Microorganisms are a good indicator of soil health. Plant growth-promoting microorganisms protect plants from the stresses of water, salt, metal, biotic, and so on, and are well known for strategically modulating the plant mechanisms to defend and mitigate environmental stresses. Taking a multidisciplinary approach, this volume explores the role of plant microorganisms in ecological and agricul…
This book covers the main effects of agriculture practices on soil degradation in several countries from Africa, America, Asia, and Oceania, and it elucidates the impact of chemical agents on soil quality, namely, the use of fertilizers, herbicides, pesticides, soil acidification and microplastics pollution. In these continents, a large number of the population depend on agriculture, which sets…
The 4th edition of Building Soils for Better Crops is a one-of-a-kind, practical guide to ecological soil management. It provides step-by-step information on soil-improving practices as well as in-depth background―from what soil is to the importance of organic matter. It will show you how different physical, chemical and biological factors of the soil interconnect, and how management practice…
This collection of papers offers technical analyses, policy recommendations and an overview of success stories to date. Each carefully selected paper provides valuable insights for improved policy making and defines relevant strategic priorities on Africa’s sustainable transformation process, which is in line with the international development agenda. Although agriculture remains the main sou…
This book contains research and review works focused on agricultural engineering technologies and applications. In this regard, including agricultural storage, quality evaluation of fruits, evaporative cooling and desiccant systems, solar coffee roasting, solar yogurt processing, greenhouse environment, greenhouse ventilation, greenhouse thermal requirements, aquaculture production system, bior…
In The Vegetable Garden Problem Solver Handbook, author and veggie-growing guru Susan Mulvihill of YouTube’s Susan’s in the Garden is ready to set you up for long-term success in the vegetable garden. In these pages, Susan hands you all the info you need to stand firm against plant diseases, viruses, disorders, stressors, and even animal pests, and to do it without having to turn to harsh s…
A recent study suggests 38% of British adults use their gardens to grow herbs and vegetables. But with the ever-growing pressure of balancing family life with a career, a lot of today's green-fingered gardeners simply lack time for vegetable growing. Huw is on a mission to change that! Whatever your horticultural hopes may be, Huw Richards brings you a veg-growing guide that is sure to shape …
In The Vegetable Garden Pest Handbook, you’ll find the simple, straightforward resources and tools you need to identify common pests of edible gardens and manage them without the use of synthetic chemical pesticides. Climate change and newly introduced insect pests are changing the world of gardening. Pests that once produced a single generation per year are now producing two or even three, …
For more than 65 years, Knott’s Handbook for Vegetable Growers has provided generations of commercial growers with the most timely, accessible, and useful information available on the subject, containing key guidance on transplant production, planting rates and spacing, irrigation, fertilization, methods for controlling diseases, and insect pest identification, plus important information on t…
Part of the NOFA Guides. Includes information on: Basic concepts of pest control (host susceptibility, soil health, genetic resistance, ecosystem factors); Practical approaches (crop cultural practices, rescue treatments, special section on mammals and birds, food safety); Farm design for pest reduction (diversity, crop rotation); Unorthodox approaches (farmers out of the box); Identifying pest…