing world. This book presents the first findings of original field research projects funded by IDRC's AGROPOLIS International Graduate Research Awards on Urban Agriculture. Countries studied include Cuba, Argentina, Botswana, France, the UK, Zimbabwe, Ivory Coast, Togo and Tunisia. Together, these studies examine concrete strategies to better integrate 'city farming' into the urban landscape.

In order to feed their burgeoning populations, developing nations will need to double cereal production by the year 2050. This increase will have to come from existing land, as little potential exists for bringing new land under cultivation -- a daunting prospect when one realizes that increased use and significantly higher concentrations of carbon dioxide have led to a severe depletion of the carbon pool in the world's soils. This is especially telling in developing countries where tropical climates further compromise the soil's ability to recover. In Climate Change and Global Food Security, bestselling editor Rattan Lal heads up a team of the world's top soil scientists and ecologists to document the history of this impending agricultural crisis and explore possible solutions. Throughout this timely text, the authors address six complex themes: 1. The impact of projected climate change on soil quality, water resources, temperature regime, and growing season duration on net primary productivity of different biomes 2. Soil carbon dynamics under changing climate 3. The impact of changes in carbon dioxide and ecological environments on agronomic yields and food production in different regions of the world 4. World food demands and supply during the 21st century 5. Policy and economic issues related to carbon trading and enhancing agricultural production 6. Research and development priorities for enhancing soil carbon pool and food security This hard-hitting text is essential reading for anyone involved with soil and crop sciences as well as policy makers and change agents who need to come to the forefront of this issue armed with the latest information and viable solutions.

Carbon Nanomaterials for Agri-food and Environmental Applications discusses the characterization, processing and applications of carbon-based nanostructured materials in the agricultural and environmental sectors. Sections discuss the synthesis and characterization of carbon nanotubes, the technological developments in environmental applications of carbon-based nanomaterials, and agri-food applications. The book also covers the toxic effects of engineered carbon nanoparticles on the environment, and in plants and animals. Finally, quality control and risk management are addressed to assess health and environmental risks. This is an applicable book for graduate students, researchers and those in industrial sectors of science and technology who want to learn more about carbon nanomaterials.

The GM debate is as much a war of words as of facts. Food and farming are being changed forever - yet whether for good or bad is the subject of an increasingly bitter argument. Those promoting GM have mounted an intense campaign, characterising their opponents as terrorists and Luddites, governed by ignorance, irrationality and hysteria. Yet public opinion remains unconvinced and antagonistic. As the argument intensifies and the voices on all sides get louder, Genetically Modified Language cuts through the confusion and controversy to the issues and ideology at the heart of the disagreement.
Guy Cook subjects the language of the case for GM to a careful and detailed examination. He looks in turn at the persuasive strategies used by politicians, scientists, the media, biotechnology corporations, and supermarkets, showing how their arguments mix together scientific, commercial, ethical and political criteria, and are seldom as factual and straightforward as they claim. Through analyses of recurrent words and phrases, and of the constant comparisons made with other international issues, he shows how the GM debate has become inseparable from the wider political conflicts of our time. In a final chapter he turns to public reactions to all of the arguments.
Throughout this analysis, the campaign for GM is seen as exemplifying disturbing trends in the contemporary use of language for public information. Language which purports to seek clarity and neutrality, and to be a vehicle for informed democratic debate, is in fact achieving the opposite effects: obscuring the issues and manipulating opinion.
Written in a clear, accessible style and drawing on illustrative examples, Genetically Modified Language is an insightful look at how language shapes our opinions.

