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The United States is an important food producer globally, in part because of its abundance of agriculturally productive soils. However, management practices that maximize yields have caused losses in soil organic matter, poor soil structure and water-holding capacity, and increased salinity on millions of acres of land - and have adversely affected the microbial communities that are the drivers of many soil processes. At the same time, recent scientific advances have spurred interest in how microbial communities can support soil health, food quality, and human health. It is in this context that the U.S. Department of Agriculture National Institute of Food and Agriculture asked the National Academies to explore the linkages between soil health and human health. The report finds that to improve soil health, federal agencies need to promote the importance of soil health, support translational research, and develop a coordinated national approach to monitor soil health over time and space. Given the potential that microbiomes have in modulating soil, plant, and human health, there is also a pressing need to determine which microbial features, if any, contribute to quantifying or fortifying health in both human and soil systems and to understand the direct and indirect roles of soil, alongside other environmental factors, in influencing human microbial colonization and subsequent health outcomes. Such investigation involves delving into the relatively sparse or disconnected research regarding the microbiome continuum that links soil and human systems.

Phytoremediation has evolved into an important tool to improve the bioremediation process since it is an innovative green technology that uses a wide variety of plants to remediate radioactive metals and elements, organics, and chemicals from soil, sediment, surface water, and groundwater environmental pollutants. Together, bioremediation and phytoremediation technologies provide an effective approach to contaminant abatement.Volume 3 of the four-volume set identifies and draws a fresh image of existing developments in theoretical and functional implementation systems from recent scientific research studies that consider different facets of bioremediation. It also discusses the latest technology and prospects of new soil bioremediation technology and analyzes their domains, along with their associated challenges and consequences.Other volumes in the 4-volume set:• Volume 1: Fundamental Aspects and Contaminated Sites• Volume 2: Microbial Approaches and Recent Trends• Volume 4: Degradation of Pesticides and Polychlorinated BiphenylsTogether, these four volumes provide in-depth coverage of the mechanisms, advantages, and disadvantages of the bioremediation and phytoremediation technologies for safe and sustainable soil management. The diverse topics help to arm biologists, agricultural engineers, environmental and soil scientists and chemists with the information and tools they need to address soil toxins that are a dangerous risk to plants, wildlife, humans and, of course, the soil itself.

This book is a comprehensive and up-to-date reference work that provides a detailed exploration of the key issues related to soil fertility, management, and conservation in agricultural settings. The book covers a range of topics including nutrient management, soil aggregation, soil organic matter, fertilizers, soil microbiology, and soil health. It provides insights into the latest research and practical strategies for improving soil fertility, productivity, and sustainability. This book is an essential resource for researchers, agronomists, soil scientists, and students interested in the field of agricultural soil management. This book is written for a diverse range of readers who are interested in the field of agricultural soil management, including professionals, academics, and students. It will be of particular interest to agronomists, soil scientists, environmental scientists, researchers, and professionals working in agriculture, horticulture, and land management. In addition to professionals, this book may also appeal to non-professionals in industries such as agriculture, food production, and environmental sustainability. It could also be useful to government agencies, NGOs, and policy-makers who are interested in promoting sustainable agriculture and soil conservation practices.

This 4-volume set focuses on the use of microbial bioremediation and phytoremediation to clean up pollutants in soil, such as pesticides, petroleum hydrocarbons, metals, and chlorinated solvents, which reduce the soil's fertility and renders it unfit for plant growth. The volumes cover the many diverse eco-friendly microbial bioremediation and phytoremediation techniques for sustainable soil management.Volume 4: Degradation of Pesticides and Polychlorinated Biphenyls addresses pesticide degradation, PCBs degradation, and genetic interventions. It begins by describing environmental pesticide degradation, mechanisms and sustainability, microbes and microbial enzymes, plant microbe interactions, organophosphorus degradations and endosulfan degradation. It then goes on to discuss PCBs and degradation, cypermethrin, degradation by Phanerochaete chrysosporium, and carvone and surfactants for degradation of PCBs. The book also advocates for genetic systems for degradation of PCBs and pesticides, with discussion of the different advantages and disadvantages for each strategy and the various techniques.Other volumes in the 4-volume set:• Volume 1: Fundamental Aspects and Contaminated Sites• Volume 2: Microbial Approaches and Recent Trends• Volume 3: Inventive Techniques, Research Methods, and Case StudiesTogether, these four volumes provide in-depth coverage of the mechanisms, advantages, and disadvantages of the bioremediation and phytoremediation technologies for safe and sustainable soil management.

