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Author : C. R. W. Spedding
Publisher :
ISBN 13 : 9780126565508
Total Pages : 280 pages
Book Rating : 4.5/5 (655 download)
Download or read book The Biology of Agricultural Systems written by C. R. W. Spedding and published by . This book was released on 1975 with total page 280 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Author : Nicola Randall
Publisher : Oxford University Press, USA
ISBN 13 : 0198737521
Total Pages : 209 pages
Book Rating : 4.1/5 (987 download)
Download or read book The Biology of Agroecosystems written by Nicola Randall and published by Oxford University Press, USA. This book was released on 2019-10-10 with total page 209 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Since the advent of agriculture approximately 12,000 years ago, human activity has created a unique set of ecosystems. However, the recent development of world markets, rapid technological advances, and other changes to farming practices have led to hugely increased pressures on farm habitats and organisms. Global human populations are rising and diets are becoming ever more complicated, leading to unrelenting requirements for increased levels of food production. Natural biotopes are becoming increasingly fragmented as agricultural activities expand around them. "Agroecosystems" now occur from the tropics to subarctic environments and comprise systems as varied as annual crops, perennial grasslands, orchards, and agroforestry systems. They presently cover almost 40% of the terrestrial land surface and significantly shape landscapes at a global scale. This key addition to the OUP Biology of Habitats Series provides a novel perspective on agroecosystems, summarising our current understanding of the basic and applied aspects of these important and complex habitats, whilst focusing on environmental concerns in the context of global change. The Biology of Agroecosystemsis is for both senior undergraduate and graduate students taking courses in agroecology, farmland ecology, conservation, and agriculture as well as the many professional ecologists, conservation biologists, and land managers requiring a concise overview of agroecology.
Author : C. Spedding
Publisher : Springer Science & Business Media
ISBN 13 : 9401164088
Total Pages : 197 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (11 download)
Download or read book An Introduction to Agricultural Systems written by C. Spedding and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2012-12-06 with total page 197 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: It would have been very easy to expand on all the sections of the first edition but I decided to try to retain the relatively short, introductory nature of the book. Some new material has been added, particularly where it has been possible to update data, and there has been some change of emphasis in places, in order to reflect changing world conditions. The book retains its original purpose, however, of introducing systems thinking as applied to agriculture. I am grateful to Angela Hoxey for help in preparing this edition, especially in relation to the preparation of tables and figures. C. R. W. SPEDDING v Preface to the First Edition The agricultural systems of the world represent a very large subject. Their study involves a great deal of fairly detailed knowledge, as well as a grasp of the structures and functions of the systems themselves. This book has been written as an introduction to such a study and it concentrates on an overall view, rather than on the detail, partly because of the need to relate the latter to some larger picture in order to appreciate the relevance and significance of the detail. This problem-of seeing the relevance of component studies and the significance of physical, biological and economic detail, and indeed principles-is encountered by many agricultural students right at the beginning of their university careers.