Shortlisted for the 2018 TWS Wildlife Publication Awards in the edited book category The various species of new world blackbirds, often intermingled in large foraging flocks and nighttime roosts, collectively number in the hundreds of millions and are a dominant component of the natural and agricultural avifauna in North America today. Because of their abundance, conspicuous flocking behavior, and feeding habits, these species have often been in conflict with human endeavors. The pioneering publications on blackbirds were by F. E. L. Beal in 1900 and A. A. Allen in 1914. These seminal treatises laid the foundation for more than 1,000 descriptive and experimental studies on the life histories of blackbirds as well as their ecology and management in relation to agricultural damage and other conflicts such as caused by large winter roosting congregations. The wealth of information generated in over a century of research is found in disparate outlets that include government reports, conference proceedings, peer-reviewed journals, monographs, and books. For the first time, Ecology and Management of Blackbirds (Icteridae) in North America summarizes and synthesizes this vast body of information on the biology and life histories of blackbirds and their conflicts with humans into a single volume for researchers, wildlife managers, agriculturists, disease biologists, ornithologists, policy makers, and the public. The book reviews the life histories of red-winged blackbirds, yellow-headed blackbirds, common grackles, and brown-headed cowbirds. It provides in-depth coverage of the functional roles of blackbirds in natural and agricultural ecosystems. In doing so, this authoritative reference promotes the development of improved science-based, integrated management strategies to address conflicts when resolutions are needed.

This book explores the resource and environmental constraints on sustainable growth in agricultural production into the middle of the twenty-first century. It presents contemporary concerns with the implications of natural resource availability and environmental change.

Revised and expanded throughout, this latest edition of the bestselling Seeds Handbook: Biology, Production, Processing, and Storage includes valuable information on all areas of seed biology, production, and processing. The author, one of the most respected and prolific scientists in the field, identifies current developments in seed testing and certification, storage, transportation, and distribution. Tracking the evolution and advancement of seed industries and technologies, he fully covers the development and supply of high-quality seeds for every key agronomic and horticulture crop. Contains methods to enhance the genetic and physiological characteristics of more than 80 major and minor crops With an abundance of current research and additional figures and illustrations, this edition of the Seeds Handbook offers chapters on modern biotechnological issues such as the production of synthetic seeds, loss-reduction biotechnologies, and new strategies in the seed production industry. It provides in-depth information on burgeoning areas of seed science including tissue culture and cellular totipotency, induction and regeneration protocols, development and maturation, hormone requirements, drying and storage of somatic embryos, protective encapsulation, and crop applications. With an eye to the future, it looks at challenges in the provision and enhancement of seeds for crop plants, practical methods of seed production and micropropagation, genetically modified seeds, and world food security.

This excellent, clearly illustrated book has been written for those working with farmers on development and extension in rural areas who do not have much access to the technical know-how needed for developing irrigated agriculture on a small scale.

This collection traces how pastoralists have coped with the challenges of change in a part of the world with a long-tradition of livestock keeping. Their precarious position - balanced between a market system where only the fittest may survive, and their attempt to remain a human resource for the future development of the natural pastures and livestock industry - is carefully and critically examined by the contributors. The pastoralists' unique skills at managing livestock in a variable and challenging environment, and their ability to supply commodities much in demand mean that an understanding of their societal position is essential for anyone interested in transition in the former Soviet Union.

The rural Midwest is undergoing fundamental changes with increased competition from foreign agriculture; employment shifts from higher-paying manufacturing to lower-paying service industries; the displacement of local small town business by large discount stores and shopping malls; overall population declines that threaten the viability of schools, hospitals, and other public institutions, along with an influx of minority groups that has led to strife in some communities. Using data from the 2000 Census, this collection examines the major demographic and employment trends in the rural Midwestern states with special attention to the issues that state and local policy makers must address in the near future. The contributors are well known experts in their fields, and in these original, previously unpublished materials they offer suggestions on how the Internet and other technological advances offer new opportunities for rural economies that local leaders can build on.

The rural Midwest is undergoing fundamental changes with increased competition from foreign agriculture; employment shifts from higher-paying manufacturing to lower-paying service industries; the displacement of local small town business by large discount stores and shopping malls; overall population declines that threaten the viability of schools, hospitals, and other public institutions, along with an influx of minority groups that has led to strife in some communities. Using data from the 2000 Census, this collection examines the major demographic and employment trends in the rural Midwestern states with special attention to the issues that state and local policy makers must address in the near future. The contributors are well known experts in their fields, and in these original, previously unpublished materials they offer suggestions on how the Internet and other technological advances offer new opportunities for rural economies that local leaders can build on.

