Book Description

Advances in Agronomy continues to be recognized as a leading reference and a first-rate source of the latest research in agronomy. Major reviews deal with the current topics of interest to agronomists, as well as crop and soil scientists. As always, the subjects covered are varied and exemplary of the myriad subject matter dealt with by this long-running serial. Editor Donald Sparks, former president of the Soil Science Society of America and current president of the International Union of Soil Science, is the S. Hallock du Pont Chair of Plant and Soil Sciences at The University of Delaware.

Volume 81 contains five excellent reviews that discuss topics critical to agricultural and environmental sustainability.

Maintains the highest impact factor among serial publications in Agriculture
Presents timely reviews on important agronomy issues
Enjoys a long-standing reputation for excellence in the field ... Read more

Book Description

The World Bank’s Forests Strategy, adopted in October 2002, charts a path for the Bank’s proactive engagement in the sector to help attain the goal of poverty reduction without jeopardizing the environmental values intrinsic to sustainability. This strategy replaces the Bank’s 1991 Forestry Strategy, and was developed on the basis of the findings of an independent review of the 1991 strategy and a two-year consultative process with development partners and stakeholders around the world.

The revised strategy, Sustaining Forests, is built on three guiding pillars: harnessing the potential of forests to reduce poverty, integrating forests into sustainable economic development, and protecting global forest values. Recognizing the key role forests play in contributing to the livelihoods of people living in extreme poverty, government and local ownership of forest policies and interventions are emphasized along with the development of appropriate institutions to ensure good governance and the mainstreaming of forests into national development planning. The strategy also aims to support ecologically, socially and economically sound management of production forests by ensuring good management practices through application of safeguard procedures and independent monitoring and certification. Implementation of the strategy will center on building and strengthening partnerships with the private sector, non-governmental organizations, and other donor agencies to promote better forest conservation and management at country and global levels. ... Read more

Book Description

A range of powerful forces-increasing demand for wood, uncertain and decreasing supply, increasing environmental pressures, and growing markets for environmentally certified wood-are changing the way the forest products industry conducts business. Forward-thinking firms have recognized the significance of these forces and are developing a new business model, one that will not only sustain revenues, but can ensure the long-term health of the forests upon which the industry depends.

The Business of Sustainable Forestry integrates and analyzes a series of twenty-one case studies of industry leaders carried out by the Sustainable Forestry Working Group. The motivations of the pioneering firms studied are as varied as their characteristics, yet each has made significant progress. The authors of this book argue that the operations that have been most succeessful are those that have integrated sustainable forestry principles and practices into their overall corporate strategy. The book:

• describes the forces that are pushing the industry toward sustainability
• presents an overview of the new techniques and technologies that are making sustainable forestry more feasible than ever
• presents in clear, engaging prose company profiles that demonstrate both the promise of and the obstacles to sustainable forest management
• gives a clear-eyed look at practices such as certification and their capacity to transform the forest products market
• provides conclusions drawn from the cases by Stuart Hart of the University of North Carolina and Matt Arnold of the Management Institute for Environment and Business
• offers a succinct set of lessons learne.

Book Description

Production from tropical agricultural systems will need to increase to satisfy the rising food demand of an increasing population coupled with changes in consumption patterns. At the same time, the agricultural sector is a significant source of greenhouse gases (GHG) in many developing countries, which can be attributed mainly to land-use change and methane emissions from rice and livestock. But how can we reconcile less GHG emissions from tropical agricultural systems while increasing productivity?Due to the interactive nature of these issues, this book is compiled of articles on natural resource management, as well as the socio-economic aspects of GHG mitigation. The scope of mitigation options in tropical agriculture is discussed for three different activities: (a) agroforestry; (b) rice-based production systems; (c) pasture/animal husbandry.Agronomic solutions alone will not be sufficient, as the institutional and economic frameworks within which farmers operate dictate whether a recommended agronomic management practice is acceptable. The prevention of deforestation, and the re-forestation of degraded land, could become key elements to national climate protection programs of some developing countries. Alternative management practices in rice-based and pasture systems may offer win-win options to reduce emissions and improve resource-use efficiencies. ... Read more

Book Description

Through generations of innovation and experiment, smallholder farmers have nurtured a rich diversity of plants and animals, both wild and domesticated.This publication is based on the fieldwork of the United Nations University Project on People, Land Management and Environmental Change (PLEC), a project that studies how farmers use their knowledge and expertise to efficiently manage biodiversity and environmental resources.It highlights smallholder farmers’ positive experiences and draws lessons in support of agrobiodiversity. ... Read more

Book Description

What will people eat in the future and how can the food requirements in terms of quantity and quality be met? This EU-based study elucidates the need for a productivity level that will make agriculture competitive on the market and yet is reconciled with the need to manage natural resources and lands wisely. In this book the necessary changes for European agriculture from the biological, medical, economic and political perspective are discussed. ... Read more

Book Description

When Rudolf Steiner gave these lectures eighty years ago, industrial farming was on the rise and organic methods were being replaced in the name of science, efficiency, and technology. With the widespread alarm over food quality in recent years, and with the growth of the organic movement and its mainstream acceptance, perceptions are changing. The qualitative aspect of food is on the agenda again, and in this context Steiner’s only course of lectures on agriculture is critical to the current debate.