Author : Sieglinde Snapp
Publisher : Academic Press
ISBN 13 : 0128020954
Total Pages : 558 pages
Book Rating : 4.1/5 (28 download)
Download or read book Agricultural Systems: Agroecology and Rural Innovation for Development written by Sieglinde Snapp and published by Academic Press. This book was released on 2017-02-17 with total page 558 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Agricultural Systems, Second Edition, is a comprehensive text for developing sustainable farming systems. It presents a synthetic overview of the emerging area of agroecology applications to transforming farming systems and supporting rural innovation, with particular emphasis on how research can be harnessed for sustainable agriculture. The inclusion of research theory and examples using the principles of cropping system design allows students to gain a unique understanding of the technical, biological, ecological, economic and sociological aspects of farming systems science for rural livelihoods. This book explores topics such as: re-inventing farming systems; principles and practice of agroecology; agricultural change and low-input technology; ecologically-based nutrient management; participatory breeding for developing improved and relevant crops; participatory livestock research for development; gender and agrarian inequality at the local scale; the nature of agricultural innovation; and outreach to support rural innovation. The extensive coverage of subjects is complemented with integrated references and a companion website, making this book essential reading for courses in international agricultural systems and management, sustainable agricultural management, and cropping systems. This book will be a valuable resource for students of agricultural science, environmental engineering, and rural planning; researchers and scientists in agricultural development agencies; and practitioners of agricultural development in government extension programs, development agencies, and NGOs. Provides students with an enhanced understanding of how research can be harnessed for sustainable agriculture Incorporates social, biological, chemical, and geographical aspects important to agroecology Addresses social and development issues related to farming systems
Author : National Research Council
Publisher : National Academies Press
ISBN 13 : 0309148960
Total Pages : 598 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (91 download)
Download or read book Toward Sustainable Agricultural Systems in the 21st Century written by National Research Council and published by National Academies Press. This book was released on 2010-07-25 with total page 598 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In the last 20 years, there has been a remarkable emergence of innovations and technological advances that are generating promising changes and opportunities for sustainable agriculture, yet at the same time the agricultural sector worldwide faces numerous daunting challenges. Not only is the agricultural sector expected to produce adequate food, fiber, and feed, and contribute to biofuels to meet the needs of a rising global population, it is expected to do so under increasingly scarce natural resources and climate change. Growing awareness of the unintended impacts associated with some agricultural production practices has led to heightened societal expectations for improved environmental, community, labor, and animal welfare standards in agriculture. Toward Sustainable Agricultural Systems in the 21st Century assesses the scientific evidence for the strengths and weaknesses of different production, marketing, and policy approaches for improving and reducing the costs and unintended consequences of agricultural production. It discusses the principles underlying farming systems and practices that could improve the sustainability. It also explores how those lessons learned could be applied to agriculture in different regional and international settings, with an emphasis on sub-Saharan Africa. By focusing on a systems approach to improving the sustainability of U.S. agriculture, this book can have a profound impact on the development and implementation of sustainable farming systems. Toward Sustainable Agricultural Systems in the 21st Century serves as a valuable resource for policy makers, farmers, experts in food production and agribusiness, and federal regulatory agencies.
Author : J.G.W. Jones
Publisher : Springer Science & Business Media
ISBN 13 : 9781851665105
Total Pages : 394 pages
Book Rating : 4.6/5 (651 download)
Download or read book Systems Theory Applied to Agriculture and the Food Chain written by J.G.W. Jones and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 1990-09-30 with total page 394 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Biological and physiological systems: animal sciences. Plant-animal interactions in northern temperate sown grasslands and semi-natural vegetation. Exploitation of the systems approach in technical design of agricultural enterprises. Application of systems theory to farm planning and control: modelling resource allocation. Optimising the mixture of enterprises in a farming system. Farming systems research-extension. Food policy and food security planning: institutional approaches to modelling grain markets and food security in Sub-Saharn Africa. A systems view of commercial supply and marketing links. Agroecosystems. Understanding and managing changes in agriculture. Agricultural sector modelling for policy development. Of agricultural systems and systems agriculture: systems methodologies in agricultural education. Extension education: Top(s) Down, Bottom(s) Up and Other Things.