Ask the Fellows Who Cut the Hay is a vivid portrait of the rural past of Blaxhall, a remote Suffolk village, in the time before mechanization changed the entire nature of farming, the landscape and rural life for good. In the 1950s, George Ewart Evans sought out those who could recall the nineteenth-century customs, crafts, dialects, tools, smugglers' tales and rural beliefs which had endured from the time of Chaucer, and created this fascinating picture of a now vanished world.

Greengenetechnology(GGT),understoodasapartofmodernbiotechnology, has been on a steady, triumphal progression over the last ten years (ISAAA 2007, see thecontribution byEinsele in thisissue). This volume, jointly edited byProf. Fiechterandme,dealswithsomeactualscienti?candsocio-economic aspects with regard to genetically modi?ed plants (GMP). Worldwide more than 100 million hectares of agronomical land are covered by GMP. This - cludes some prominent industrialised Western countries like the USA and Canada,aseriesofthresholdcountrieslikeArgentina,Brazil,IndiaandChina, and a number of developing countries. Clearly, some of these countries have to deal with crop plant production and human nutrition in a very pragmatic way since, for example, India has to feed about a 1/5 of the world population on about 3% of the arable land. In contrast, the situation in Europe appears very different. Food supply is more than suf?cient and comparably inexp- sive. This surplus of food is on one hand convenient, since starvation has been largely unknown in Europe for about 50 years, with only comparatively few exceptions of socially peripheral individuals. On the other hand it makes the population careless about the future food supply. Even beyond mere food supply, Europe gained its culturalvalues fromitsagricultural success over the centuries. Asinglefarmerbecameabletofeedmoreandmorepeoplemaking them free towork outside of agriculture as a craftsman, artist,poet, scientist, engineer,mayor,administrativeof?cial,priest,philosopher,orsoldier-togive only a few examples. In the public perception this connection between agr- omyandculturalwelfareisnotsuf?cientlyappreciatedinEurope. Switzerland, geographically in the centre of Europe (although not a member of the pol- ical union) has the same cultural tradition, only somewhat shifted towards the more conservative mood commonto mountain populations.

The author offers an overview of pollen biology and biotechnology for students and researchers in areas such as reproductive biology, biotechnology, aeropalynology, plant breeding, horticulture, and forestry. Citing more than 1,500 references to pollen research, the text covers topics including advances in understanding pollen tube growth, the use of pollen for gene transfer, and advantages and disadvantages of various pollination systems for production of species limits.

Course in Tropical Agriculture for the Staff of Co-operatives

The field of medicinal/aromatic plant breeding is growing and changing?this resource will help you stay up to date!
In this essential book, researchers from large and small laboratories and institutions throughout Europe and the Mediterranean region explore recent developments in the selection and breeding of aromatic and medicinal plants. They take varied approaches?from traditional breeding to the use of molecular markers?and complement them with up-to-date information on biodiversity and resource conservation.
"From the editors: ?It is widely recognized that a strategy of conservation through use, ? by which plant collection via wild harvesting is replaced by controlled cultivation, is the best way forward if we are to balance human demands with the necessary conservation of the biodiversity represented by these species. That provides one major driving force for research in this field. Another concerns the very real need for improving the quality control of products on the market, both to satisfy consumer demand and to conform with the (justifiably) increasing requirements for standardization and precise identification of the composition of the plant materials being sold for human use. We hope that this volume will give readers a taste of the exciting developments in the field.?"
Breeding Research on Aromatic and Medicinal Plants examines: breeding for resistance and abiotic factors manipulating natural product accumulation through genetic engineering biochemical and molecular regulation of essential oil accumulation economic and legal considerations that breeders will encounter the ethical aspects of breeding these plants

Many agronomic reference books either focus on a single crop, several related crops, or specific soil topics but not on a full range of both crop and soil subjects. This unique handbook covers both major agronomic fields. Containing essential data and information on the culture of the world's major agronomic grain, oil, fiber, and sugar crops grown on a wide range of soil types, Agronomic Handbook: Management of Crops, Soils, and Their Fertility serves as a practical reference on the management of crops and soils from planting to harvest.