This 4-volume set focuses on the use of microbial bioremediation and phytoremediation to clean up pollutants in soil, such as pesticides, petroleum hydrocarbons, metals, and chlorinated solvents, which reduce the soil's fertility and renders it unfit for plant growth.Volume 1: Fundamental Aspects and Contaminated Sites begins with an overview of phytoremediation and the role of environmental factors. It goes on to introduce soil assessment techniques and offers methods of remediation designed to combat soil and agricultural degradation. It discusses soils contaminated by heavy metals; microbial and phytoremediation-based removal of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) from coal, crude oil, and gasoline; microbial bioremediation and amelioration of pesticide-contaminated soils; phytoremediation techniques for biomedical waste contaminated sites; as well as biomediation processes for human waste sites. Biopesticides are also explained as an alternative to conventional pesticides.Other volumes in the 4-volume set:• Volume 2: Microbial Approaches and Recent Trends• Volume 3: Inventive Techniques, Research Methods, and Case Studies• Volume 4: Degradation of Pesticides and Polychlorinated BiphenylsTogether, these four volumes provide in-depth coverage of the mechanisms, advantages, and disadvantages of the bioremediation and phytoremediation technologies for safe and sustainable soil management.

This book is a comprehensive, beautifully illustrated colour guide to the plants which farmers, growers and gardeners can use to improve soil structure and restore fertility without the use and expense of agrichemicals. Information based on the latest research is given on how to use soil conditioning plants to avoid soil degradation, restore soil quality and help clean polluted land. There are 11 chapters: 1 to 6 cover soil health, nitrogen fixation, green manures and herbal leys, bacteria and other microorganisms, phytoremediators and soil mycorrhiza (plant-fungal symbiosis). Chapter 7 has plant illustrations, with climate range and soil types, along with their soil conditioning properties and each plant is presented with a comprehensive description opposite a detailed illustration, in full colour. Chapters 8 to 10 examine soil stabilisers, weeds and invasive plants, and hedges and trees and the final chapter, contains 5 case studies with the most recent data, followed by an appendix and glossary. The book allows the reader to identify the plants they need quickly and find the information necessary to begin implementation of soil regeneration.

Taking a sustainable approach, this volume explores the various soil management techniques. It begins with an overview of the elementary concepts of soil management and then delves into new research and novel soil management tools and techniques.Topics include:• Clays as a critical component in sustainable agriculture with respect to carbon sequestration in conjunction with its interaction with soil enzymes• The potential utilization of microbes to mitigate crop stress• Resource conservation technologies and prospective carbon management strategies• The use of smart tools for monitoring soils• Effective nutrient management approaches• Nanotechnological interventions for soil management• Techniques for the remediation of soils contaminated by metals and pesticides

This 4-volume set focuses on the use of microbial bioremediation and phytoremediation to clean up pollutants in soil, such as pesticides, petroleum hydrocarbons, metals, and chlorinated solvents, which reduce the soil's fertility and renders it unfit for plant growth.Volume 2: Microbial Approaches and Recent Trends focuses on new and emerging techniques and approaches to address soil pollution. These include the use of rhizobacteria, archaea, cyanobacteria, and microalgae as biofertilizers and for soil bioremediation efforts. New technologies for assessment of soil bioremediation are explored also. The chapters provide in-depth coverage of the mechanisms, advantages, and disadvantages of the technologies used and highlight the use of different microbial enzymes that are used in the process of bioremediation and phytoremediation to clean up different pollutants without causing damage to the natural environment.Other volumes in the 4-volume set:• Volume 1: Fundamental Aspects and Contaminated Sites• Volume 3: Inventive Techniques, Research Methods, and Case Studies• Volume 4: Degradation of Pesticides and Polychlorinated BiphenylsTogether, these four volumes provide in-depth coverage of the mechanisms, advantages, and disadvantages of the bioremediation and phytoremediation technologies for safe and sustainable soil management. The diverse topics help to arm biologists, agricultural engineers, environmental and soil scientists and chemists with the information and tools they need to address soil toxins that are a dangerous risk to plants, wildlife, humans and, of course, the soil itself.

