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      • Trusted Partner
        April 2022

        Sustainable Agricultural Intensification

        A Handbook for Practitioners in East and Southern Africa

        by Mateete Bekunda, Jonathan Odhong, Irmgard Hoeschle-Zeledon

        This book provides an insight into the background, lessons learned, and the methodology of facilitating the application of best-bet/best-fit agricultural technologies to smallholder farms in East and Southern Africa (ESA). All technologies highlighted within this book, except those on livestock feeding, were trialed and demonstrated in farmers' fields over an eight-year period [2012 - 2020] as part of the Feed the Future/USAID funded research-for-development Africa RISING ESA Project and supported by the CGIAR. The livestock feed technologies were compiled from Eastern Africa literature and included to offer a full set of technologies relevant for farmers in mixed farming systems. Topics covered include the introduction of resilient and nutrient-dense crops, better arrangement of crops in the field to amplify intercrop benefits, and the management of soils to improve soil fertility and minimize physical soil and nutrient loss. The publication also features technologies for postharvest loss reduction, livestock feeding, food processing, and in the later chapters, important expositions on how multiple technologies can be creatively integrated in a farming system and how key products of research can be taken to scale. In the first chapter and throughout the handbook, the importance of taking gender dynamics into account to ensure technologies produce equitable outcomes is emphasized. This book: provides evidence-based descriptions of sustainable agricultural intensification technologies that have been validated iteratively with smallholder farmers. a convenient, easy-to-read, and science-based 'how-to' guide for successful deployment of improved agricultural technologies that will ensure readers from development/scaling agencies save time and resources for research trials and instead focus on technology deployment. gives evidence of how building research and development partnerships can be a critical element for successful delivery and scaling up of agricultural technologies. The book is aimed primarily at development practitioners who seek new competences in taking new technologies to scale. However, the breadth of topics covered makes this book an essential resource for agricultural scientists as well as university and college students aspiring to apply systems thinking in future agricultural research and development work.

      • Trusted Partner
        Business, Economics & Law
        February 2018

        Sustainable Bamboo Development

        by Zhu Zhaohua, Jin Wei

        This book presents over 40 cases of bamboo development across 22 major bamboo-industry countries and explores the knowledge gained from their successes and failures. It synthesises experiences and exchanges with country experts from international training courses and consultations, study tours, and seminars. Each case includes observations and summaries of discussions related to the development of bamboo-based industries in a healthy, sustainable way, and the facilitation of strategic and balanced development of bamboo in different global regions. Industrial and artisanal bamboo growing and processing is expanding worldwide and this book brings together key experiences to help inform future developments. This book provides an analysis of bamboo plant features, including strong renewability, fast-growing, and high biomass production. It also reviews important ecological functions of bamboos, such as water and soil conservation, carbon sink and storage, and adaptation to climate change, as well as addressing the diversified culture of bamboo and key issues affecting the sector. Sustainable Bamboo Development: - Is authored by an internationally recognised leading expert in the growth and use of bamboo - Takes a holistic view, covering technical, socio-economic, policy, cultural and business development - Provides practical knowledge to guide the development of bamboo sectors - Gives a clear idea and rich examples of what has been attempted in many countries - Acts as a roadmap for using bamboo as a poverty reduction and environmental security tool Highly illustrated and in full colour throughout, this book is an essential resource for all those interested in bamboo, from private sector investors to governmental and development agencies, academic researchers and students.

      • Agriculture & farming
        November 2022

        Intercropping System

        Theory and Practices

        by Sagar Maitra

        Intercropping system is an age-old cropping system where two or more crops coexist for a significant time of their growth period. In the present context of negative impacts on crop productivity and soil fertility, a system approach in cropping has become more relevant. The book Intercropping System is divided into nine chapters that deal with the theory and practices of the intercropping system including recent research evidence. The first two chapters describe the overview of the intercropping system and complexity as well as the competitive relationship among component crops. The third chapter narrates the management options in the intercropping systems, while the fourth chapter highlights the multifaceted benefits of an intercropping system. Chapter 5 tells the suitability for the adoption of the intercropping system in organic agriculture. The sixth chapter describes how an intercropping system can ensure agricultural sustainability and some of the sustainable development Goals (SDGs). Chapter 7 illustrates the practice of alley cropping, a form of agroforestry, in resource-poor conditions. Legumes are considered an automatic choice in the intercropping system and hence, in the eighth chapter, the benefits of the inclusion of legumes as components have been described. Finally, in the ninth chapter, the performance of important crops in the intercropping system has been highlighted.