Author : National Research Council
Publisher : National Academies Press
ISBN 13 : 030930783X
Total Pages : 444 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (93 download)
Download or read book A Framework for Assessing Effects of the Food System written by National Research Council and published by National Academies Press. This book was released on 2015-06-17 with total page 444 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: How we produce and consume food has a bigger impact on Americans' well-being than any other human activity. The food industry is the largest sector of our economy; food touches everything from our health to the environment, climate change, economic inequality, and the federal budget. From the earliest developments of agriculture, a major goal has been to attain sufficient foods that provide the energy and the nutrients needed for a healthy, active life. Over time, food production, processing, marketing, and consumption have evolved and become highly complex. The challenges of improving the food system in the 21st century will require systemic approaches that take full account of social, economic, ecological, and evolutionary factors. Policy or business interventions involving a segment of the food system often have consequences beyond the original issue the intervention was meant to address. A Framework for Assessing Effects of the Food System develops an analytical framework for assessing effects associated with the ways in which food is grown, processed, distributed, marketed, retailed, and consumed in the United States. The framework will allow users to recognize effects across the full food system, consider all domains and dimensions of effects, account for systems dynamics and complexities, and choose appropriate methods for analysis. This report provides example applications of the framework based on complex questions that are currently under debate: consumption of a healthy and safe diet, food security, animal welfare, and preserving the environment and its resources. A Framework for Assessing Effects of the Food System describes the U.S. food system and provides a brief history of its evolution into the current system. This report identifies some of the real and potential implications of the current system in terms of its health, environmental, and socioeconomic effects along with a sense for the complexities of the system, potential metrics, and some of the data needs that are required to assess the effects. The overview of the food system and the framework described in this report will be an essential resource for decision makers, researchers, and others to examine the possible impacts of alternative policies or agricultural or food processing practices.
Author : John Vandermeer
Publisher : Jones & Bartlett Learning
ISBN 13 : 0763771538
Total Pages : 404 pages
Book Rating : 4.7/5 (637 download)
Download or read book The Ecology of Agroecosystems written by John Vandermeer and published by Jones & Bartlett Learning. This book was released on 2011 with total page 404 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Agroecology is the science of applying ecological concepts and principles to the design, development, and management of sustainable agricultural systems. The Ecology of Agroecosystems highlights a collection of alternative agricultural methodologies and philosophies and provides an interdisciplinary approach that bridges the sociopolitical and historical context of agriculture. It includes the technical issues in a serious and ecological fashion and captures the complex merging of ecology, agriculture, politics and economics in both a historical and contemporary context. Readers will learn not only about the ethical and moral elements related to producing food of questionable quality while possibly impairing the environment, but also about the soil chemistry involved.
Author : Doris Zúñiga-Dávila
Publisher : Springer
ISBN 13 : 3030175979
Total Pages : 256 pages
Book Rating : 4.0/5 (31 download)
Download or read book Microbial Probiotics for Agricultural Systems written by Doris Zúñiga-Dávila and published by Springer. This book was released on 2019-07-16 with total page 256 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The book is a comprehensive compilation of the most recent advances in the practical approach of the use of microbial probiotics for agriculture. Unlike the rest of the publications about biofertilizers, this book bridges the gap between the lab studies (molecular, physiological, omics, etc.) and the agronomic application.
Author : Gero Benckiser
Publisher : CRC Press
ISBN 13 : 9781574445893
Total Pages : 472 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (458 download)
Download or read book Biodiversity In Agricultural Production Systems written by Gero Benckiser and published by CRC Press. This book was released on 2006-07-19 with total page 472 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: While modern science has always recognized the central role that biodiversity plays in the ecological processes that maintain the Earth's equilibrium, our increasing knowledge of nature has deepened our appreciation of this principle. Consequently, those involved with implementing and maintaining sustainable agriculture systems have begun to take a far more sophisticated approach to understanding and making use of the components and mechanics of biodiversity. Providing a comprehensive and highly practical exploration of the subject, Biodiversity in Agricultural Production Systems examines abiotic ecosystem diversity and biological complexity at every relevant level. Leading researchers detail subspecies diversity, covering ecotypes, lifecycles, genes, physiology, and behavior. They also discuss species richness and supraspecies diversity, which includes foodweb interactions and non-trophic relationships, as well as above- and belowground relationships. Exploring various facets of agricultural crops and cultivation practices, this inter-disciplinary volume- Gives an overview of the pore space dynamic in agroecosystems where most soil microorganisms reside, including bacteria, fungi, protozoa, nematodes, and Tardigrada Examines the highly diverse and prominent role played by earthworms Looks at the metabolic processes occurring in soils that result in the release of greenhouse gases Outlines principles and strategies of order between interacting molecules, cells, species and communities Looks at mechanisms of competition, exploring growth regulation, transformation, and feeding strategies, as well as toxin production, mutation, and biofilm formation Discusses matter recycling and the diversity of microbial metabolism in soils Shows how long-term observation plots are used to assess soil quality Biodiversity in Agricultural Production Systems provides important information for those involved with researching and implementing sustainable agricultural systems, as well as those addressing specific challenges related to soil degradation, water management, and climatic impacts. It also provides recent research and fresh perspectives to enhance the approaches of those working in horticulture, biology, and the environmental sciences.
