Livestock and Sustainable Nutrient Cycling in Mixed Farming Systems of Sub-Saharan Africa: Technical papers


Book Description

Technical papers. Setting the scene. Interactions between animals and plants. Interactions between animals and soils. Interactions between plants and soils. Nutrient cycling in mixed farming systems. Modelling nutrient cycles in plant/animal/soil systems.




Livestock and Sustainable Nutrient Cycling in Mixed Farming Systems of Sub-Saharan Africa: Conference summary


Book Description

Conference summary; Summary of plenary sessins; Opening session; Interactions between animals and plants; Interactions between animals and soils; Interactions between plant and soils; Nutrient cycling in mixed farming systems; Modelling nutrient cycles; Closing session; Summary of focus group sessions; Introduction; Animal-plant interactions; Animal-soil interacions; Socio-economic dimensions in nutrient cycling.







Toward Sustainable Agricultural Systems in the 21st Century


Book Description

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.




Agroforestry in Sustainable Agricultural Systems


Book Description

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.










ILRI 1995


Book Description

The importance of livestock; Board of trustees; ILRI's donors in 1995; ILRI's addresses; A global livestock research institute; Moves towards a new institute; Major trends; Developing a medium-term plan; Broadening horizons; Collaboration and integration the names of the game; Live vaccine delivery systems for east coast fever; What is a live delivery system; Why live delivery systems; Progress to date; Attacking the schizont form; Where to now; Mice and cattle immune systems like chalk and cheese; Helper T cells in mice and cattle; Vital reminders; Interpreting the language of parasites; Starting from the parasite; Starting with the host; Promise for the future; GIS - a research tool and beyond; Controlling tick-borne diseases in Zimbabwe; Maximising human benefits, minimising environmental costs; GIS in production-system research; Tools for research and development; Women dairy farmers in Africa; Who should extension workers by talking to; Who does the work; What are the benefits of dairying; Implications for dairy development; Ploughing with cows feasible in East African highlands; Ploughing with cows technically feasible; Farmers test dairy-draft cows on farms; Farmers emphasise milk yields; Moving into new areas with new partners; Toxin-degrading microbe release multi-purpose tree feed potential; To much, too soon; Gradual adaptation; Another string to the farmers' bow; Biodiversity - the future of world food production; Knowing what to conserve; Knowing what has been collected; Knowing what it can do; Keeping it clean; The future of world food production; A library on a disc; A technology for today; ILRI's CD-ROMs; Early days; ILRI programme and project activities in 1995; ILRI senior staff in 1995; Post-doctoral associates and graduate fellows at ILRI in 1995; Publications by ILRI staff in 1995; Financial summary.




Integrated Assessment of Health and Sustainability of Agroecosystems


Book Description

Exploring the implementation of participatory, multistakeholder, and transdisciplinary ecosystem health research, Integrated Assessment of Health and Sustainability of Agroecosystems combines the latest theories in complexity and management with practical tools and approaches for sustainable rural development research.Although the text foc




Conservation Agriculture


Book Description

In large parts of the developed and developing worlds soil tillage by plough or hoe is the main cause of land degradation leading to stagnating or even declining production levels and increasing production cost. It causes the soil to become more dense and compacted, the organic matter content to be reduced and water runoff and soil erosion to increase. It also leads to droughts becoming more severe and the soil becoming less fertile and less responsive to fertiliser. This book brings together the key notes lectures and other outstanding contributions of the I World Congress on Conservation Agriculture and provides an updated view of the environment and economic advantages of CA and of its implementation in diferent areas of the World.