      • 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.

      • Agriculture & farming
        October 2015

        Improving Productivity of Drylands By Sustainable Resource Utilisation and Management

        by Devi Dayal, Deepesh Machiwal, Sharmsudheen Mangalassery & R.S. Tripathi,

        The book entitled, Improving Productivity of Drylands by Sustainable Resource Utilization and Management deals with a variety of aspects linked with utilization and management of resources used in dryland agriculture. The content of the book covers the topics on the natural resources management, biodiversity conservation, crop production and management, livestock management, energy, technology transfer and socio-economic issues. Subjects such as climate resilient agriculture, soil and water conservation measures, soil fertility appraisal, recycling of organic wastes, management strategies for livestock production, intercropping in agri-horti system, agro-morphological evaluation of crops, developing genotype for vegetable cultivation, crop diversification, farming systems, improved forage production, variability and heritability of grasses, weed management practices, economics of arable crop production, and energy conservation strategies through greenhouse have been incorporated under different chapters contributed by subject specialists. This book is an attempt to present collectively the scattered available information on several recently developed technologies and strategies for dryland management. Furthermore, the book contains 30 chapters that discuss both theoretical and practical knowledge for sustainable management of the drylands by improving productivity. Moreover, the book will be useful for professionals, researchers, scholars, and students involved in scientific activities of agricultural research in drylands.

      • Agriculture & farming
        June 2017

        Rainfed Agriculture

        by R.K. Nanwal & G.A. Rajanna

        The chapters of the book have been selected and arranged in such a manner as to lead the students through the entire gamut of rainfed agriculture supported by suitable examples and diagrams. The topics covered are most relevant in view of growing interests in rainfed agriculture technologies. The focus is on new concept and approaches in dryland and rainfed lands; rainfed farming-introduction, characteristics, distribution and problems; efficient management of rainfed crops; water harvesting and moisture conservation; study of mulches and antitranspirants; principles of intercropping; concept of watershed resource management; drought and its management; soil erosion-definition, nature and extent of erosion; stress physiology; scope of agro-horticultural, agro-forestry and silvi-pasture in dryland agriculture etc.

      • Biotechnology
        March 2016

        Rejuvenation in Fruit Trees

        Tropical Subtropical

        by Rajesh Kumar

        The book entitled ‘Rejuvenation in Fruit Trees (Tropical and Subtropical) is up-to-date and informative, publication, covering all vital aspects on rejuvenation technology in perennial fruit trees. The book is full-fledged and updated publication on rejuvenation technology. By going through the book one can adopt this technology in all high-value fruit crops of woody perennial nature of tropical and subtropical groups. The concept of rejuvenation, present trend and constraints, its need, adoption level and successful implementation with proper package of cultural practices and management strategies, have been discussed in details in the book. All efforts have been made to increase production, productivity and profitability of fruit crops at a sustainable basis. The requisite information and need-based requirements have also been brought within purview in addition to critical perspective that foster a better understanding of its R&D issues. This book will be of immense utility to students of Agriculture/Horticulture, at B.Sc, M.Sc. and Ph.D. levels, academic experts, researchers, scientists, administrators, policy-makers, farmers, exporters, entrepreneurs and other stakeholders in fruit production enterprise.

      • Microbiology (non-medical)
        January 2023

        Crops and Cropping System

        by Kajal Sengupta & Rajesh Khan

        This book is an attempt to enlighten the learners and to inculcate, among them and other concerned persons, the importance and influence of cropping system on sustainable crop production. The smooth order, clear explanation and simple presentation are expected to help the readers understanding the subject in a better way.

      • Agriculture & farming
        June 2022

        A Textbook of Plantation Crops

        by Bhimasen Naik, Ranjan Kumar Tarai, Ajit Kumar Sahoo, Bijaya Kumar Sethy & Sunil Samal

        The book Textbook of Plantation Crops gives an overview of plantation crops, and production technology of coconut, arecanut, oil palm, palmyrah palm, date palm, cashewnut, coffee, tea, cocoa and rubber. Simple and lucid language has been followed for clear and easy understanding of the beginners. The book is illustrated with photographs and diagrams. Questions are set at the end of each chapter under Outcomes Assessment to assess the understanding of the students.

