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      • Trusted Partner
        Irrigation
        March 2010

        Irrigation Management

        Principles and Practices

        by Martin Burton, Kate Hale

        In many countries irrigated agriculture consumes a large proportion of the available water resources, often over 70% of the total. There is considerable pressure to release water for other uses, and as a sector irrigated agriculture will have to increase its efficiency and productivity of water use. Drawing on the author's 30 years of experience in some 28 countries, this book offers knowledge for the management of irrigation and drainage systems, including traditional technical areas of systems operation and maintenance, and expanding managerial, institutional and organizational aspects. Chapters provide guidelines to improve management, operation and maintenance processes, which move management thinking out of traditional public-sector mindsets to a more customer-focussed, performance-oriented service delivery. As a practical guide to improve efficiency and productivity in irrigated agriculture, this book is essential reading for irrigation managers and technicians as well as students and policymakers in water management, agriculture and sustainable development.

      • Trusted Partner
        Irrigation
        August 2009

        River Basin Trajectories

        Societies, Environments and Development

        by Edited by François Molle, Philippus Wester

        Using a variety of case studies, this book provides an overview of how societies have gradually developed their water resources and furthers our understanding of how such resources can be managed successfully or unsuccessfully. Discussing how and why particular options are selected, and why a particular course of events eventually prevails, the book stresses the importance of context and a multidisciplinary approach in moving towards sustainable and equitable development.

      • Trusted Partner
        Irrigation
        January 2009

        Rainfed Agriculture

        Unlocking the Potential

        by Edited by S Wani, J Rockstrom, T Oweis

        Rainfed agriculture is generally overlooked by development investors, researchers and policy makers due to limited confidence in its ability to increase agricultural production and development. However, research undertaken by a team of leading scientists from global organizations demonstrates its potential in achieving food security, improving livelihoods and most importantly addressing issues of equity and poverty reduction in dryland areas - the hot spots of poverty. On the basis of case studies from varied agricultural and ecological regions in Asia and Africa, chapters discuss the need for adopting new paradigms between rainfed and irrigated agriculture, catchment/micro-watershed management approaches, upgrades in science-based development and more investments in rainfed areas. Yield gaps for major rainfed crops are analysed globally and possible ways and means including technological, social, and institutional options to bridge the yield gaps are discussed in detail. Covering areas such as rainwater harvesting and its efficient use, the rehabilitation of degraded land and assessment methods for social, environmental and economic impacts, this book will be necessary for both academics and policy makers working in water management, agriculture and sustainable development.

      • Trusted Partner
        Agricultural engineering & machinery
        April 1997

        Milk Composition, Production and Biotechnology

        by Edited by Robert A S Welch, Donald J W Burns, Stephen R Davis, A I Popay, Colin G Prosser

        Major changes have recently taken place in the value attached to components of milk. Although approximately half the energy in milk is contained in fat, fat is rapidly decreasing in value relative to protein. This has come about because of the increased availability of competitively-priced, plant-derived edible oils and because of the perceived health problems associated with animal fat in the human diet. Such changes have major implications for the dairy sector, particularly in developed countries. Against this background, this book presents a timely review of developments in milk production and consumption, of changes in milk component values, and of the opportunities that biotechnology provides to alter the composition of and add value to milk on the farm. The subject coverage is very broad, ranging from nutritional aspects of pastures and forages, to rumen microbiology, genetics and reproductive technologies, milk biochemistry and environmental implications. It is based on a conference held in Wellington, New Zealand, in February 1996 and sponsored by the OECD and AgResearch. Contributors include leading research workers from North America, Europe, Japan, Australia and New Zealand. It provides an invaluable overview of the subject, suitable as a reference book for advanced students, researchers and advisers in dairy science as well as related disciplines such as grassland, nutritional and food sciences.