Globally, over two thirds of soils are affected by physical, chemical, or biological soil constraints. These constraints cause significant yield loss, and, as such, identifying appropriate management strategies is crucial to ensure future world food production. In order to help agricultural researchers and practitioners better understand soil constraint management, this book comprehensively outlines the occurrence of the major soil constraints and the most appropriate strategies to manage these for sustainable food production. Importantly, it brings together experts from major agricultural regions globally to highlight approaches with the most success in different environmental and socioeconomic regions worldwide.

Along its existence, humans have used Earth resources in a reckless way, having little consideration for its importance, and for the future generations and their needs. Considering the complexity of this subject, and the extreme difficulty of analyzing all aspects of soil degradation, the Editors nonetheless gather here some contributions, each one addressing different soil conservation problems, strategies or methodologies, trying to add some contributions for the understanding of the overall problem of soil degradation and conservation in the world. The seven chapters that comprise this book address topics related to soil degradation and conservation strategies, presenting some cases and methodological approaches, in different parts of the world, promoting scientific research developed with the objective of contributing to a better knowledge of the problem and to help in its mitigation.

Soil is the natural medium for the growth of plants and it is doubtful that soilless agriculture will ever be a cost effective alternative for the production of the bulk of the food and fiber needed. For at least the foreseeable future the world will continue to rely on soil for agriculture. It is therefore essential that the soil is kept healthy. The present book Managing Soil Health for Maximising Crop Productivity has 10 chapters with a bibliography. There is a outline of the role of cover crops, mulching and conservation tillage as forms of agriculture that can help reduce soil erosion. This compilation would be a ready reference and perfect guide to all those in the profession of teaching soil science, agronomy, environ-mentalists, policy planners, students and the farmers in general.

Contemporary soil science and conservation methods of effective forestry Forests and the soils that serve as their foundation cover almost a third of the world's land area. Soils influenced by forest cover have different properties than soils cultivated for agricultural use. Ecology and Management of Forest Soils provides a clear and comprehensive overview of the composition, structure, processes, and management of the largest terrestrial ecosystem. From composition and biogeochemistry to dynamics and management, this essential text enables readers to understand the vital components of sustainable, long-term forest soil fertility. The interaction of trees, animals, microbes, and vegetation alter the biology and chemistry of forest soils—these dynamics are also subject to human management, requiring conservationists to be conversant in the philosophy and methods of soil science. Now in its fifth edition, this classic text includes new coverage of uptake of organic nitrogen in forests, 15N retention studies, the effects of N additions on C accumulation, evidence-based examples of the dynamics of soils, and more. Extensive updates and revisions to topics such as spatial implications of megafires, long‐term organic matter accumulation, soil characterization, and molecular soil measurement techniques reflect contemporary research and practices in the field. This informative overview of forest soils integrates clear and accurate descriptions of central concepts and logically organized chapters to provide readers with foundational knowledge of major soil features, processes, measurement techniques, and management methods. This authoritative survey of the management and ecology of forest soils: Offers full-color photographs and illustrations, real-world examples and case studies, and clear overviews to each topic Presents up-to-date and accessible coverage of contemporary forest science literature and research Addresses topical issues relevant to areas such as ecology, forest management, conservation, and government policy Provides a comprehensive, global perspective on forest soils, from tropical to temperate to boreal Presents balanced coverage of soil science principles and their practical application to forest management Ecology and Management of Forest Soils offers students in areas of soil science and forestry, natural resource and environmental management, ecology, agronomy, and conservation an invaluable overview of the field, while providing forestry professionals an efficient and current work of reference.