Author : National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine
Publisher : National Academies Press
ISBN 13 : 0309473926
Total Pages : 243 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (94 download)
Download or read book Science Breakthroughs to Advance Food and Agricultural Research by 2030 written by National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine and published by National Academies Press. This book was released on 2019-04-21 with total page 243 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: For nearly a century, scientific advances have fueled progress in U.S. agriculture to enable American producers to deliver safe and abundant food domestically and provide a trade surplus in bulk and high-value agricultural commodities and foods. Today, the U.S. food and agricultural enterprise faces formidable challenges that will test its long-term sustainability, competitiveness, and resilience. On its current path, future productivity in the U.S. agricultural system is likely to come with trade-offs. The success of agriculture is tied to natural systems, and these systems are showing signs of stress, even more so with the change in climate. More than a third of the food produced is unconsumed, an unacceptable loss of food and nutrients at a time of heightened global food demand. Increased food animal production to meet greater demand will generate more greenhouse gas emissions and excess animal waste. The U.S. food supply is generally secure, but is not immune to the costly and deadly shocks of continuing outbreaks of food-borne illness or to the constant threat of pests and pathogens to crops, livestock, and poultry. U.S. farmers and producers are at the front lines and will need more tools to manage the pressures they face. Science Breakthroughs to Advance Food and Agricultural Research by 2030 identifies innovative, emerging scientific advances for making the U.S. food and agricultural system more efficient, resilient, and sustainable. This report explores the availability of relatively new scientific developments across all disciplines that could accelerate progress toward these goals. It identifies the most promising scientific breakthroughs that could have the greatest positive impact on food and agriculture, and that are possible to achieve in the next decade (by 2030).
Author : R. S. Loomis
Publisher : Cambridge University Press
ISBN 13 : 9780521387767
Total Pages : 560 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (877 download)
Download or read book Crop Ecology written by R. S. Loomis and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 1992-10-08 with total page 560 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book is centred on the 'production processes' of crops and pastures - photosynthesis and use of water and nutrients in fields. The book is unique in its combination of great breadth and depth in its treatment of production processes and systems problems. The approach is explanatory and integrative, with a firm basis in environmental physics, soils, physiology, and morphology, in contrast to descriptive or reductionist approaches. Systems concepts are introduced early and expanded as the book proceeds, giving emphasis to quantitative approaches, to management strategies and tactics employed by farmers, and to environmental issues. The systems approach is brought together in the final chapters where production and nutrient cycling are analyzed, for example farms and problems in an uncertain future are considered. The book is based on courses taught by the authors in Australia and the United States and is designed for use as a text for an introductory course in crop ecology (advanced undergraduates and beginning post-graduate level). It is more than a text, however. Given the wide range of subjects, the authors have integrated reference and background material to create a 'stand-alone' reference work useful to a wide audience of agriculturalists.
Author : Lynette K. Abbott
Publisher : Springer Science & Business Media
ISBN 13 : 140206618X
Total Pages : 267 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (2 download)
Download or read book Soil Biological Fertility written by Lynette K. Abbott and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2007-09-27 with total page 267 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: It is becoming more relevant to explore soil biological processes in terms of their contribution to soil fertility. This book presents a comprehensive scientific overview of the components and processes that underpin the biological characteristics of soil fertility. It highlights the enormous diversity of life in soil and the resulting effects that management of land can have on the contribution of this diverse community to soil fertility in an agricultural context.
