World population is set to increase by a third in the next 25 years, with no corresponding increase in global rainfall. About seventy per cent of the world's abstracted water is used in farming and therefore the economics of irrigation is becoming an increasingly important issue for sustainable development. Water for Agriculture provides a thorough overview of this highly topical subject, written in a clear and accessible style.
The Scope of the book is wide both in its analysis and in its geographical coverage. Topics covered include the infrastructure, operation and maintenance of irrigation service supply, the supply of drainage services, economic cost benefit analysis, water resource planning at the regional scale, political economy and irrigation policy. The content of Water for Agriculture is enhanced by numerous tables, diagrams, and in-depth case studies.
This book will be an essential read for those professionals involved in the planning of water resources, and for advanced students studying this topic as part of agriculture, development studies, economics, engineering, environmental science, geography, hydrology and planning courses.

The lives of more than a billion people depend on the answer!Thirty years ago, the Green Revolution changed the way agriculture was practiced on the Indo-Gangetic Plain (IGP). This valuable book critically analyzes and discusses the rice-wheat cropping system introduced at that time. The Rice-Wheat Cropping System of South Asia: Trends, Constraints, Productivity and Policy addresses the crucial question, "Are the sustainability and productivity of this system in a state of decline?" The Rice-Wheat Cropping System of South Asia brings together information gathered from research institutions, government organizations, and farmer surveys. The analysis concentrates on the trends of rice-wheat cropping over time, paying special attention to the evidence of-and reasons for-changes in productivity. It also analyzes the impact of this regional system on soil fertility and water supplies, as well as the increasing demands for new and better fertilizers and pesticides. The Rice-Wheat Cropping System of South Asia looks at the problems that have arisen for both the rice and wheat phases, including: the need for changes in crop establishment techniques for crop diversification declining soil fertility changes in pest populations a host of water-management issues the need for policy redirection to sustain productivity growth the impact of global climate change sustainable improvements in productivityThis informative book is an essential planning tool for agronomists, policymakers, and agroeconomists. It is also a useful reference for anyone interested in the problems of famine and intensive cropping not only in South Asia but in the world.

Maintain viability with these techniques for proper seed storage Healthy, viable seeds are the foundation for sustainable crop production, while poorly kept seeds can result in low germination and crop loss. Seed Storage of Horticultural Crops suggests appropriate strategies to help farmers and breeders store seeds of all kinds. This unique compendium gathers information from a wealth of scientific research and presents it in an easy-to-use format. Seed Storage of Horticultural Crops begins with a section on seed morphology and physiology. In subsequent sections, detailed information is provided for storage of the seeds of fruits, vegetables, and ornamental plants from tropical, subtropical, and temperate climates.Seed Storage of Horticultural Crops provides specific details on the factors affecting seed viability, including: selecting and preparing seeds for storage conditions of air, light, temperature, and moisture methods of seed invigoration, including priming, magnetism, and growth regulators favorable conditions for germination eliminating problems such as insects and fungal infection This comprehensive volume is an essential reference for agronomists, students and educators, researchers, heritage seed collectors, and farmers. Richly illustrated with figures, tables, and photographs, Seed Storage of Horticultural Crops will help you obtain bountiful harvests, sustain growth, and preserve genetic diversity.

An intimate and moving account of modern farming and our changing relationship with the land 'An honest look at the farming life today. Raw, earthy and inspiring' - Cal Flyn, author of Islands of Abandonment 'A beautifully written, incredibly timely book' - Clover Stroud, author of My Wild and Sleepless Nights When barrister and author Sarah Langford left her city life behind she found herself unexpectedly back in the world of farming. It was not how she remembered. Instead, she saw farmers dealing with very different problems to those faced by her grandfather, considered a hero for having fed a starving nation after war. Now farmers faced accusations of ecological mismanagement by a hostile urban media whilst battling extreme weather and political upheaval. Yet as Sarah learned how to farm and grew closer to the land, she discovered a new generation on a path of regenerative change. In Rooted, Sarah weaves her own story around those who taught her what it means to be a farmer. She shines a light on the human side of modern farming, and shows how land connects us all, not only in terms of global sustainability but in our relationships with our physical and mental health, our communities and our planet. 'Moving, startling, uplifting, galvanising and unsettling, this plainly beautiful book is one of those rare few that changes how you see the world around you' - Ella Risbridger, author of The Year of Miracles 'Heartbreaking and hopeful, this story of a farming revival has never been more important' - Esther Freud

