Soil Basics, Management and Rhizosphere Engineering for Sustainable Agriculture

Content: Cover
 Half Title
 Title Page
 Copyright Page
 Contents
 Preface
 About the Authors
 Section I: Soil Basics
 Chapter 1: Introduction to Sustainable Agriculture
 1.1 Introduction
 1.1.1 History of Agriculture
 1.1.2 Our Earth is Unique
 1.1.3 Conventional versus Sustainable Agriculture Practices
 1.1.3.1 Conventional Agriculture
 1.1.3.2 Sustainable Agriculture
 1.2 Sustainable Farming Methods and Practices
 1.2.1 Permaculture
 1.2.2 Biodynamics
 1.2.3 Hydroponics and Aquaponics
 1.2.4 Urban Agriculture
 1.2.5 Agroforestry and Food Forests
 1.2.6 Rotating Crops and Polycultures. 1.2.7 Growth of Heirloom and Older Varieties1.2.8 Natural Animal Rising
 1.2.9 Natural Pest Management
 1.2.10 Mulching, Groundcovers, and Manual Control
 1.2.11 Reducing or Eliminating Tillage
 1.2.12 Benefits of Sustainable Agriculture
 1.2.13 Why Sustainable Agriculture is so Important?
 1.2.14 Meeting the Global Challenge of Sustainable Food, Fuel and Fiber Production
 1.3 Soil Basics
 1.3.1 Soil is a Basic Building Block for Life on Earth
 1.3.1.1 What is Soil?
 1.3.1.2 Why Soil is so Important?
 1.3.1.3 Soil Science and Education. 1.3.1.4 Some Facts and Figures of Soils in Sustainable Agriculture1.3.1.5 The General Features of Soils
 1.3.1.6 General Uses of Soils
 1.3.1.7 Approaches of Soil Study
 1.3.2 Soil Formation and Classification
 1.3.2.1 Soil Formation
 1.3.2.2 Soil Classification
 1.3.3 Soil Physical and Chemical Properties
 1.3.4 Soil Water
 1.4 Soil Management for Sustainable Agriculture
 1.4.1 Soil Management Practices
 1.4.2 Advantages of Soil Management
 1.4.3 Healthy Soil for Sustainable Agriculture
 1.4.4 Soil Erosion
 1.4.5 Soil Pollution
 1.4.6 Soil Testing for Better Nutrient Management. 1.4.7 Soil Preparation and Tillage1.4.8 Soil Organic Matter: Composting
 1.4.9 Organic Farming: An Enterprise of Sustainable Agriculture
 1.5 Plant Nutrient Management and Plant Protection
 1.5.1 Soil Nutrient Management
 1.5.1.1 Soil Nutrient Balance
 1.5.1.2 Advantages Plant Nutrient Management
 1.5.1.3 Sources of Plant Nutrients
 1.5.2 Plant Mineral Nutrient
 1.5.3 Chemical Fertilizers and Fertigation
 1.5.4 Organic Fertilizers
 1.5.5 Biofertilizers
 1.5.6 Biopesticides and Bioherbicides
 1.6 Soil Organisms in Sustainable Agriculture
 1.6.1 Soil Microbiolgy. 1.7 Soil, Water, and Plant Relations1.7.1 Plant Forms and Functions
 1.7.2 Plant Growth and Development
 1.7.3 Water Absorption and Transportation in Plants
 1.7.4 Mechanism of Mineral Nutrient Uptake in Plants
 1.7.5 Abiotic Stress: Plant Response to Moisture and Salt Stress
 1.8 Rhizosphere Engineering for Sustainable Agriculture
 1.8.1 Rhizosphere Structure and Root Exudation
 1.8.2 Rhizosphere Interactions
 1.8.3 Rhizosphere Engineering
 1.8.4 Bioremediation
 Summary
 Further Reading
 Chapter 2: Soil Formation and Classification
 2.1 Introduction
 2.2 Pedogenesis.