Crop ecology : productivity and management in agricultural systems

Cover......Page 1
Crop Ecology: Productivity and Management in Agricultural Systems......Page 2
Contents......Page 6
Preface......Page 12
Part I Farming systems and their biological components......Page 14
1.1 On the nature of agriculture......Page 16
1.2 Unifying themes......Page 21
1.3 Maintenance of agricultural systems......Page 33
1.4 Review of key concepts......Page 34
2.1 Plant production......Page 36
2.2 Trophic systems in agriculture......Page 40
2.3 Animal and human nutrition......Page 43
2.4 Carrying capacity......Page 52
2.5 Review of key concepts......Page 55
3.1 Community change......Page 57
3.2 Biomass accumulation......Page 58
3.3 Responses to crowding in monocultures......Page 66
3.4 Competition in polycultures......Page 71
3.5 Community response to limiting factors......Page 79
3.6 Review of key concepts......Page 82
4.1 Genetic diversity in agriculture......Page 84
4.2 Change in genetic structure......Page 87
4.3 Cultivar development......Page 94
4.4 Genetic advance and maintenance of diversity......Page 101
4.5 Review of key concepts......Page 107
5.1 Developmental time......Page 109
5.2 Developmental switches......Page 113
5.3 Quantifying phenological response......Page 119
5.4 Seed germination and dormancy......Page 125
5.5 Crop improvement......Page 131
5.6 Review of key concepts......Page 134
Part II Physical and chemical environments......Page 136
6.1 Radiation concepts......Page 138
6.2 The SW source......Page 141
6.3 Sun–Earth geometry......Page 142
6.4 SW penetration of the atmosphere......Page 144
6.5 Radiation balance......Page 147
6.6 Energy balance......Page 150
6.7 Turbulent transport......Page 155
6.8 Advection......Page 159
6.9 Microclimate......Page 161
6.10 Climate and weather......Page 163
6.11 Key concepts......Page 169
7.1 Soil chemistry......Page 172
7.2 Soil formation......Page 175
7.3 Soil types and uses......Page 184
7.4 Soil properties......Page 186
7.5 Water and air components......Page 194
7.6 Soil temperature relations......Page 200
7.7 Review of key concepts......Page 203
Part III Production processes......Page 206
8.1 The nitrogen cycle......Page 208
8.2 Decay and immobilization......Page 213
8.3 Mineralization and nitrification......Page 215
8.4 Loss of nitrogen......Page 216
8.5 Assimilation of mineral nitrogen by plants......Page 220
8.6 Nitrogen fixation......Page 221
8.7 Example nitrogen cycles......Page 227
8.8 Farming with organic sources of nitrogen......Page 232
8.9 Review of key concepts......Page 239
9.1 Flow of water through a crop......Page 242
9.2 Evapotranspiration......Page 245
9.3 Collection of water by root systems......Page 250
9.4 A model of crop water balance......Page 254
9.5 Responses of crops to water shortage......Page 256
9.6 Adaptation to drought......Page 257
9.7 Water-use efficiency......Page 270
9.8 Review of key concepts......Page 273
10.1 Photosynthetic systems......Page 275
10.2 Leaf photosynthesis......Page 278
10.3 Canopy photosynthesis......Page 289
10.4 Modeling canopy photosynthesis......Page 293
10.5 Canopy structure for productivity and competitiveness......Page 296
10.6 Review of key concepts......Page 302
11.1 Carbon use in respiration and synthesis......Page 305
11.2 Growth respiration and growth yield......Page 309
11.3 Seasonal patterns of crop respiration......Page 313
11.4 Morphological aspects of partitioning......Page 315
11.5 Ideotype concepts......Page 327
11.6 Review of key concepts......Page 330
Part IV Resource management......Page 334
12.1 Spatial variability......Page 336
12.2 Plant nutrition......Page 338
12.3 Management of soil fertility......Page 343
12.4 Fertilizer practices......Page 347
12.5 Tillage systems......Page 354
12.6 Drainage......Page 359
12.7 Erosion......Page 361
12.8 Land value and capability......Page 367
12.9 Review of key concepts......Page 369
13.1 Agriculture in wet regions......Page 371
13.3 Patterns of water shortage and crop types......Page 373
13.4 Optimum patterns of water use......Page 374
13.5 Cultivars and sowing time......Page 378
13.6 Crop rotations and fertilizer......Page 380
13.7 Density and planting arrangement......Page 382
13.8 Fallow......Page 384
13.9 Simulation models and analyses of cropping strategies......Page 387
13.10 Review of key concepts......Page 395
14.1 Irrigation and world food supply......Page 397
14.2 Water and salt – an inescapable combination......Page 398
14.3 Salinity and alkalinity......Page 399
14.5 Water use and productivity......Page 404
14.6 Irrigation methods......Page 406
14.7 Irrigation scheduling......Page 414
14.8 Management of water supply and drainage......Page 417
14.9 Selection of areas for irrigation schemes......Page 421
14.10 Review of key concepts......Page 422
15.1 Sources and utilization of energy......Page 424
15.2 Energy in food production......Page 426
15.3 Improving efficiency of energy use......Page 432
15.4 Low-input farming......Page 436
15.5 Crops for energy......Page 438
15.6 Review of key concepts......Page 446
Part V Farming past, present, and future......Page 450
16.1 The wheat belt of Northwest Victoria......Page 452
16.2 Evolving systems......Page 454
16.3 Initial development (1840 to 1900)......Page 455
16.4 An early recovery (1900 to 1950)......Page 456
16.5 Ley-farming (1950 to 1985)......Page 457
16.6 Intensification and diversification (1985 to present)......Page 459
16.7 Searching for new designs......Page 464
16.8 Role of society......Page 468
16.9 Review of key concepts......Page 469
17.1 Common features of high-yield systems......Page 471
17.2 Maize–soybean cropping systems in the North American Corn Belt......Page 472
17.3 Intensive rice cropping systems of Asia......Page 483
17.4 Soybean-based cropping systems in Northern Mato Grosso, Brazil......Page 489
17.5 The future of high-yield crop agriculture......Page 494
17.6 Review of key concepts......Page 495
18.1 Population and need for food......Page 497
18.2 Food production since 1940......Page 503
18.3 Immediate challenges......Page 506
18.4 The importance of a technological agriculture......Page 510
18.5 Improving technology......Page 514
18.6 Review of key concepts......Page 521
Species list......Page 524
Conversions and constants useful in crop ecology......Page 527
References......Page 529
Index......Page 559