This handbook provides you with:

· A list of definitions
· A glossary of botanical terms
· Nutrient element requirement levels for the major agronomic crops
· A list of troublesome weeds
· A key to nutrient element deficiency syndrome of legumes
· A summary of the characteristics of the major elements and micronutrients
· The basic information needed to develop cultural, liming, and fertilizer recommendations
· Diagnostic procedures for assessing the fertility status of soils and the nutrient element status of plants

Written in the author's trademark, practical style, this handbook describes the genetic history, yield characteristics, cultural requirements, and nutritional requirements of the major agronomic crops; the physical and chemical properties of major soil types; and the composition, formulation, and uses of fertilizers. Crop characteristics are provided including national and international statistics, world production figures, and information on changing crop conditions.

With its wide range of fundamental information on crops and soils, the Agronomic Handbook will be an invaluable reference for those preparing for the Certified Crop Advisor Exam and anyone engaged in agronomic production, study, and research.

Dependency

The field of medicinal/aromatic plant breeding is growing and changing?this resource will help you stay up to date!
In this essential book, researchers from large and small laboratories and institutions throughout Europe and the Mediterranean region explore recent developments in the selection and breeding of aromatic and medicinal plants. They take varied approaches?from traditional breeding to the use of molecular markers?and complement them with up-to-date information on biodiversity and resource conservation.
"From the editors: ?It is widely recognized that a strategy of conservation through use, ? by which plant collection via wild harvesting is replaced by controlled cultivation, is the best way forward if we are to balance human demands with the necessary conservation of the biodiversity represented by these species. That provides one major driving force for research in this field. Another concerns the very real need for improving the quality control of products on the market, both to satisfy consumer demand and to conform with the (justifiably) increasing requirements for standardization and precise identification of the composition of the plant materials being sold for human use. We hope that this volume will give readers a taste of the exciting developments in the field.?"
Breeding Research on Aromatic and Medicinal Plants examines: breeding for resistance and abiotic factors manipulating natural product accumulation through genetic engineering biochemical and molecular regulation of essential oil accumulation economic and legal considerations that breeders will encounter the ethical aspects of breeding these plants

Contents:
List of Figures. List of Tables. Acknowledgements. 1. Agriculture and Pollution. 1.1. Setting the Scene. 1.2. Solving the Problem. 2. Nitrates and Nitrogen Loss. 2.1. Introduction. 2.2. The Nitrogen Cycle. 2.3 Nitrogen Transformation. 2.4 Nitrogen Fertiliser Use in Agriculture. 2.5. The Causes of Nitrate Pollution. 2.6. Problems Caused by Nitrate Pollution. 2.7. Reducing Nitrate Losses from Agriculture. 3. Phosphorus. 3.1. Introduction. 3.2 The Phosphorus Cycle. 3.3. Phosphorus losses. 3.4. Environmental Implications of Phosphorus Pollution. 3.5. Environmental Problems Caused by Phosphorus Pollution. 3.6. Practical Solutions. 4. Soil Erosion. 4.1. Introduction. 4.2. Vulnerability of Soil to Erosion and Degradation. 4.3. Environmental Impacts of Soil Erosion. 4.4. Practical Solutions to Soil Erosion. 5. Organic Wastes. 5.1. Introduction. 5.2. Farm Wastes. 5.3. Non-Agricultural Organic Soil Amendments. 5.4. Practical Solutions. 5.5. Non-Agricultural Organic Wastes. 5.6. Alternative Technologies for Farm Waste Treatment. 6. Gaseous Emissions. 6.1. Introduction. 6.2. Ammonia Emissions. 6.3. Methane Emissions. 6.4. Nitrous Oxide Emissions. 6.5. Carbon Dioxide Emissions. 6.6. Farm Odours. 7. Pesticides. 7.1. Introduction. 7.2. Pesticides and their Application. 7.3. Mode of Action. 7.4. Insecticides. 7.5. Herbicides. 7.6. Fungicides. 7.7. The Causes of Pesticide Pollution. 7.8. Behaviour and Fate of Pesticides in the Environment. 7.9. Environmental Problems caused by Pesticides Residues. 7.10. Practical Solutions. 7.11. New Technology. 7.12. Alternatives to Synthetic Pesticides. 8. Genetic Modification. 8.1. Introduction. 8.2. Risks and Benefits. 8.3. Assessing Environmental Risk. 8.4. The Future for GMO's. 9. Policy Strategies for Reducing Pollution. 9.1. Introduction. 9.2. Emergence of Contemporary Agri-Environmental Policy. 9.3. Policy Instruments, Strategies and Implementation. 9.4. Learning from Experience. 9.5. Future Directions. Author Index. Subject Index.