Build healthy soil and grow better plantsRobert Pavlis, a gardener for over four decades, debunks common soil myths, explores the rhizosphere, and provides a personalized soil fertility improvement program in this three-part popular science guidebook.Healthy soil means thriving plants. Yet untangling the soil food web and optimizing your soil health is beyond most gardeners, many of whom lack an in-depth knowledge of the soil ecosystem.Soil Science for Gardeners is an accessible, science-based guide to understanding soil fertility and, in particular, the rhizosphere – the thin layer of liquid and soil surrounding plant roots, so vital to plant health.Coverage includes:Soil biology and chemistry and how plants and soil interactCommon soil health problems, including analyzing soil's fertility and plant nutrientsThe creation of a personalized plan for improving your soil fertility, including setting priorities and goals in a cost-effective, realistic time frame.Creating the optimal conditions for nature to do the heavy lifting of building soil fertilityWritten for the home gardener, market gardener, and micro-farmer, Soil Science for Gardeners is packed with information to help you grow thriving plants.

Growing awareness of the importance of soil health means that microbes are on the minds of even the most casual gardeners. After all, anyone who has ever attempted to plant a thriving patch of flowers or vegetables knows that what you grow is only as good as the soil you grow it in. It is possible to create and maintain rich, dark, crumbly soil that's teeming with life, using very few inputs and a no-till, no-fertilizer approach. Certified permaculture designer and lifelong gardener Diane Miessler presents the science of soil health in an engaging, entertaining voice geared for the backyard grower. She shares the techniques she has used — including cover crops, constant mulching, and a simple-but-supercharged recipe for compost tea — to transform her own landscape from a roadside dump for broken asphalt to a garden that stops traffic, starting from the ground up. This publication conforms to the EPUB Accessibility specification at WCAG 2.0 Level AA.

Soil erosion is a complex process that depends on soil properties, ground slope, vegetation, and rainfall amount and intensity. Erosion can be significantly reduced through sustainable agricultural practices and sustainable nutrient management techniques that allow farmers to maintain healthy, productive soil for crops without degrading the environment. There is an urgent need to plan and make necessary amendments to restore soil quality. Amelioration Technology for Soil Sustainability is an essential research publication that provides a current and practical exploration of hydrophobic soil amelioration to improve soil sustainability and crop yield within the field of agriculture. Highlighting topics such as ecological systems, impact analysis, and agriculture, this book is ideal for soil scientists, agriculturalists, farmers, environmentalists, managers, policymakers, professionals, researchers, and students.

Natural ecosystems provide the basic conditions without which humanity could not survive. Goods and services provided by ecosystems include, for example, provision of food, fibre and fuel, purification of water and air, cultural and aesthetic benefits, stabilization and moderation of the Earth's climate, generation and renewal of soil fertility, including nutrient cycling or maintenance of genetic resources as key inputs to crop varieties and livestock breeds, medicines, and other products. However, the ability of natural ecosystems to continue performing these services is seriously threatened because plant species diversity or soil are being seriously deteriorated, and in some cases destroyed. While loss of species has always occurred as a natural phenomenon, the pace of extinction has accelerated dramatically as a result of human activity. Ecosystems are being fragmented or eliminated, and innumerable species are in decline or already extinct. At the same time, various studies worldwide have shown that soils do not support intensive annual plant cultivation without fertilizer applications and even these may not maintain sustainability. Inappropriate silvicultural operations or the use of land for intensive agricultural purposes is one of the main causes of soil degradation, and there is therefore worldwide interest in quantifying the loss of soil quality generated by incorrect agricultural operations or forest management practises. This can only happen if people have the right information, skills, and organizations for understanding and dealing with soil and plant diversity issues. This books deals with soil management and restoration strategies in order to maintain soil quality avoiding soil deterioration. Throughout the book, different authors present very interesting works related to the nitrogen status of containerized Australian blackwood (Acacia Melanoxylon) seedings, soil carbon stocks in different vegetation types, biological soil crusts distribution in China sandy soils, ash soil fertilizers, the watershed management of badland areas, effects of pipeline construction-related disturbances on soil properties, soil quality indicators and soil hydrology in dry areas and aggregate characteristics within the soil active layer.

