Book Description

This introduction to the principles of weed science preparesreaders to analyze real-life weed control problems and to developintegrated, practical approaches to solving them.Comprehensive incoverage and unique in presentation, it blends basic information onplant systems, soil systems, control methods, and management systems,and discusses various plants and herbicides by groups to providean integrated framework from which to extend information to many differentsituations. For readers interested in weed science. ... Read more

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Reviews (2)

The debate over natural resource management
Farming occupied the majority of American pursuits in the 19th century, tied up most of the nation's capital, and occupied the thoughts of farmers and politicians alike. Before expansion into the West could succeed, conservation of land and resources would have to be taken into account: Larding The Lean Earth points out that the debate over natural resource management began in the 1820s and pitted farmers against plantation owners in a conflict which would affect westward expansion processes as a whole.

Larding the Lean Earth
When we think of the conservation movement in America, our minds are drawn to people such as John James Audubon, John Muir, Henry David Thoreau, and Aldo Leopold. Although these men wrote with passion about conservation, the political movement had deeper roots. In his original and thought provoking book, Steven Stoll proposes that conservation thought emerged as a political force in the 19th century exploitation of the land. Two forces emerged - the improvers of the land who believed that farming practices must be used to sustain the soil, - and the emigrants who kept moving to new untouched wilderness as their land gave out. Today, most of the arable land is cultivated and much of it in North America is maintained by technology. Larding the Lean Earth explores how technology has come to dominate the agricultural landscape. It is a must read for anyone interested in the history of conservation, and anyone close to the land. ... Read more

Book Description

Soil degradation, a decline in soil quality due to anthropogenic perturbations, is a serious threat with negative impacts on agriculture and the environment. The assessment and monitoring of all forms of degradation is essential to the evaluation of negative trends and implementation of mitigating technologies. Soil Degradation in the United States: Extent, Severity, and Trends is an assessment of current trends and geographic hot spots. It not only describes the types of soil degradation, but also evaluates the processes and triggers that cause the damage.Written by world-renowned leaders in the field of soil science, the book is thematically divided into three sections: Section I addresses basic processes and discusses concepts and definitions, land use change, and global trends. Section II provides the data on soil degradation by various processes such as water and wind erosion, salt build-up, and soil contamination. Section III summarizes the magnitude and severity of degradation and addresses policy issues in relation to economic and environmental impact. Several appendices provide much needed information on past trends and future projections.This book is a state-of-the-art compendium that provides a ready reference and data source for soil scientists, agronomists, environmentalists, land managers, and policy makers. ... Read more

Book Description

Over the past decade, organic products have become the fastest growing sector of agriculture, with an annual increase of at least 20 percent. This book explains why organic production and consumption have seen such phenomenal growth in recent years-and, even more important, why they should. A clear-eyed, close-up look at the compelling reasons for organic farming and the methods that make it work, Good Growing begins with a frank account of the problems with conventional industrial agriculture-the pesticide use, pollution, and corporate control that have undermined public health and devastated rural towns and family farms.

In-depth interviews with working organic farmers from across the country bring to life the facts and figures that Leslie Duram sets out in her extensive overview of the realities of organic farming today. Farmers with very different operations in California, Colorado, Illinois, Florida, and upstate New York give us an intimate understanding of the ecological, social, economic, and personal factors that shape their farming experiences. We also learn firsthand about the attractions and pleasures as well as the problems and concerns that accompany organic farming. With its comprehensive view of the status of farming and its compelling portraits of organic farmers, Good Growing is, finally, a work of scientific advocacy describing a course of action, based on the best research available, to improve the health of agriculture in our day.