Make the best use of available water for your crops Water Use in Crop Production explores innovative methods that determine how much water certain crops need, in certain climates, in order to ensure adequate plant growth and help eliminate water waste. Through this informative book, agronomists, growers, researchers, and graduate students will find methods and techniques for effective water management that will save money and conserve water. Water Use in Crop Production will enable you enhance crop quality and quantity and save one of the earth's most important resource.Comprehensive and thorough, this essential book combines two vital needs, food and water, and examines what must be done in order to keep up with the ever-growing human population. Explaining conservation techniques used in Argentina, Australia, Israel, Morocco, New Zealand, the Philippines, Spain, and the United States, Water Use in Crop Production will help you achieve this goal as it discusses water management measures including: avoiding excessive deep percolation reducing runoff lessening water evaporation through methods such as reducing the capillary water flow to the surface of the soil determining the rates at which water is demanded and can be supplied in a specific area to create a plan for limiting water loss studying the root structure of plants to calculate how much water they need using deficit irrigation to help plants save water for future use evaluating citrus water use through the Penman-Monteith model Containing charts, tables, and examples of the concepts it discusses, this book is the culmination of the latest studies on water storage. Water Use in Crop Production provides you with reliable strategies and methods that will help you lessen water expenditures and improve the vitality of crops anywhere in the world.

Produce hardy, high-yield vegetables with hybrid seeds From the Preface, by Amarjit S. Basra: "The phenomenon of heterosis, also referred to as 'hybrid vigor, 'underlies much of the improvement in crop yields achieved in the twentieth century. The exploitation of heterosis in crop production is of vital importance in facing the challenge of providing food and nutritional security for an ever-increasing human population."The effective use of heterosis has fostered the development of a worldwide seed industry. Rapid advances in plant breeding and associated seed production technologies have served to enhance the competitiveness of hybrids by increasing crop and seed yield per hectare, reducing the costs involved, and improving seed quality."Hybrid Seed Production in Vegetables: Rationale and Methods in Selected Crops will help crop scientists and growers increase the quality and yield of vegetables such as: cucumbers cabbage pumpkins squash peppers onions gourds and the fruits watermelon and winter melon. This valuable book provides up-to-date research about heterosis, cultivars, hybrids, and molecular markers to help you get the most quality and quantity out of your seeds. Containing suggestions and methods for overcoming male plant sterility, inbreeding, and challenges to pollination, Hybrid Seed Production in Vegetables will help you successfully breed hybrid plants to produce bountiful and healthy crops.

Produce hardy, high-yield vegetables with hybrid seeds!From the Preface, by Amarjit S. Basra: "The phenomenon of heterosis, also referred to as 'hybrid vigor, 'underlies much of the improvement in crop yields achieved in the twentieth century. The exploitation of heterosis in crop production is of vital importance in facing the challenge of providing food and nutritional security for an ever-increasing human population."The effective use of heterosis has fostered the development of a worldwide seed industry. Rapid advances in plant breeding and associated seed production technologies have served to enhance the competitiveness of hybrids by increasing crop and seed yield per hectare, reducing the costs involved, and improving seed quality."Hybrid Seed Production in Vegetables: Rationale and Methods in Selected Crops will help crop scientists and growers increase the quality and yield of vegetables such as: cucumbers cabbage pumpkins squash peppers onions gourds and the fruits watermelon and winter melon. This valuable book provides up-to-date research about heterosis, cultivars, hybrids, and molecular markers to help you get the most quality and quantity out of your seeds. Containing suggestions and methods for overcoming male plant sterility, inbreeding, and challenges to pollination, Hybrid Seed Production in Vegetables will help you successfully breed hybrid plants to produce bountiful and healthy crops.