In 2015, the UN formulated seventeen global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), among them ending poverty, eliminating hunger, protecting the planet and ensuring peace and prosperity. Although judicious management of soils is critical to advancing most of these goals, the word soil is not once mentioned in any of these laudable goals. SDG#15, for example, mentions land degradation but does not specifically focus on soils. In line with previous UN programs, SDGs thus reflect an utter lack of awareness of the importance of the most basic of all natural resources on which depends all terrestrial life – soils. Consequently, this book aims to document the importance of soil and soil protection to reaching these Sustainable Development Goals. This fifteen-chapter book, authored by experienced and knowledgeable researchers from around the world, is a synthesis of the knowledge and state-of-the-science, linking soil properties and processes to specific SDGs. The volume highlights individual soil related aspects of these SDGs, such as the contribution of soil science, soil management and use, measures to minimize erosion, climatic effects, carbon sequestration by soils, soil restoration, the role hydrology plays in sustainable soil management, ways to preserve soil structure of fertile volcanic soils. Soil and water pollution, which must be controlled in order to preserve soil and environmental health are also discussed. Other chapters deal with how to convince the general public of the usefulness of the SDGs and point out how the public may contribute to them, ways to manage Chernozems and the role IUSS plays in furthering and implementing the soil related measures are also discussed herein.

Soil signals A practical guide to a fertile soil.'Your crop shows you the quality of your soil'Farmers pay a lot of attention to their crops. But it's all happening just underneath your feet: a crop is just a reflection of soil fertility. Management of the soil is at least as important as your crop management. Soil Signals provides you with the tools to optimise your soil management. The soil is the foundation of your farm. To keep it fertile and healthy, you should have a good basic knowledge of the soil. This starts with literally feeling a handful or digging a pit to assess the soil profile. This information, along with soil sampling, provides you with a good overall picture. For example, how do you recognise a lack of oxygen? Signals for this are blue spots in the soil. And have you ever examined the roots of your crops more closely? These provide information on the presence of compacted layers in the soil. Soil Signals contains many tools that farmers can put into practice immediately. Practical soil management is also a rewarding experience for many farmers who take a closer look below surface level. With Soil Signals you can really get your soil management off the ground!

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

This is your down-to-earth, complete manual for achieving great gardening results with your own rich, organic soil.How do you recognize healthy soil? How much can your existing soil be improved? What are the best amendments to use for your soil? Let Building Soil answer your questions and be your guide on gardening from the ground up. Fertilizing, tilling, weed management, and irrigation all affect the quality of your soil. Using author Elizabeth Murphy's detailed instructions, anyone can become a successful soil-based gardener, whether you want to start a garden from scratch or improve an existing garden.If you want methods that won't break your back, are good for the environment, and create high-yielding and beautiful gardens of all shapes and sizes, this is the book for you! Create classic landscape gardens, grow a high-yielding orchard, nurture naturally beautiful lawns, raise your household veggies, or run a profitable farm.A soil-based approach allows you to see not just the plants, but the living system that grows them. Soil-building practices promote more ecologically friendly gardening by: ·Reducing fertilizer and pesticide use ·Sequestering greenhouse gases ·Increasing overall garden productivityWith a detailed discussion and comparison tables on a range of organic fertilizer choices, Building Soil is a simple book full of practical, up-to-date information about building healthy soils. Simple methods perfect for the home gardener's use put healthy, organic soil within everyone's reach. You don't need a degree in soil management to understand this book; you only need a yard or garden and the desire to improve it at the most basic level.

Carbon, a major constituent of structural and energy-releasing organic molecules, is essential to life. A substantial amount of carbon found in soils is available as soluble organic molecules (SOM) or particulate organic matter (POM) derived from plant primary production. Available atmospheric C as CO2, used by plants during photosynthesis, is part of a larger biogeochemical cycle, including the cyclic release of CO2 by respiration in living organisms and its fixation through photosynthesis. Carbon also is fixed through biological calcification and is eventually bound in carbonate-containing rocks, especially in aquatic and marine environments. This book focuses mainly on soil carbon and its environmental benefits.