Leslie A. Duram is an associate professor and chair of the Department of Geography and Environmental Resources at Southern Illinois University-Carbondale. ... Read more

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Not a Dispassionate Exposition
Daniel Hillel's , Out of the Earth: Civilization and the Life of the Soil, stands as a definite "must read" for all of us. Although science-based throughout, this book reads like a mystery novel as Hillel traces man's relationship to the soil over the centuries. Ultimately , he shows us the destruction wrought on civilizations through neglect and ignorance of the soil, proving in the end, as we have somewhat suspected all along, every civilization is built from the soil--more literally than is often recognized. Hillel's understanding, and empathy, comes through distinctively in this compelling narrative, which he introduces as "not a strictly dispassionate exposition." Drawing on his background in education, he begins with a clear and concise introduction to soil science. From there, he takes us along on a journey across our planet and through time to look at the soil with a new appreciation. Hillel is the best kind of writer - seductively informative and a passionate observer. He brings to his pages an affinity for his subject that could make even a debutante enamored of the very ground upon which we all walk. Hillel details soil management in Israel where he served in different positions with the government. He is intimately familiar with desert soil management, but he ranges far and wide beyond the deserts - into the rain forest as well as the plains of the American Midwest. His experience and his vision encompass the entire earth, and his examples are born from every continent. His clear and instructive text is easily digested; his examples are well thought and concise. This book will repay your investment of time and money with a better understanding of the soil you walk daily - that "dirt" you dig out from under your nails after a day in the garden. I appreciate even more the soil which serves as the foundation of my home and upon which the culture and all that we as a society have built - the thin crust that sustains all the inhabitants of Earth; that delicate layer of the Earth in which we grow our plants and bury all our dead. We live and die as beings, societies and civilizations, in conjunction with the care we bestow upon the soil or withhold from it. We may fare no better than our ancestors in our care of the soil, but it will not be from ignorance with books like Hillel's around. This book sits handily on my bookshelf; I take it down and allow it to open to a page to "spot-peruse." It has become pivotal in my thinking about soil, water and civilization.

Out of the Earth
This is a very well written study of the intersection of soil and civilization: Mankind's effect on the life-supporting soil around them, and the usually terminal effect of the degraded soil upon mankind. Hillel has a wonderful voice and solid credentials. As Santana said, remember your history or pay the price. ... Read more

Book Description

Reflects the latest developments in the field. The emphasis is on the transport and reactions of water, heat, gases and chemicals in the unsaturated soil matrix. Incorporates the majority of modern developments in soil physics including spatial variability, characterization and field applications. Timely topics such as chemical pollution of the environment and solute transport through soil are treated thoroughly. There is increased emphasis on problem solving and the application of mathematics and computers. Includes more than 70 complete, worked examples that aid student comprehension, most of which are transport equations that are simplified to produce easy-to-use solutions. ... Read more

Book Description

Soil degradation has serious global impacts on agronomic, economic, and sociopolitical conditions, however, statistics regarding the degree of these impacts has been largely unreliable. This book aims to standardize the methodology for obtaining reliable and objective data on soil degradation. It will also identify and develop criteria for assessing the severity of soil degradation, providing a realistic scenario of the problem. ... Read more

Book Description

With the advent of genetic engineering, "designer" crops might interbreed with natural populations. Could such romances lead to the evolution of "superweeds", as some have suggested? But haven't crops had sex with wild plants in the past? Has such gene swapping occurred without consequences? And if consequences have indeed occurred, what lessons can be gleaned for engineered crops?

In Dangerous Liaisons? Norman Ellstrand examines these and other questions. He begins with basic information about the natural hybridization process. He then describes what we now know about hybridization between the world's most important crops—such as wheat, rice, maize, and soybeans—and their wild relatives. Such hybridization, Ellstrand explains, is not rare, and has occasionally had a substantial impact. In some cases, the result was problematic weeds. In others, crop genes have diluted natural diversity to the point that wild populations of certain rare species were absorbed into the gene pool of the more common crop, essentially bringing the wild species to the brink of extinction.