      • Trusted Partner
        Technology, Engineering & Agriculture
        November 2017

        Automation in Tree Fruit Production

        Principles and Practice

        by Qin Zhang

        Automation in agriculture is made possible by the integration of advanced agricultural technology and precision agriculture management. This book, uniquely, will focus on applications of automation to the important industry of tree fruit production. Written by experts in agricultural automation technology from around the world, chapters in this book cover topics such as automated tree fruit production systems, plant stress sensing and high-throughput phenotyping in precision horticulture, the economics of automation in tree fruit production, light interception sensing systems for canopy management, precision irrigation and water management, precision technologies for pest and disease management, opportunities for the application of robotics in tree fruit production, and the mechanical harvesting and handling of fruit crops. The book is a representative, concise overview of the variety of technologies currently being applied to tree fruit crops around the world and the challenges faced by engineers and farmers that these technologies raise. It is aimed at researchers and graduate students of agriculture systems, agricultural and biological engineering, crop and soil sciences, horticulture, precision agriculture, and other relevant disciplines. It will also be of use to agriculture consultants, engineers, and other professionals such as agricultural equipment manufacturers and management professionals who use precision agriculture technologies. Key Features: - Takes a systematic approach to how to apply precision and automation technologies to fruit production. - Combines the disciplines of economics, horticulture, and engineering. - Illustrated by case studies throughout describing actual applications of automation technology.

      • Sustainable agriculture
        July 2018

        Water management for sustainable agriculture

        by Theib Oweis

        There is increasing competition for water resources in the face of declining aquifer reserves and increasing risk in many areas of drought related to climate change. At the same time poor water management is damaging agriculture with problems such as salinization, waterlogging, erosion and run-off. This volume summarises the wealth of research on understanding and better management of water resources for agriculture.Part 1 reviews fundamental issues such as plant water use and soil water retention. Part 2 discusses ways of mapping and monitoring groundwater and surface water resources whilst Part 3 covers other sources such as rain and floodwater, waste and brackish water. Part 4 surveys developments in irrigation techniques such as drip irrigation and fertigation. The final sections in the book discuss ways of using water resources more efficiently such as site-specific and deficit irrigation techniques.With its distinguished editor and international team of expert authors, this wlll be a standard reference for agronomists, scientists involved in water and irrigation science as well as government and non-governmental organisations responsible for agriculture and water resource management.

      • Technology, Engineering & Agriculture
        August 2018

        Managing soil health for sustainable agriculture Volume 1

        Fundamentals

        by Dr Don Reicosky, Prof. Mark G. Kibblewhite, Prof. Sara G. Baer, Dr Hannah E. Birgé, Dr Promil Mehra, Dr Bhupinder Pal Singh, Dr Anitha Kunhikrishnan, Dr Annette L. Cowie, Dr Nanthi Bolan, Dr Daniel K. Manter, Dr Jorge A. Delgado, Dr Jennifer Moore-Kucera, Dr Maria Bowman, Prof. Rainer Horn, Dr Heiner Fleige, Dr Iris Zimmermann, Prof. Samira Daroub, Dr Claire Friedrichsen, Prof. Penny R. Hirsch, Dr George G. Brown, Dr Elodie da Silva, Dr Marcílio J. Thomazini, Dr Cíntia C. Niva, Dr Thibaud Decaëns, Dr Luís F. N. Cunha, Dr Herlon S. Nadolny, Dr Wilian C. Demetrio, Dr Alessandra Santos, Dr Talita Ferreira, Dr Lilianne S. Maia, Dr Ana Caroline Conrado, Dr Rodrigo F. Segalla, Dr Alexandre Casadei Ferreira, Dr Amarildo Pasini, Dr Marie L. C. Bartz, Dr Klaus D. Sautter, Dr Samuel W. James, Dr Dilmar Baretta, Dr Zaida Inês Antoniolli, Dr Maria Jesus Iglesias Briones, Dr José Paulo Sousa, Dr Jörg Römbke, Dr Patrick Lavelle, Dr Melissa Miller, Prof. Henry Lin, Dr E. A. Stockdale, Dr Richard W. Z

        There has been growing concern that both intensive agriculture in the developed world and rapid expansion of crop cultivation in developing countries is damaging the health of soils which are the foundation of farming. At the same time we are discovering much more about how complex soils are as living biological systems. This volume reviews the latest research on soil science.After an overview of the role of soil as a provider of ecosystem services and in conservation agriculture, the book reviews soil structure and chemistry as well organic matter, soil microorganisms and fauna. The second part of the book discusses soil dynamics, from water and nutrient cycles to carbon capture and erosion mechanisms.With its distinguished editor and international team of expert authors, this will be a standard reference for soil scientists and agronomists as well as the farming community and government agencies responsible for monitoring soil health. It is accompanied by a companion volume looking at soil monitoring and management.