      • Horticulture
        July 2019

        Principles of Organic Farming (With Theory and Practicals)

        With Theory and Practicals

        by E. Somasundaram, D. Udhaya Nandhini & M. Meyyappan

        Principles of Organic Farming is a practical oriented text to organic crop management that provides background information as well as details of ecology-improving practices. This book is meant to give the reader a holistic appreciation of the principles and importance of organic farming and to suggest ecologically sound practices that help to develop and maintain sustainable agriculture. This book represents a current and uated look at what we know about organic farming practices and systems, primarily from the Indian perspectives. This book is intended as a professional basic textbook for undergraduate level students and will specifically meet out the requirement of the students of organic farming being taught in all the agricultural universities across the globe. In addition, the purpose of this work is to spread the basic concepts of organic farming in order to; guide the production systems towards a sustainable agriculture and ecologically safe, obtain harmless products of higher quality, contribute to food security, generating income through the access to markets and improve working conditions of farmers and their neighborhoods. This book provides attention of one and all concerned to promote organic farming as a measure to provide the elites to posterity and to save our farm land that inherited from forefathers from being degraded and made in to wastelands through our excessive interventions.

      • Agricultural science
        July 2019

        Textbook on Weed Science

        Principles and Practices

        by A.Veeramani

        This book was incorporated with general information about weeds with need based data on losses caused by weeds in agriculture and allied fields which include livestock, horticulture crops etc. and also national level loss in terms of reduction in food grain production in Indian economy. As management of weeds being a core area in crop production, it was dealt in detail on weed biology, weed ecology and also weed survey including sampling techniques. This was followed by various weed control methods specific to crops belonging to agriculture and horticulture. Of the weed management practices, integrated weed management was also discussed as well highlighting important crops grown in India as to follow the same by the farmers and extension workers for recommendation to the needy people. This book also comprises of herbicide history and its classification and characteristics with suitable examples. In addition, mode of action of herbicides, herbicide mixture, combinations, rotations, and their interaction were also given as separate chapter. In the recent decade, development of herbicide resistant crops are getting momentum world over, considering its potentiality, information on the same was also given in detail with suitable findings. Weed shift and its management and economic analysis of weed management were another chapters included in this book.

      • Horticulture
        September 2020

        Biointenstive Integreated Pest Management for Horticultural Crops

        by Anil Kumar, Swati Saha & Jagipal Singh Coudhary

        The book has covered recent techniques on bio-intensive integrated approaches of horticultural pests management. An attempt to compile information on non-chemical ways of pest management strategies including agronomic approaches to physical, mechanical, biopesticides, biocontrol agents, biorational pesticides etc. which are non harmful to environment and economically viable has been made. This book is a useful reference material for organic product producing farmers, researchers and students who are involved in bio-intensive pest management strategies.

      • Geographical information systems (GIS) & remote sensing
        January 2009

        Hyperspectral Remote Sensing and Spectral Signature Applications

        by S. Rajendran, S.Aravindran, T.Jeyavel Rajakumar, R. Sivakumar & K.R. Murali Mohan

        Hyperspectral imaging is an emerging modern technique in modern remote sensing that expands and removes capability of multispectral image analysis. It takes advantage of hundreds of continuous spectral channels to uncover materials that usually cannot be resolved by multispectral sensoThis book is a collection of research papers of Indian scientist working in the field of hyperspectral remote sensing and spectral signature applications. This has been organized in a way that all the s are logically connected and can be referred back and the forth one another for more details. The title of hyperspectral remote sensing and spectral signature applications is use to reflect its focus on spectral techniques, i.e. non-literal techniques that are especially designed and developed for hyperspectral imagery rather than multispectral imagery.

      • Animal husbandry
        June 2014

        Farm Animal Management

        Principles and Practices

        by Rana Ranjit Singh & Md. Manzarul Islam

        Livestock rearing is an integral part of socio-economic framework of India since time immemorial. Livestock sub-sector being a vital component of agriculture sector, plays a multidimensional role and acts as a tool in achieving nutritional security, employment generation and socio-economic development of rural sector, particularly among the landless, small, marginal farmers and women. India possesses huge livestock population of varying production potentials, distributed across different agro-ecological zones under different operational and livestock holding size. Hence, it requires different package of practices for their management. Further, factors like drivers of development change and climate change pose many challenges to this sector. Farm animal management encompasses integrated and precise application of basic scientific principles of breeding, feeding, heeding and weeding in general as well as in times of specific need. Therefore, an attempt has been made in this book to cover all these basic and applied aspects of livestock management in detail. In the perspective of reorganization of the syllabus of veterinary science and animal husbandry programme. This book is appropriately divided into fifteen s covering almost each and every aspect of livestock production management.