Soil organic matter (SOM) is a key constituent of soil as it is a'revolving nutrient find'and improves soil structure, maintains crop production and minimizes erosion. In semiarid environments, the major problem for sustainable farming systems is the continuous decline of SOM towards levels too low for agricultural purposes. In this book, the authors present topical research in the study of the ecology, environmental impact and management of soil organic matter. Topics include soil organic carbon stocks and changes due to modifications on land use and management practices in Brazil; the preservation of SOM in semiarid Mediterranean environments; effects of SOM on the transport of non-aqueous phase liquid in soils and soil organic carbon stocks in relation to different land-use types in a mountainous watershed.

Sustaining Soil Productivity in Response to Global Climate Change: Science, Policy, and Ethics is a multi-disciplinary volume exploring the ethical, political and social issues surrounding the stewardship of our vital soil resources. Based on topics presented by an international group of experts at a conference convened through support of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, chapters include scientific studies on carbon sequestration, ecosystem services, maintaining soil fertility, and the effects of greenhouse gas emissions, as well as ethical issues ranging from allocation of land use to policies needed for climate change adaptation and mitigation. Bringing together the latest research in soil science and climatology, Sustaining Soil Productivity in Response to Global Climate Change is a valuable resource for soil and plant scientists, agronomists and environmental scientists, as well as agricultural and natural resources engineers and economists, environmental policy makers and conservationists. Key Features: Written by an international group of authors representing a cross-section of scientists, thought leaders, and policy-makers Includes chapters on the potential effects of climate change on forest soil carbon, microbial function, and the role of soils and biogeochemistry in the climate and earth system Explores historical development of land use ethics and stewardship

Soil is a wonderful gift of nature to humankind, but limited, non-renewable and nonelastic resource. Past decades witnessed a considerable shrinkage in the soil due to unscrupulous increase in the urbanization and industrialization, Agricultural technologies that led to Green Revolution resulted in the degradation of this precious natureal rsource owing to over exploitation under intensive farming coupled with mis-management. The soil quality has under gone as serious damage leading to a decline in crop production and factor productivity. In the present book, entitled'Management Soil Quality for Sustainable Agriculture', an attempt has been made to compile the information on concept and indicators of soil quality and its relevance in sustainable crop production. The book also embodies information on improving various parameters of soil quality. Few pages in the book on methods for assessing physcial, chemical and biological parameters of soil quality will be helpful in monitoring the status of soil health. The chapters in the book have been contributed by eminent scientists engaged in basic and applied research of Soil Science. The book will be bery useful to the scientists engaged in soil and crop prodution research, extension workers, students and farmers.

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In-depth treatments of the soil quality concept, its history, and its applicability in research and in developed and developing societiesAll 18 chapters are written by well-established experts from Europe, North America and AustraliaSoil quality is a concept that allows soil functions to be related to specific purposes. Managing soil quality takes a management oriented approach by identifying key issues in soil quality and management options to enhance the sustainability of modern agriculture. Topics covered include major plant nutrients (N, P, K), soil acidity, soil organic matter, soil biodiversity, soil compaction, erosion, pesticides and urban waste.

A major challenge of the twenty-first century will be to ensure sufficient global food production to cope with the burgeoning world population. Soils, Land and Food is a short text aimed at undergraduates, graduates, agricultural scientists and policy makers which describes how the use of technology in soil management can increase and sustain agricultural production. The book leads the reader through the development of techniques of land management and discusses reasons why some agricultural projects have succeeded while others have failed. It shows how surveying and protecting soils before new land is brought into cultivation, raising soil fertility, increasing inputs and improving economic conditions can all help to increase food production. Particular emphasis is placed on the need for both economic change and technological intervention in developing countries where, in many cases, food production will need to more than double in the next fifty years.