Advances in Agronomy continues to be recognized as a leading reference and first-rate source for the latest research in agronomy. Each volume contains an eclectic group of reviews by leading scientists throughout the world. As always, the subjects covered are rich, varied, and exemplary of the abundant subject matter addressed by this long-running serial.

Explores soil as a nexus for water, chemicals, and biologically coupled nutrient cycling Soil is a narrow but critically important zone on Earth's surface. It is the interface for water and carbon recycling from above and part of the cycling of sediment and rock from below. Hydrogeology, Chemical Weathering, and Soil Formation places chemical weathering and soil formation in its geological, climatological, biological and hydrological perspective. Volume highlights include: The evolution of soils over 3.25 billion years Basic processes contributing to soil formation How chemical weathering and soil formation relate to water and energy fluxes The role of pedogenesis in geomorphology Relationships between climate soils and biota Soils, aeolian deposits, and crusts as geologic dating tools Impacts of land-use change on soils The American Geophysical Union promotes discovery in Earth and space science for the benefit of humanity. Its publications disseminate scientific knowledge and provide resources for researchers, students, and professionals. Find out more about this book from this Q&A with the Editors

Advances in Agronomy, Volume 151, continues to be recognized as a leading reference and first-rate source for the latest research in agronomy. Each volume contains an eclectic group of reviews by leading scientists throughout the world. As always, the subjects covered are rich, varied, and exemplary of the abundant subject matter addressed by this long-running serial.

This work investigates the dichotomy between the notion of polluting cities and rural idyll. Examining the emergence of the farm pollution problem in Britain in the 1980s, the book traces the resulting change in public opinion leading to a new "moralizing" of the countryside. Drawing on research carried out amongst dairy farmers, National River Authority Pollution Inspectors, agricultural advisers and environmental campaigners, the author discusses whether it is unacceptable to pollute in a farming environment or merely an unfortunate side-effect of dairy production processes in the 1990s. The author examines issues such as effluents in the environment; farm pollution regulation in the 1970s and 1980s; pollution control; and risk and regulatory science.

If you feel you have a disjointed, or unbalanced, view of the global system of demand and supply, you are probably correct. Most studies leave out a very important part of the system--the marketing channel. That is why Laurens van der Laan developed and wrote this book, The Trans-Oceanic Marketing Channel. To help you understand what happens to export crops, such as cocoa, coffee, cotton, groundnuts, tea, and tobacco, between their country of origin and consumer markets, this book analyzes the roles of different actors in trans-oceanic trade, inherent differences between world markets, export diversification policies, and the commercial and institutional forces at play.The Trans-Oceanic Marketing Channel will give you a strong background in marketing channel concepts, and because of its focus on the exporter rather than on the government, it will provide you with an excellent model for microanalysis. As you read about the special features of trans-oceanic trade, you will also learn about: trade associations and their role in shaping world markets for trans-oceanic crops the uneasy relationship between exporters and shipping companies the selling conduct of agricultural exporters in Africa the tendency of actors in Africa to accelerate the trans-oceanic product flow the effectiveness of export marketing boards as channel leaders private enterprise, the chief agent of development the theory of "exporter preference"The Trans-Oceanic Marketing Channel invites policymakers, international businessmen, professors, and students to examine the opportunities, problems, and policies that confront the various players in trans-oceanic trade, especially the exporters. As the book discusses the divergent institutional arrangements in the world markets for agricultural products and their differential effect on African exports, you will become keenly aware of how vertical marketing systems differ from conventional marketing channels. No other book brings together the three fundamental sections of export agriculture, the country of production, the channel through which the products flow, and the country of destination, to provide you with a complete understanding of trans-oceanic marketing.