Ellstrand concludes with a look to the future. Will engineered crops pose a greater threat than traditional crops? If so, can gene flow and hybridization be managed to control the escape of engineered genes? This book will appeal to academics, policy makers, students, and all with an interest in environmental issues. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Concise Reference
This is an excellent text and reference about the study and examination of soils. Some chapters are difficult to read but all are packed with great information about the study of soils. The classification of soils is covered in depth with the USDA Soil Taxonomy system and less throughly with other systems. The figures and tables included are pertinent and relevant. I'd ask for more figures and tables to help illustrate topics covered in the text. Additional comparisons and analysis between classification systems would also be welcome for advanced studies of soils and environmental issues.
Still 5 stars for it's class! ... Read more

Book Description

This book presents current knowledge of seed fate in both natural and human-disturbed landscapes, from various regions of the world. Habitats considered range from mountain and arid deserts in the temperate zone, to savanna and lowland rainforests in tropical regions of the world. Particular attention is paid to plant diversity conservation when seed removal is affected by factors such as hunting, habitat fragmentation or intensive logging. Contributors include leading scientists involved in research on seed ecoloy and on animal-plant relationships from the perspective of secondary seed dispersal and predation. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Ignore Ramarom's review
If you read Ramarom's review, you might notice that it is overly critical and does not offer any alternative works to support his/her viewpoints. You can also click on Ramarom's link to read his/her other reviews. They are uniformly critical. They all maintain that the books are out of date and would not be used by a sensible grower. However, Ramarom does nothing to inform the reader of how to find quality books. Rest assured, Mel Frank's books are fine, his methods sound. I don't know what Ramarom's agenda is, but it does not appear to be to help growers.

Read the date carefully - 1989.
This is 2001. What you get is a book that is not up to date on cannabis growing techniques and procedures. So make sure that you know this before you buy this book. But it gets worse......let me think back to 1990 when I got this book. I can tell you that it was not even up to date back then. This is a PROBLEM will Mel Frank's books. They are old and dated and not followed up on. Because cannabis growing was somewhat new to these people and because of laws banning cannabis production in the U.S, you can guess that these guys did not have a lot of information to play around with. What you get is the best that they could offer at the time, but unfortunately I would really have to invite you to consider the fact that this writer is just a writer and not a good grower. That is probably the reality of the situation too. Maybe he does a great deal of research or maybe he has tried to do his best, but his words do not work out in practice. This book, much like his other works, contains information that is not correct, not factual and will not help you grow a good plant. What you will get is some very basic information on growing that will cause you to make mistakes. Learning comes through experience but at the same time when people try to sell you information like this, they should at least try to get the basics right. They have not done this and even worse, the book's growing advice is not good.

If you ask the cannabis growing community about writers like Mel Frank they will tell you that they got the book, read it, tried it and then went to seek help from someone who knew what to do. This has been the backbone for major complaints that the growing community has had about this book. That it seems to have been written by somebody who does not grow, or does not grow well and that is the bottom line about this book.

When you read reviews from people who are praising this book and other Mel Frank books you might consider the fact that they have never actually applied his words to practice or have seen what proper well produced cannabis plants look like in reality. Mel Frank is very popular among 16 year olds who show this book to their friends, and really that is the books market. It is for teenagers who like to read books about pot. If you want to learn how to grow cannabis and are serious about growing a nice plant or two in your garden or indoors, then find something else other than this book. This book will not give you a proper grounding in basic cannabis growing.

Clear, concise, authoritative.
A more apt title would be the marijuana grower's bible. You would imagine that a weed would lend itself to cultivation, even by the most stoned and inept among us, but its not so simple. Mel Frank, God bless him, has laid it all out for you, so you can start and produce quickly, avoiding the pitfalls that any novice would make. If the subject interests you, then this book will enthrall you.