      • Sustainable agriculture
        July 2019

        Integrated Farming Systems and Agricultural Sustainability

        by A Zaman

        The book is organized into sixteen chapters. A brief description of each of the chapters follows: Chapter 1 identifies the concept of importance and definition as basic requirement to know the challenges in the management of information security in the new millennium; Chapter 2 identifies the types of farming system and factors affecting farming system; Chapter 3 envisages sustainable agriculture, its problems and its impact in cropping system; Chapter 4 takes historical background of agriculture, its changing scenario and its resilience over the years. Chapter 5 delineated sustainable agriculture, its importance and its impact in cropping system; Chapter 6 describes the agro-climatic and agro-ecological zones that need for model of integrated farming system to be developed as a policy perspective to ensure the crop cultivation the highest level of protection against all sorts of threats. Chapter 7 takes history of agriculture, its changing scenario and its resilience over the years. Chapter 8 reviews the rejuvenation, modernization and mechanization of agriculture, its present bottlenecks on ethical elements of security such that trust could be promoted to outburst the explosive population; Chapter 9 reviews the information on soil resource in the context of problematic security threat; Chapter 10 reviews issues on external input based sustainable agriculture surrounding low land utilization as existing resource mobilization and utilization. Chapter 11 presents the importance of organic farming well as organic agriculture to get the best results in sustainable agriculture; Chapter 12 addresses the issue of water management and planning, with particular reference to irrigation management and judicious water application in crop cultivation. Chapter 13 presents gaps and problems in each of the current approaches in rainfed agriculture, rainwater harvesting as well as rainwater management in growing crops in best possible manner; Chapter 14 discusses management of lowland areas towards sustainable agriculture; Chapter 15 refers the land degradation and land treatments in the way of effective utilization of land resources through tillage, conservational tillage and other suitable measures; and Chapter 16 concludes the present principle of remedies, the economic equity, social security along the future task and presents pragmatic, formal, informal and technical principles necessary for managing food security in the new millennium.

      • Agronomy & crop production
        November 2020

        Advances in Crop Production and Climate Change

        by A.S. Yadav, Narendra Kumar, Sanjay Arora, D.S. Srivastava & Hemlata Pant

        In recent years India has made notable advances in the fisheries. Progresses made in refinements of vessels, new line materials and line-handling systems, preserving the catch, the availability of oceanographic-sensor equipments and the utilization of satellite technology to locate potential fishing grounds have greatly improved the fishing power of longline vessels. Post harvest technology of fish has evolved in the last one decade to a more energy-efficient, cost-effective, and quality upgrading technology. Since fresh fish can get spoiled very quickly, the development of technology for post-harvest preservation and methodology to convert fish to value added products have also become popular in recent times. Value addition helps in getting high price for the fishery products. There is a need to develop competent human resources in the field of post harvest management of fish and production of value added products from them. It is required to inculcate vocational and entrepreneurial skills in order to widen employment opportunities, particularly among rural youth and the disadvantaged sections of the society as well as to enable self employment.

      • Agriculture & farming
        January 2010

        Underutilized and Underexploited Horticultural Crops: Vol 05

        by K.V. Peter

        "Globally there is concern for diminishing nutritional security. Land under agriculture is dwindling, water for irrigation becoming scarce and costly and availability of labour getting lesser, the need for future crops and alternate source of nutrition is getting attention. Under CGIAR, an all inclusive future crops international has been established to bring to light underexploited and underutilized crops. Horticultural crops especially vegetables, fruits, ornamentals, medicinal plants and aromatic plants are unique in presence of a large number of plants with possibility for edible uses and considerable nutritive value. Many are wild weeds in one part of the globe but edible and consumed in another part of the globe. A few such plants are used for phytosanitation and phytoremediation but are getting attention as raw materials for biofuel production. Energy and water are two natural resources getting threat due to climate change resulting global warming and ozone depletion."

      • 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.

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