Land Use Diversification for Sustainable Rainfed Agriculture


Book Description

Rainfed Agriculture Has A Distinct Place In Indian Agriculture, Occupying 68 Per Cent Of The Total Cultivated Area And Supporting 40 Per Cent Of Human And 60 Per Cent Of Livestock Population. Agriculture In Rainfed Areas Continues To Be A Gamble Because Farmers In The Rainfed Region Face Many Uncertainties. In The Light Of Growing Population And Demand To Increase The Food Production Especially In The Developing Countries With Arid And Csemi-Arid Climate, This Book Mainly Focuses On The Land Use Diversification Involving Multi-Disciplinary Approaches For Sustainability In The Rainfed Regions.The Present Book Consists Of Twenty-Three Articles In All By Experts From Various Central & State Government Organisations, Agricultural Universities And Research Organisations Concerned With Rainfed Agriculture. These Articles, Covering Various Aspects Of Land Use Diversification For Sustainable Rainfed Agriculture, Have Been Arranged Into Five Sections: (A) Diversification: Need Of The Hour, (B) Natural Resources Dynamics, (C) Alternate Land Uses, (D) Case Studies, And (E) Capacity Building. Each Of The Articles Is Highly Informative And It Is Hoped That This Book Will Give An Interesting Insight Into The Varied Rainfed Agriculture Related Problems In India. It Highlights The Possible Measures Sustainable Management Of Land And Water Resources, Land Use Diversification, Alternate Land Uses Based On Climate, Soil And Crop Suitability, Etc. That Would Help Increase The Cropland As Well As Crop And Fodder Production In Rainfed Areas. The Present Book Enriched With Selected Case Studies Will Be Particularly Useful For Students, Teachers, Researchers And Scientists Working In The Area Of Rainfed Agriculture And Agricultural Planning For Sustainable Development.







Irrigation Theory And Practice - 2Nd Edn


Book Description

It is a comprehensive treatise on Water Resources Development and Irrigation Management. For the last 30 years the book has enjoyed the status of an definitive textbook on the subject. It has now been thoroughly revised and updated, and thus substantially enlarged. In addition to the wholesale revision of the existing chapters, three new chapters have been added to the book, namely, ‘Lift Irrigation Systems and their Design’, Water Requirement of Crops and Irrigation Management’, and ‘Economic Evaluation of Irrigation Projects and Water Pricing Policy’.




Agricultural Nitrogen Use and Its Environmental Implications


Book Description

Nitrogen fertilizers are the inescapable necessity to enhance agricultural production and to sustain food security. However, their inefficient use accrues from inherent limitations of the crop plants as well as the manner in which N fertilizers are formulated, applied and managed. Excessive accumulation of N in the environment leads to soil acidification, pollution of groundwater and eutrophication of surface water, posing a public health problem as well as ecosystem imbalance. Moreover, the ozone layer depletion and greenhouse effects of NOx gases have global implications. Agricultural Nitrogen Use: Environmental Implications provides a comprehensive, interdisciplinary description of problems related to the efficient use of nitrogen in agriculture, in the overall context of the nitrogen cycle, its environmental and human health implications, as well as various approaches to improve N use efficiency. The book is presented in six sections: N Use, Flows and Cycling in Agricultural Systems; N Use Efficiency in Crop Ecosystems; Management Options and Strategies for Enhancing N Use Efficiency; Plant Physiological and Molecular Aspects of Enhancing N Use Efficiency; Role of Legumes and Biofertilizers in Agricultural N Economy; and Environmental and Human Health Implications.







Soil Fertility Improvement and Integrated Nutrient Management


Book Description

Soil Fertility Improvement and Integrated Nutrient Management: A Global Perspective presents 15 invited chapters written by leading soil fertility experts. The book is organized around three themes. The first theme is Soil Mapping and Soil Fertility Testing, describing spatial heterogeneity in soil nutrients within natural and managed ecosystems, as well as up-to-date soil testing methods and information on how soil fertility indicators respond to agricultural practices. The second theme, Organic and Inorganic Amendments for Soil Fertility Improvement, describes fertilizing materials that provide important amounts of essential nutrients for plants.The third theme, Integrated Nutrient Management Planning: Case Studies From Central Europe, South America, and Africa, highlights the principles of integrated nutrient management. Additionally, it gives case studies explaining how this approach has been implemented successfully across large geographic regions, and at local scales, to improve the productivity of staple crops and forages.




Sustainable Development of Dryland Agriculture in India


Book Description

There are chapters on varied topics covering the major gamut of dryland agriculture. The topics covered by eminent-scientists are : Dryland agricultural research in India - a historical perspective. The eminence of authors and the institutions they represent gives credence to the contents of the book. Research and development workers, all would like to possess this book for ready reference and use.




Soil Fertility Management in Sub-Saharan Africa


Book Description

World Bank Technical Paper No. 408. This report is a critical review of the technical, economic, and institutional constraints on improving soil fertility in Sub-Saharan Africa, and the actions recommended to address them. Action plans prepared for Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, and Mali examine the demand for and supply of mineral fertilizers, the exploitation of local mineral resources, the prevention of soil erosion and increasing soil-water retention, and soil fertility management using organic technologies and management practices.




Nutrient Management for Sustainable Crop Production in Asia


Book Description

During the past 30 years, crop yields, particularly of rice, have been greatly increased in many Asian countries by advances in plant breeding and by the application of nitrogenous and phosphatic fertilizers. This has become known as the "Green Revolution", which has been a major factor underpinning the rapid growth of Asian economies, providing a cheap, indigenous food supply. However, while human populations continue to increase, in many cases yields are no longer being sustained, due to a reduction in soil quality. Thus, food security in Asia has again become a source of concern. This book is the result of an international conference held in Bali in December 1996, initiated by The World Phosphate Institute (IMPHOS) to discuss the action which must be taken to reverse soil degradation and improve nutrient levels. It includes papers and working group reports on nutrient management and balance, the potential of different phosphate sources, rock phosphate efficiency in acid upland soils, current usage and future requirements for fertilizers, sustainability and the environment, and policy and pricing. Finally, there is a summary and conference resolution. Contributors to the book come from Europe, USA, Australia and many Asian countries. It is essential reading for soil scientists and agronomists concerned with agriculture in Asia and will also be of interest to environmentalists, ecologists and economists concerned with sustainable natural resource management.