Book Description

Harvested Forages deals with the subject of food for domestic animal feeding. Such food is called "forage" and includes things like alfalfa and other plants usually referred to as "hay." Topics include the ways that this forage is produced, how it is harvested, and ways that it should be stored. Other issues that are dealt with include various criteria and measurement procedures for assessing forage nutritive quality, potential health hazards associated with particular plants and plant toxins, and various issues of plant growth, pest control, and soil fertility--among other topics. This book is essential for any institution with a strong program in range sciences, animal sciences, animal feeding and nutrition, and related programs.

Key Features
* Synthesizes and summarizes a vast and widely dispersed literature in animal science
* Serves as a reference for managers of harvested forages as well as all those involved with the forage production industry ... Read more

Book Description

*Exposes the massive hidden health and environmental costs of rampant pesticide use *Presents an array of cheaper, safer alternatives to pesticides used by millions of farmers around the world *Written by leading international agricultural and biological scientists supported by The Global Integrated Pest Management Facility of the FAOSince the 1960s the world’s population has more than doubled and agricultural production per person has increased by a third, largely because of widespread pesticide use. Yet this growth in production has masked enormous hidden costs -- massive ecological damage and high incidences of farmer poising and chronic health effects. Yet in recent years millions of farmers in communities around the world have been identifying harmful pesticides and developing cheaper and safer alternatives. "The Pesticide Detox" explores the potential for the phasing-out of hazardous pesticides and the phasing-in of cost effective alternatives already available on the market. This book makes clear that it is time to start the pesticide detox and to move towards a more sustainable agriculture. ... Read more

Book Description

Written by experts from across the globe, Herbicide Resistance and World Grains evaluates the weed and herbicide management systems in major world grain crops such as soybean, maize, rice, and canola. The book examines the impact of transgenic crops and new technology on resistance management. It provides background information and offers practical guidelines for the management of herbicide resistant weeds with an emphasis on a systems approach.This book provides the how-tos of managing herbicide resistant weed populations in the major grain crops. The authors also explore the sociological and agronomic factors affecting farmers' adaptation of herbicide resistance management systems. With this in mind, they suggest that the recommended guidelines be global in scope but also applicable at local levels.Containing the most up-to-date information on the genetics and mechanisms of resistance, the book also includes models that can be used to make informed decisions on management alternatives and financial analysis of the cost and an update of the regulatory aspects of resistance management. Other books on this subject merely document the extent and spread of resistance but provide little information on what to do about it. Herbicide Resistance and World Grains contains practical solutions that can be used by researchers and practitioners alike. ... Read more

Book Description

The range of pressures affecting farmers has increased significantly in recent times.Produce must meet escalating quality requirements, while competition demands heightened productivity. At the same time, the community demands that farmers maintain the natural resource base of the land of which they are custodians and that they minimize chemical treatments and fertilizers. Principles of Field Crop Production concentrates on today's principles of farming and addresses the issues of raising productivity and environmental management.The book also endeavors to put crop production in a broader perspective by addressing issues such as socioeconomic aspects and crop improvement. This third edition updates information on numerous crops, and provides new insights into farming systems and modern breeding methods such as genetic engineering. The text continues to fill an important role for students of agronomy and their teachers.It is also an important reference book for research workers and for others involved or interested in agriculture. ... Read more

Book Description

This is one book no turf manager should be without! Turfgrass Soil Fertility and Chemical Problems is the best single-source, practical management tool that will help you overcome every fertility management challenge you face!

Fertilization is perhaps the key component of a successful turfgrass management program and yet few books, seminars or academic programs approach this critical topic from a field-application perspective. Until now! Turfgrass Soil Fertility and Chemical Problems addresses how to establish a sound fertilization program in a problem-solving manner that not only presents detailed scientific principles, but also applies them to practical management. ... Read more

Book Description

Gain state-of-the-art knowledge of new research and developments in transgenic technology!