With these talks, Steiner created and launched "biodynamic" farming—a form of agriculture that has come to be regarded as the best organically produced food. However, the agriculture Steiner speaks of here is much more than organic—it involves working with the cosmos, with the earth, and with spiritual beings. To facilitate this, Steiner prescribes specific "preparations" for the soil, as well as other distinct methods born from his profound understanding of the material and spiritual worlds. He presents a comprehensive picture of the complex dynamic relationships at work in nature and gives basic indications of the practical measures needed to bring them into full play.

These lectures are reprinted here in the "classic" translation made by Rudolf Steiner's English interpreter, George Adams. This edition also features a preface by Steiner's colleague the medical doctor Ehrenfried Pfeiffer, as well as eight color plates.

This is the course that began the biodynamic movement. This is the essential work for anyone wanting to understand and use Steiner's methods of food production. ... Read more

Book Description

Weed control demands time, labor and expense for every farmer every year. Steel in the Field shows how today's implements and techniques can control weeds while reducing -- or eliminating -- herbicides. In practical language, the 128-page book presents what farmers and researchers have learned in the last 20 years about cutting weed-control costs through improved cultivation tools, cover crops and new cropping rotations.

This is the first tool-centered book to combine farmer experience, commercial agricultural engineering expertise and university research. It directly tackles the hard questions of how to comply with erosion-prevention plans, how to remain profitable and how to manage residue and moisture loss.

Farmers -- 22 of them -- do a lot of the talking, sharing their struggles and successes with tools, weeds, herbicides and cropping systems. Their advice ranges from the specific -- setting mini-disks 0.75 inches deep and 2 inches away from 2-inch tall plants -- to the general, such as one farmer's estimate of the correct speed for using his coil-tine weeder: "As fast as you can hang on is fine."This book is a must for anyone looking to reduce or replace pesticide inputs. Index, contact list, detailed illustrations and tool source list included. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Real-life, onfarm agricultural experts explain weed control.
This book addresses the four main concerns that farmers have about mechanical weed control: cost, effectiveness, dependability and soil impact. The field equipment sections are the most descriptive that I have ever seen.

Farmer wisdom and experience are at the heart of this book.
Now you don't have to embarrass yourself at the coffee shop asking questions you feel you shouldn't have to ask about the basics of mechanical weed control. ... Read more

Book Description

In recent years, the blue orchard bee (BOB) has become established as an alternative orchard pollinator in North America. With a strong preference for fruit trees, BOBs are highly efficient pollinators; in fact, just 250-300 females will pollinate an entire acre of apples or almonds. BOBs forage and pollinate under cloudy skies and at lower temperatures than most other bees. They are easy to manage and rarely sting.

To learn how to manage BOBs for successful orchard pollination, consult this guide from the USDA-ARS Bee Biology and Systematics Laboratory. Learn about:BOB natural history

Building nesting materials Rearing and wintering populations Field management for maximum pollinationDeterring parasites and predators ... Read more

Book Description

The Basics of Permaculture Design, first published in Australia in 1996, is an excellent introduction to the principles of permaculture, design processes, and the tools needed for designing sustainable gardens, farms, and larger communities.

Packed with useful tips, clear illustrations, and a wealth of experience, it guides you through designs for gardens, urban and rural properties, water harvesting systems, animal systems, permaculture in small spaces like balconies and patios, farms, schools, and ecovillages. This is both a do-it-yourself guide for the enthusiast and a useful reference for permaculture designers. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

A bit scant on any new ideas
Ross Mars does approach the subject from an assumption of complete ignorence from his readers, so he doesn't write over anyone's head- which is good, but it really seems a bit redundant to write yet anotherintroduction to permaculture. not a bad book, but you might as well spendyour money on something a little less superficial. (ie. Mollison's books;even Rosemary Morrow is a bit more thorough) ... Read more

Book Description

This comprehensive volume outlines the principles and methods of sustainable forestry, which is defined as using forest lands to maintain the biodiversity, productivity, and regeneration capacity of the forest ecosystems to fulfill the ecological, economic, and social functions of forests without damaging other ecosystems. The book describes the functioning and structure of forest ecosystems and world forest resources, the ecological basis of forest management, the principles and main practices applied to in management, the main properties of timber, the procurement and measurement of timber, and the role of the forest industry in the context of a national economy. ... Read more

Book Description

Advances in Agronomy continues to be recognized as a leading reference and a first-rate source of the latest research in agronomy. Major reviews deal with the current topics of interest to agronomists, as well as crop and soil scientists. As always, the subjects covered are varied and exemplary of the myriad subject matter dealt with by this long-running serial. Editor Donald Sparks, former president of the Soil Science Society of America and current president of the International Union of Soil Science, is the S. Hallock du Pont Chair of Plant and Soil Sciences at The University of Delaware.

Volume 85 contains seven excellent reviews that discuss topics critical to agricultural and environmental sustainability.

* Maintains the highest impact factor among serial publications in Agriculture
* Presents timely reviews on important agronomy issues
* Enjoys a long-standing reputation for excellence in the field ... Read more