Author : Eric Lichtfouse
Publisher : Springer Science & Business Media
ISBN 13 : 9400715218
Total Pages : 429 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (7 download)
Download or read book Genetics, Biofuels and Local Farming Systems written by Eric Lichtfouse and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2011-06-29 with total page 429 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Sustainable agriculture is a rapidly growing field aiming at producing food and energy in a sustainable way for our children. This discipline addresses current issues such as climate change, increasing food and fuel prices, starvation, obesity, water pollution, soil erosion, fertility loss, pest control and biodiversity depletion. Novel solutions are proposed based on integrated knowledge from agronomy, soil science, molecular biology, chemistry, toxicology, ecology, economy, philosophy and social sciences. As actual society issues are now intertwined, sustainable agriculture will bring solutions to build a safer world. This book series analyzes current agricultural issues and proposes alternative solutions, consequently helping all scientists, decision-makers, professors, farmers and politicians wishing to build safe agriculture, energy and food systems for future generations.
Author : Louise E. Buck
Publisher : CRC Press
ISBN 13 : 9781420049473
Total Pages : 434 pages
Book Rating : 4.0/5 (494 download)
Download or read book Agroforestry in Sustainable Agricultural Systems written by Louise E. Buck and published by CRC Press. This book was released on 1998-12-28 with total page 434 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Agroforestry in Sustainable Agricultural Systems examines the environmental and social conditions that affect the roles and performance of trees in field- and forest-based agricultural production systems. Various types of ecological settings for agroforestry are analyzed within temperate and tropical regions. The roles of soil, water, light, nutrient and pest management in mixed, annual, woody perennial and livestock systems are discussed. Important new case studies from around the world offer innovative strategies that have been used successfully in raising forests and tree products on a sustainable basis for commercial harvesting and for providing other environmental services in land conservation and watershed management.
Author : G.E. Dalton
Publisher : Springer Science & Business Media
ISBN 13 : 9400973551
Total Pages : 171 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (9 download)
Download or read book Managing Agricultural Systems written by G.E. Dalton and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2012-12-06 with total page 171 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A large proportion of the world's population is directly involved in agriculture, many of them as small businessmen. Each of these businessmen applies his skill and resources day in, day out, to produce food and raw materials. All of them to a greater or lesser extent operate in a changing environment to which they must adjust. Many aspects of the environments of agricultural institutions by the decisions of other people; in the marketplace, are influenced in ancillary industries, in research institutes and places of learning and in Government organisations that create and implement agricultural policy. Improvements in the quality of decisions made by those who manage all the various parts of the agricultural system can have a major impact on the quality of everyone's life. How can such improvements be achieved? This book is based on the belief that a grasp of concepts or principles can add a great deal to the understanding and management of agricultural systems of all kinds. It therefore attempts to transmit some ideas and observations about management in agriculture. It is not about techniques nor about the particular problems of a specific type of agriculture. Its aim is to promote reflection, thought and discussion by professional people whose decisions influence the performance of agricultural VII V11l PREFACE systems. As such, the book attempts to convey only the -central concepts of management in as simple a language as possible.
Author : Guillermo Flichman
Publisher : Springer Science & Business Media
ISBN 13 : 9400719027
Total Pages : 227 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (7 download)
Download or read book Bio-Economic Models applied to Agricultural Systems written by Guillermo Flichman and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2011-09-15 with total page 227 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book has the purpose of providing the "state of the arts" concerning bio-economic modelling dealing with agricultural systems. In most cases, the contributions use a methodology combining the use of biophysical and economic models, in all cases, an engineering production function approach is totally or partially applied. This practice is being developed in the last years as a response to concrete policy matters: agricultural policies are increasingly combined with environmental and natural resources policies, and this reality involves the need of an integrated assessment, that current economic models are not able to provide.