Volume 74 contains six excellent cutting-edge reviews detailing advances in the plant and environmental soil sciences. Chapter 1 is an extensive review on soil quality. Chapter 2 covers recent advances in understanding the formation of metal hydroxide precipitates on soil surfaces and their implications on metal sequestration and soil remediation. Chapter 3 is a timely review on effects of organic acid exudation from roots on phosphorus uptake and aluminum tolerance of plants in acid soils. Chapter 4 discusses bamboo production and management, including manipulation of growth and development and environmental aspects of bamboo production. Chapter 5 addresses a significant worldwide issue - management of soils for food security and environmental quality. Chapter 6 is a comprehensive review on the management of wheat, barley, and oat root systems.

Advances in Agronomy continues to be recognized as a leading reference and a first-rate source of the latest and best research in agronomy. As always, the topics covered are varied and exemplary of the panoply of subject matter dealt with by this long-running serial.Volume 68 contains five outstanding and contemporary reviews on topics that deal with soil chemistry, plant physiology, plant nutrition, and soil and crop management. Chapter 1 by Morris Schnitzer summarizes the past and present knowledge of the chemistry of soil organic matter. Chapter 2, written by H.S. Saini and M.E. Westgate, is a comprehensive exposition on the reproductive development in grain crops during drought. G. Xu, H. Magen, J. Tarchitzky, and U. Kafkafi present advances in chloride management in Chapter 3. Chapter 4 is a review in our continuing series on the 12 soil orders. S.W. Buol and H. Eswaran provide an enlightening review on Oxisols. K. Kumar and K.M. Goh discuss aspects of crop residues in the fifth and final chapter of this important and well-written book.

Advances in Agronomy continues to be recognized as a leading reference and a first-rate source of the latest and best research in agronomy. As always, the topics covered are varied and exemplary of the panoply of subject matter dealt with by this long-running serial.Volume 67 contains four comprehensive and timely reviews on topics in the crop and soil sciences. Chapter 1 addresses one of the most active areas in agronomic research--precision agriculture. Chapter 2 is a thoughtful review on surface charge and solute interactions in soils. Chapter 3 thoroughly covers advances in the use of molecular genetics to enhance abiotic/edaphic stress resistance in turfgrass. Chapter 4 is a useful review on a topic that is of great interest to agronomists--allelopathy.

Vertisols, one of the eleven established soil orders, are clay soils with unusual and interesting properties. They cover more than 350 million hectares of land in the world and in tropical Africa alone there are over 100 million hectares. Because of their very small particle size and high surface area, these soils have higher physical and chemical reactivity than other soils. Their interaction with agrochemicals/industrial wastes, has been, increasingly, the subject of research especially in the last two decades. Vertisols create special problems when used for engineering purposes.This book is intended to provide comprehensive and state-of-the-art information about Vertisols worldwide. Special attention is given to the use and management of soils such as fertilizer use, crop selection, soil tillage, water restriction on land including irrigation, and soil erosion. A special chapter has been added to deal with geotechnical engineering of Vertisols.Vertisols have great potential for agricultural production but many, especially in the developing world, are underutilized due to a lack of understanding regarding their behaviour and management.This book is written by leading scientists worldwide. It is expected that this monograph will be of great use to soil scientists and agronomists, graduate and senior graduate students.Improvement of their management may solve the current food deficiency in the world.

Applications of Soil Physics deals with the applications of soil physics and covers topics ranging from infiltration and surface runoff to groundwater drainage, evaporation from bare-surface soils, and uptake of soil moisture by plants. Water balance and energy balance in the field are also discussed, along with tillage and soil structure management. The development and extension of Penman's evaporation formula is also described. This book is comprised of 14 chapters and begins with a systematic description of the field-water cycle and its management, with emphasis on infiltration and runoff; redistribution and drainage; evaporation and transpiration; and irrigation and tillage. Subsequent chapters focus on transpiration from plant canopies; freezing phenomena in soils; scaling and similitude of soil-water phenomena; spatial variability of soil physical properties; and movement of solutes during infiltration into homogeneous soil. Concepts of soil-water availability to plants are considered, together with principles of irrigation management and the advantages and limitations of drip irrigation. This monograph is intended for upper-level undergraduate and graduate students of the environmental, engineering, and agronomic sciences.