Genetically Modified Crops: Their Development, Uses, and Risks provides groundbreaking information on the integration of foreign DNA into the nucleus of a plant cell to produce a positive transformation. This volume details methods of gene delivery, laboratory tools and techniques to increase success rates, and the benefits, risks, and limitations of these methods. Authors at the forefront of this developing technology provide a comprehensive overview of transgenic crops and vital research on specific plant genera that have undergone transgenic transformation.

Agricultural biotechnology has become a national and necessary mainstay of farming and food production, and this book is an important scientific tool to keep you informed of the latest protocols of genetic transformation. This book also outlines the goals that scientists are striving to reach, such as targeted gene expression where the gene only expresses itself at a certain time in the plant’s life cycle, but disappear before human consumption. One of the greatest concerns is maintaining the welfare of the consumer, and in this volume the authors repeatedly discuss their findings in terms of safety for human consumption.

With Genetically Modified Crops: Their Development, Uses, and Risks, you’ll explore:

the history of crop transformation and the techniques most commonly used for gene delivery, including biolistic bombardment and Agrobacterium-mediated transformation
various methods of determining successful gene transfer in putative transgenic plants, such as blotting, functional assaying, and progeny testing
the utilization of recombinase-directed plant transformation to improve faithful and consistent gene delivery and transference
the successful reproduction of an insecticidal protein from chicken eggs in transgenic corn—and its benefits to society
the current status of risk assessment and examples of incidents that have raised the level of concern about genetically modified plants outside the lab

This book also contains several chapters about current methods of transformation involving specific crops such as:

cotton
wheat
alfalfa
sorghum
rice
and more!

Genetically Modified Crops: Their Development, Uses, and Risks is an indispensable guidebook for agronomists, plant and molecular geneticists, and students in agronomy, genetics, entomology, horticulture, and plant pathology. This manual is also useful to concerned consumers who wish to know the latest scientific findings on genetically modified crops. Complete with references, figures, and photographs, this book is a must-read to keep up to date with science and technology. ... Read more

Book Description

This invaluable resource introduces the eleven types of organism that cause plant disease, ranging from higher plants to viroids and describes examples of cash and staple crop diseases that have caused human catastrophes. Early chapters cover serological and molecular techniques for the diagnosis of plant pathogens, epidemiology, methods for estimating disease severity and its effect on crop yields and techniques for limiting inoculum. Later chapters are concerned with colonisation of the plant and symptom development and the underlying biochemical and genetic factors that control these events. Finally, the control of plant disease using a variety of techniques including genetic modification is discussed.

• Modern diagnostic techniques
• Epidemiology and the measurement of disease severity
• The biochemistry and molecular biology of plant disease
• Control through cultural, biological, genetic and molecular techniques
• A wealth of examples and applications including full colour photographs

... Read more

Reviews (1)

Sustainable Soils
A must have book for anyone that deals with soils for a living.

The vast amount of usable knowledge contained in this book is impressive. Even though the information is highly technical the book is structured so that it is easy to understand. Covers most, if not all, areas that will be encountered by someone in agronomy.

John Rowland
Turfgrass Management Consultant ... Read more

Book Description

The aim of this book series is to familiarize scientists, students and the general public with exciting new discoveries and developments in rice genomics. Leading scientists in rice genomics and related fields are invited to write articles in a cohesive format that appeals to both researchers and laypersons with an interest in genomics and biotechnology. The first volume provides the background information and highlights the major achievements in rice genomics; ongoing developments in this exciting field are also discussed. This volume promotes genomics as a holistic approach to rice research and genetic engineering. The chief editor of the series is Prof Huanming Yang of the Beijing Genomics Institute. As one of the most distinguished scientists in rice research today, Prof Yang led a team of researchers who successfully sequenced and analyzed the draft sequence of the indica rice subspecies. In Vol 1 of the series, he co-authors an article entitled "An International Campaign for Agricultural and Livestock Genomics". ... Read more