As the first book to examine the origins and spread of agriculture and pastoralism in Europe and Asia as a whole, this major contribution should be essential reading for archaeologists, anthropologists, biologists and geographers. Adopting a novel approach to the subject, the authors examine it first in terms of seven different disciplinary perspectives: social, ecological, genetic, linguistic, biomolecular, epidemiological and geogrpahical. Then, 20 case studies are presented, which are based primarily on archaeological and biological evidence and which relate to three major regions: Southwest Asia, Europe and Central Asia to the Pacific. The book concludes with an overview of Eurasia as a whole.; The transition from hunting and gathering to agriculture had revolutionary consequences for human society. It led to the emergence of urban civilizations and ultimately to humanity's almost complete dependence on relatively few domesticated animals and plants. The subject has been much studied, but the results have tended to be interpreted largely in terms of local cultural sequences, with insufficient comparison made with evidence from other areas. In contrast, this book provides a continental- scale framework, with its scope extended to pastoralism because in Eurasia both the raising of livestock and the cultivation of crops were integral components of the agricultural "revolution" from its inception some 10,000 years ago.; Comprehensive and authoritative, "The Origins and Spread of Agriculture and Pastoralism in Eurasia" should appeal strongly to the wide readership of students and specialists concerned with the prehistoric antecedents of modern civilization.

Water Scarcity and Sustainable Agriculture in Semiarid Environment: Tools, Strategies and Challenges for Woody Crops explores the complex relationship between water scarcity and climate change, agricultural water-use efficiency, crop-water stress management and modeling water scarcity in woody crops. Understanding these cause- and effect relationships and identifying the most appropriate responses are critical for sustainable crop production. The book focuses on Mediterranean environments to explain how to determine the most appropriate strategy and implement an effective plan; however, core concepts are translational to other regions. Informative for those working in agricultural water management, irrigation and drainage, crop physiology and sustainable agriculture.

This groundbreaking book is the first to provide state-of-the-art information on the current changes and developments in European food and agricultural marketing. Food and Agribusiness Marketing in Europe contains broad and up-to-date coverage of agricultural and food marketing by experts in a variety of European countries including Germany, Greece, Italy, the United Kingdom, France, Ireland, Belgium, the Netherlands, Spain, and Hungary. With chapters selected by the famous marketing specialist Matthew Meulenberg of The Netherlands, this enlightening book allows food and marketing professionals to gain new perspectives on the changing roles of food retailing and food industry in agricultural marketing and the structure of agriculture and food markets.This insightful book introduces readers to the common factors influencing European food marketing today including the stagnating volume of food demand, severe competition between suppliers of agricultural and food products, the overall shift in agricultural marketing towards more market-consumer orientation, and the resulting concern about product development, branding, and customer relationships. Major national differences in food and agricultural marketing in each country are also analyzed, in particular, the problems of implementing European Community legislation in the face of tremendous divergences among member countries in their needs, expectations, and priorities. Some of the other important topics covered in this in-depth book include: European food consumption and consumers food retailing in Europe the impact of the Common Agricultural policy and other government policies on agricultural marketing the conduct of agricultural marketing institutions and agribusinesses and their marketing performances agricultural and food marketing channels in European countries Food and Agribusiness Marketing in Europe is the first resource available that provides essential information on the tremendous changes in food and agricultural marketing in Europe. It is an invaluable reference on European marketing for students and teachers of agricultural marketing, European-oriented agribusiness managers, and internationally oriented agriculture policymakers who need to develop an understanding of food marketing developments in this area of the world.

Bridging the gap between laboratory observations and industrial practices, this work presents detailed information on recombinant micro-organisms and their applications in industry and agriculture. All recombinant microbes, bacteria, yeasts and fungi are covered.