This comprehensive text provides a concise overview of environmental problems caused by agriculture, (such as pesticide pollution and increased nitrate levels) and offers practical solutions to them. It is well illustrated and contains a fully-referenced introduction to the main contemporary agricultural pollution issues in the UK. It will help provide clear, scientific and technical understanding of the most important sources of agricultural pollution.

'Refreshingly fluent narrative, brimming full of stories and metaphors' Tim O'Riordan, University of East Anglia, UK 'A great balance between storytelling and analysis which points to the critical need for gaining control over resources' Jacqueline Ashby, CIAT, Colombia 'Full of supporting evidence and clear arguments' Norman Uphoff, Cornell University, US 'A wonderful book, put together with such vision and passion' Mark Ritchie, Institute of Agriculture and Trade Policy, US 'A superb volume. This is a valuable monograph that all policy-makers, scholars and farmers must read to understand their roles and responsibilities' Vo-Tong Xuan, Angiang University, Vietnam 'Beautifully written. The implications of the book's ideas are deep and extensive' Julia Guivant, University of Florianopolis, Brazil Something is wrong with our agricultural and food systems. Despite great progress in increasing productivity in recent decades, hundreds of millions of people remain hungry and malnourished, and further millions suffer for eating too much food or the wrong sort. Agri-Culture envisages the expansion of a new form of food production and consumption founded on more ecological principles and in harmony with the cultures, knowledges and collective capacities of the producers themselves. It draws on many stories of successful agricultural transformation in developing and industrialized countries, but with a warning that true prosperity will depend on the radical reform of the institutions and policies that control global food futures, and fundamental changes in the way we think. The time has come for the next agricultural revolution.

Farmers suffering the effects of drought and depression in the 1930s were looking for relief from what they felt were unfair prices for their crops, and reform of the entire agricultural and economic system of which they were the primary part. In the election campaign of 1932, they heard Franklin D. Roosevelt promise that if elected he would work for a program to help them. The vagueness of the president-to-be led a variety of farm groups to believe that he would support their leaders and programs, but some groups, such as the Farmers Union, were disappointed and their organizers criticized various aspects of the New Deal Agricultural Program. During the dire thirties, new farm groups were formed to voice their opposition to the program. The ideas of these groups were resisted by the Department of Agriculture, which fought back to stifle their opposition and largely won. This work is a history of seven organizations that opposed Roosevelts agricultural programs. They are the Missouri Farmers Association, the Farmers Union, the Farm Holiday Movement, the Farmers Independence Council, the National Farmers Process Tax Recovery Association, the Corn Belt Liberty League and the Farmers Guild.

Honey Bees: Estimating the Environmental Impact of Chemicals provides the reader with an up-to-date account of the different strategies currently in use or in development for assessing the ecotoxicity of xenobiotics against these social insects which play a key role in both ecology and agriculture. In addition to the classical acute laboratory test, semi-field cage tests and full field funnel tests, new tests based mainly on behavioural responses are for the first time clearly described. Information on the direct and indirect effects on honey bees of radionuclides, heavy metals, pesticides, semi-volatile organic compounds and genetically modified plants is also presented.

eBook available with sample pages: 0203218655

Potato is the most significant non-cereal crop. Much attention has been paid to this commercially important crop. The aim of this volume is to capture the recent advances made in improving potatoes using traditional breeding methods as well as genetic engineering technology. The book provides a critical appraisal of the state-of-the-art finding on this crop.