A complete, concise guide for everything you need to know.
I had never grown before. I borrowed this book from a friend that highly recommended it. He was not wrong this book leads you through every step of the process. It covers indoor and outdoor growing along with all methods used to produce a crop. It starts by telling you how to select your seeds which was some much needed insight! This enabled me to produce a higher percentage of females. I am an outdoor grower yet it has all the information to set up light, irrigation, and care taking system for indoor growing and hydro. It gives you suggestions on what types of lights to use and how to arrange them (large or small operation). Soil mixes are also discussed and how to aquire the needed ingredients. The book provides practically a step-by-step approach to maintaining your crop. From the germination to harvest stages. I am now on my third year of bountiful crop production all because of this book. Mel Frank has really outdone himself on this one!

Concise, thorough, full of good information. Get it!
This book is the preferred title for anyone, novice or expert, growing indoors. Well written, detailed, and from an unimpeachable source. This book contains all the info. you might need to successfully bring C. Sativa to healthy maturity. Highly recommended ... Read more

Book Description

Creeping Bentgrass Management presents a difficult management problem throughout the summer season. This complex dilemma is related to numerous and often interrelated factors such as: extreme air and soil temperatures, drought or excessively wet soils, dense thatch or organic mats, mechanical and other physical stresses, improper management practices, the misuse of chemicals, and other physical stresses. The goal of this useful manual—complete with helpful color photographs—is to give golf course superintendents practical tools to better understand the many stress factors that contribute to the creeping bentgrass decline complex. It will help you pinpoint problems, and implement cultural and chemical solutions to maintain the integrity of your course. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Most comprehensive bentgrass management book available!
This is the most comprehensive book dealing with creeping bentgrass management. The author covers all aspects of bentgrass management from disease identification, management and control to the control of annual bluegrass with various growth regulators and chemicals. Unlike other books, however, this one talks about common problems that arise that are mistaken for disease issues and lead to the application of wasted chemicals. If you are a golf course superintendent or a turf student there are two books that you must have; The Turf Compendium and this one. You will not be disappointed.

The Turf Guy ... Read more

Book Description

This volume is a comprehensive reference to the diseases that attack bananas, including plantains, and the closely related abaca and enset. It covers fungal, bacterial, viral, and nematode diseases and includes chapters on postharvest diseases, nutritional deficiencies, injury, genetic abnormalities, and breeding for disease resistance. ... Read more

Book Description

Willow Creek Press is proud to bring back to print Bradford Angier's classic One Acre & Security: How To Live Off the Earth without Ruining It. First published in 1972, Angier (deceased) is one of the pre-eminent voices of the back-to-the-earth movement. One Acre & Security is a book for all those who have dreamed of living close to the earth, not in the wilderness, but on land within easy driving distance of the city or suburbs. It begins by explaining what sort of land to look for, where to look and how to make sure of land titles. It goes on to discuss organic gardening on one acre of land, raising herbs for money and bees for honey, growing grapes, making wine, juice and jellies, and drying raisins. For the more serious back-to-the-earther, there are sections on how to build a house, keep cows, goats, sheep, pigs and poultry, raise rabbits, earthworms, fish, frogs and turtles, and how to find the best hunting and fishing. Angier's text is as useful and thorough today as it was 30 years ago, and deserves to be on the shelves of a new generation of back-to-earthers. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

A classic on how to live in the country and off the land
Bradford Angier's One Acre & Security provides a classic on how to live in the country and off the land without ruining it.It first appeared in 1972 and was one of the forerunners of the back-to-earth movement: here it returns to offer new audiences discussions on organic gardening, how to build a house and keep animals, and how to live in the country. ... Read more

Book Description

During the past 100 years, the worldwide yields of cereals and grains, such as rice and wheat, have increased dramatically.Indeed, since the 1950s, the influence of plant breeding science on modern agriculture has been trumpeted as the "Green Revolution".But every revolution is not without consequence, and in the West, the reverberations of the Green Revolution include a complex co-dependency between people and their national appetite for wheat.Geopolitics and the Green Revolution examines this tenuous relationship by exploring the political ecology of wheat breeding in developed countries such as the U.S., India, Britain, and Mexico.Through a detailed study of the history of the Green Revolution, this provocative work stimulates questions about the sustainability of agriculture and the future of human population growth. ... Read more