When it first appeared in 1965, The Conditions of Agricultural Growth heralded a breakthrough in the theory of agricultural development. Whereas 'development' had previously been seen as the transformation of traditional communities by the introduction (or imposition) of new technologies, Ester Boserup argued that changes and improvements occur from within agricultural communities, and that improvements are governed not only by outside interference, but by those communities themselves. Using extensive analyses of the costs and productivity of the main systems of traditional agriculture, Ester Boserup concludes that technical, economic and social changes are unlikely to take place unless the community concerned is exposed to the pressure of population growth. In sharp contrast to widely accepted ideas, she shows how population growth may be the main stimulus to agrarian change. In developing this theme, the author identifies successive stages of agriculture, characterized by differences in techniques of cultivation and in social structure and show how they can be explained by differences in population density. This book is of relevance not only to economists, but also to historians interested in the way present changes in agrarian communities parallel those of the past.

The agricultural and rural crisis besetting Africa is the result of both policy failures and inadequacies and the product of structural rigidities inhibiting access to and control of vital resources. The challenge of leadership in the agricultural sector is how to design and implement policies which would help induce growth and development in this sector. It is against this background that the Africa Leadership Forum convened in Ota, Ogun State, Nigeria in July of 1989 to explore a broad range of parameters to be addressed in the formulation of successful policies. This volume is derived from papers submitted and presentations made. The book provides the main conclusions and recommendations which emanated from the conference. They highlight a series of actions which must be taken in such areas as women in agriculture, small-scale farmers, agribusiness, subsidies, human capital, and linkages between international and national research anbd energy. Other topics include - Africa's security situation; social and economic factors, ecology, and social engineering; dietary patterns in Africa; pest management; agricultural practice; and international organizations. It is aimed at economists, anthropologists, ecologists, agriculturalists, social and political scientists, and all those interested or involved in agricultural production in Africa and other underdeveloped countries.

Proceedings of a round-table seminar, Silsoe, UK, 15-19 April 1985.

Bromfield's personal account of life and environmental practice at his Malabar Farm Both memoir and environmental commentary, this unique and classic work by Louis Bromfield engages and educates us as he demonstrates the importance of sustainable agriculture practices—not only for restoring the land but for restoring the home of the people who live there.

KEEPING LIVESTOCK HEALTHY is one of the recognized classics in its field. Small Farmer's Journal called it "a major contribution to available farm veterinary literature." Modern Veterinary Practice wrote: ." . . highly recommended to all livestock owners." And Farmstead Magazine said, "So admirably organized and indexed that its information is instantly available."

Now completely revised and updated, this fourth edition draws on the very latest research from experts on each of the five animals covered - horses, cattle, pigs, goats, and sheep. It presents new information on vaccines, artificial insemination, ultrasonography, disease testing, drug treatments, and diseases such as Lyme disease, Potomac fever, bluetongue, foot-and-mouth disease, and mad cow disease. This complete reference on livestock health is an invaluable guide to preventing disease through good nutrition, proper housing, and appropriate care.

This volume, Endophyte Biology: Recent Findings from the Kashmir Himalayas, is a unique compilation of the original, latest, and updated information on endophyte biology of the Kashmir Himalayas. The book presents an introduction to and definition of endophytes, the endophytic diversity of some important plants of the Kashmir Himalayas, bioprospection of endophytes for various drug metabolites, sustainable agriculture, and more. This book discusses the applications of endophytes in the agriculture, aroma, and pharmaceutical industries. Endophyte biology, the study of microorganisms, often fungi and bacteria, which live within living plant tissues, is an emerging discipline of science with a multitude of applications in ecology, agriculture, and industry. Despite having huge diversity of plants, the information about the endophyte biology is still in its infancy in this part of the world, and this book is an attempt to bridge the information gap on endophyte biology pertaining to the Kashmir Himalayas. This book will serve as a manual for research scholars as it presents the methodologies and techniques involved in endophyte biology research that can be applied in other regions of the world. Supplemented with illustrations, figures, and tables, the volume is a valuable reference for teachers and students at graduate and undergraduate level in colleges and universities as well as for scientists, researchers, and others.