      • Technology, Engineering & Agriculture
        August 2018

        Managing soil health for sustainable agriculture Volume 2

        Monitoring and management

        by Dr Don Reicosky, Dr Brian K. Slater, Dr Skye Wills, Dr Stephen Roecker, Dr Candiss Williams, Dr Brian Murphy, Dr A. Fortuna, Dr A. Bhowmik, Dr A. Bary, Dr C. Cogger, Dr Santanu Bakshi, Dr Chumki Banik, Dr Zhenli He, Dr Eleanor E. Campbell, Dr John L. Field, Professor Keith Paustian, Prof. Jeffrey Strock, Dr Jeffrey Peter Mitchell, Dr Howard Ferris, Dr Anil Shrestha, Dr Francis J. Larney, Dr Garrison Sposito, Dr Gilbert G. Sigua, Dr Robert L. Myers, Prof. Bijay Singh, Prof. Robert J. Kremer, Dr Humburto Blanco-Canqui, Dr David Güereña, Dr A. O. Ogunkunle, Prof V. O. Chude, Prof. Minggang Xu, Dr Wenju Zhang, Dr Zejiang Cai, Dr Shaoming Huang, Dr Ping Zhu, Dr Ieda C. Mendes, Dr Cássio A. Tormena, Dr Maurício R. Cherubin, Dr Douglas L. Karlen, Dr Pandi Zdruli, Dr Claudio Zucca

        There has been growing concern that both intensive agriculture in the developed world and rapid expansion of crop cultivation in developing countries is damaging the health of soils which are the foundation of farming. At the same time we are discovering much more about how complex soils are as living biological systems. This volume reviews the latest research on soil monitoring and management.Part 1 starts by reviewing soil classification, sampling and ways of monitoring soil dynamics. Part 2 surveys key techniques for managing soil, from irrigation and fertiliser use to crop rotations, intercropping and cover crops. The final part of the book discusses ways of supporting smallholders in maintaining soil health in regions such as Africa, Asia and South America.With its distinguished editor and international team of expert authors, this will be a standard reference for soil scientists and agronomists as well as the farming community and government agencies responsible for monitoring soil health. It is accompanied by a companion volume looking at developments in soil science.

      • Agricultural engineering & machinery
        January 1998

        Precision Agriculture in the 21st Century

        Geospatial and Information Technologies in Crop Management

        by Committee on Assessing Crop Yield: Site-Specific Farming, Information Systems, and Research Opportunities, National Research Council

        Sensors, satellite photography, and multispectral imaging are associated with futuristic space and communications science. Increasingly, however, they are considered part of the future of agriculture. The use of advanced technologies for crop production is known as precision agriculture, and its rapid emergence means the potential for revolutionary change throughout the agricultural sector. Precision Agriculture in the 21st Century provides an overview of the specific technologies and practices under the umbrella of precision agriculture, exploring the full implications of their adoption by farmers and agricultural managers. The volume discusses how precision agriculture could dramatically affect decisionmaking in irrigation, crop selection, pest management, environmental issues, and pricing and market conditions. It also examines the geographical dimensions--farm, regional, national--of precision agriculture and looks at how quickly and how widely the agricultural community can be expected to adopt the new information technologies. Precision Agriculture in the 21st Century highlights both the uncertainties and the exciting possibilities of this emerging approach to farming. This book will be important to anyone concerned about the future of agriculture: policymakers, regulators, scientists, farmers, educators, students, and suppliers to the agricultural industry.

      • Agricultural engineering & machinery
        September 1995

        Colleges of Agriculture at the Land Grant Universities

        A Profile

        by Committee on the Future of the Colleges of Agriculture in the Land Grant System, National Research Council

        Although few Americans work as farmers these days, agriculture on the whole remains economically important--playing a key role in such contemporary issues as consumer health and nutrition, worker safety and animal welfare, and environmental protection. This publication provides a comprehensive picture of the primary education system for the nation's agriculture industry: the land grant colleges of agriculture. Colleges of Agriculture at the Land Grant Universities informs the public debate about the challenges that will shape the future of these colleges and serves as a foundation for a second volume, which will present recommendations for policy and institutional changes in the land grant system. This book reviews the legislative history of the land grant system from its establishment in 1862 to the 1994 act conferring land grant status on Native American colleges. It describes trends that have shaped agriculture and agricultural education over the decades--the shift of labor from farm to factory, reasons for and effects of increased productivity and specialization, the rise of the corporate farm, and more. The committee reviews the system's three-part mission--education, research, and extension service--and through this perspective documents the changing nature of funding and examines the unique structure of the U.S. agricultural research and education system. Demographic data on faculties, students, extension staff, commodity and funding clusters, and geographic specializations profile the system and identify similarities and differences among the colleges of agriculture, trends in funding, and a host of other issues. The tables in the appendix provide further itemization about general population distribution, student and educator demographics, types of degree programs, and funding allocations. Concise commentary and informative graphics augment the detailed statistical presentations. This book will be important to policymakers, administrators, educators, researchers, and students of agriculture.

      • Agricultural engineering & machinery
        August 1996

        Colleges of Agriculture at the Land Grant Universities

        Public Service and Public Policy

        by Committee on the Future of the Colleges of Agriculture in the Land Grant University System, National Research Council

        Since their inception in 1862, the U.S. land grant colleges have evolved to become the training ground for the nation's and the world's agriculturists. In this book, the committee examines the future of the colleges of agriculture in light of changing national priorities for the agricultural, food, and natural resource system. The effects of federal funding constraints also are examined, as are opportunities for growth presented by developments in science. The committee's preceding volume, Colleges of Agriculture at the Land Grant Universities: A Profile, is a compilation of the data that helped formulate the specific questions to be addressed. Colleges of Agriculture at the Land Grant Univerisities: Public Service and Public Policy is the deliberative report, rating conclusions and recommendations for institutional innovation and public policy. It addresses these and other questions: What education mission should colleges of agriculture adopt--and what strategies should they use--in light of significant changes in the agricultural complex? Research in agriculture is expected to respond to consumer demands, environmental concerns, world population growth, and increasing pressure on agricultural lands. Is the century-old structure of land grant university-based research up to the task? What is the role of extension in light of today's smaller farming communities and larger farming conglomerates? This volume is the culmination of a landmark evaluation of land grant colleges of agriculture, an American institution. This document will be of value to policymakers, administrators, and others involved in agricultural science and education.

      • Fiction
        October 2011

        Song at Dawn

        1150 in Provence

        by Jean Gill

        Winner of the Global Ebooks Award for Best Historical Fiction - a medieval thriller/romanceBook 1 in the Troubadours Series 1150 in Provence, where love and marriage are as divided as Christian and Muslim. A historical thriller set in Narbonne just after the Second Crusade. On the run from abuse, Estela wakes in a ditch with only her lute, her amazing voice, and a dagger hidden in her petticoats. Her talent finds a patron in Alienor of Aquitaine and more than a music tutor in the Queen's finest troubadour and Commander of the Guard, Dragonetz los Pros. Weary of war, Dragonetz uses Jewish money and Moorish expertise to build that most modern of inventions, a papermill, arousing the wrath of the Church. Their enemies gather, ready to light the political and religious powder-keg of medieval Narbonne. Watch the trailer youtube.com/watch?v=XZvFmOkD6Pc

      • Technology, Engineering & Agriculture
        April 2002

        Publicly Funded Agricultural Research and the Changing Structure of U.S. Agriculture

        by National Research Council, Division on Earth and Life Studies, Board on Agriculture and Natural Resources, Committee to Review the Role of Publicly Funded Agricultural Research on the Structure of U.S. Agriculture

        The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) requested that the Board on Agriculture and Natural Resources of the National Research Council (NRC) convene a panel of experts to examine whether publicly funded agricultural research has influenced the structure of U.S. agriculture and, if so, how. The Committee to Review the Role of Publicly Funded Agricultural Research on the Structure of U.S. Agriculture was asked to assess the role of public-sector agricultural research on changes in the size and numbers of farms, with particular emphasis on the evolution of very-large-scale operations.

      • Agricultural engineering & machinery
        April 2002

        Publicly Funded Agricultural Research and the Changing Structure of U.S. Agriculture

        by Committee to Review the Role of Publicly Funded Agricultural Research on the Structure of U.S. Agriculture, Board on Agriculture and Natural Resources, National Research Council

        The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) requested that the Board on Agriculture and Natural Resources of the National Research Council (NRC) convene a panel of experts to examine whether publicly funded agricultural research has influenced the structure of U.S. agriculture and, if so, how. The Committee to Review the Role of Publicly Funded Agricultural Research on the Structure of U.S. Agriculture was asked to assess the role of public-sector agricultural research on changes in the size and numbers of farms, with particular emphasis on the evolution of very-large-scale operations.

      • Agricultural engineering & machinery
        July 2010

        Toward Sustainable Agricultural Systems in the 21st Century

        by Committee on Twenty-First Century Systems Agriculture; Board on Agriculture and Natural Resources; Division on Earth and Life Studies; National Research Council

        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.

      • Agriculture & farming
        July 2021

        Agricultural Engineering

        A Practical Manual

        by P. Kandaswamy

        This book on Agricultural Engineering integrates post harvest engineering, protected cultivation, land surveying and soil-water conservation engineering. The book organizes the scattered information and provides better practical skills to the students and to serve as a practical reference book for the undergraduate students of Agricultural Science, Horticulture and Agricultural Engineering. The book includes different topics as per the undergraduate agricultural science curriculum. The book will suit to the needs of Agricultural Polytechnics, Trainees of professional training institutions including post harvest laboratories, KVK, Soil Conservations Training Centres.

      • Natural disasters
        August 2015

        Droughts in Agricultural Production

        Monitoring & Management

        by G.G.S.N. Rao

        Drought is considered to be a normal feature of climate especially in tropical countries where occurrence of periods of dry weather during rainy season is common. Virtually droughts can occur in all climates and they can also be witnessed when the air temperatures are higher than the normal for a longer period that increases both evaporation and water deficit. 1. The first deals with the introduction to the topic, historical evidences of drought and famines in India. 2. The definition of droughts, criteria for classification of droughts, drought indices based on rainfall, climate derivatives and remote sensing are covered under two. 3. Information on climate change with respects to climate trends, projections on temperature and rainfall at global as well at national level, consequences of climate change on droughts are presented in there. 4. Approaches on drought monitoring, adopted by various countries, international cooperation in drought monitoring and drought monitoring mechanism in India are presented in four. Decision Support Systems and applications of GIS for drought monitoring are also covered in this . 5. World food production and its variability, the impact of phenomenal drought during 2009 on food grain production in different countries, impacts of droughts on livestock, milk and fisheries production are covered under five. 6. Global surface waters, availability of surface waters in India, influence of drought on fauna and flora of surface waters and global warming on water resources at global and national level is discussed in – six. 7. Drought management strategies, drought planning and preparedness action plans at global as well at national level, indigenous knowledge on drought management, astrological techniques in weather forecasting and traditional wisdom on management of droughts in different nomadic communities in Asia and Africa are covered in seven. eight carries the conclusion of the entire book. Book will be useful to the students and research scholars of Agrometeorology, Meteorology and Geography and all Research Scientists dealing with NRM.

      • Agriculture & farming
        July 2015

        Tractors and Agricultural Machinery

        2nd Fully Revised and Updated Edition

        by K. Srinivasan, Sanjeev Kumar Singh, V.V. Narayanan & L.Geetha Lakshmi

        This fully revised and updated second edition contains updated information on working of different subassemblies that make a tractor. Uses of tractor for various agricultural and non agricultural operations are vividly described. Besides, updates are also incorporated on various implements, equipment and machinery developed in India for different agricultural operations, viz,. land preparation, sowing/planting, weeding, plant protection, harvest threshing, post harvest and agro-processing. Information on agriculture relation sections like special tools and equipment used in horticulture, water lifting devices, calibration of seed drills has also been given. The first edition was widely used as a standard reference book for graduate students in agricultural engineering and regular engineering colleges. The present edition would also serve the same purpose and can be used as a ready reference for the teaching staff in educational institutions and testing institutions, extension workers, scientists and farmers.

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