Agricultural Sustainability: Progress and Prospects in Crop Research

by Gurbir Bhullar, Navreet K. Bhullar

Overview

Collaboratively written by top international experts and established scientists in various fields of agricultural research, this book focuses on the state of food production and sustainability; the problems with degradation of valuable sources of land, water, and air and their effects on food crops; the increasing demand of food resources; and the challenges of food security worldwide. The book provides cutting edge scientific tools and methods of research as well as solid background information that is accessible for those who have a strong interest in agricultural research and development and want to learn more on the challenges facing the global agricultural production systems.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780124045606
Publisher:	Elsevier Science
Publication date:	12/11/2012
Pages:	310
Product dimensions:	6.20(w) x 9.10(h) x 1.00(d)

About the Author

Dr. Gurbir S. Bhullar is a farming systems expert at the Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (FiBL), Switzerland. He has first-hand experience and expertise in long-term farming systems research in relation to the contemporary challenges faced by the small holder farming communities, particularly in less-privileged parts of the world. His qualifications span across agricultural and environmental sciences, and the focus of his research includes agricultural ecology, climate change mitigation and participatory research for sustainability of rural livelihoods. He undertakes multi-disciplinary and transdisciplinary research approaches, contributing to policy-making for sustainable development.

Table of Contents

Foreword

Preface

Section 1: Agricultural biodiversity, organic farming and new crops

1. Functional Agrobiodiversity: The Key to Sustainability?

2. Organic Agriculture - Driving Innovations in Crop Research

3. Guar-an industrial crop from marginal farms

Section 2: Effective management of resources (nutrients and water) and crop modelling

4. Nitrogen use as a component of sustainable crop systems

5. Potential of Management Practices and Amendments for Preventing Nutrient Deficiencies in Field Crops under Organic Cropping Systems

6. Effective management of scarce water resources in the North West India

7. Modelling for Agriculture Sustainability: A Review

Section 3: Molecular, biotechnological and industrial approaches for enhancement of crop production and quality

8. Biotechnological approaches for increasing rice productivity and sustainability: Progress and future outlook

9. Biofortification of staple crops

10. Nutrient focused processing of rice

11. Virus Resistance Breeding in Cool Season Food Legumes: Integrating Traditional and Molecular Approaches

Section 4: Expert advice on policy and developmental aspects

12. Talking agricultural sustainability issues - an interview with Dr Gurdev Khush

13. Economics and politics of Farm Subsidies in India

14. Public-Private Partnership and Policy Reforms for Effective Agricultural Research, Development and Training: A Viewpoint

15. Contract Farming

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

Agricultural Sustainability: Progress and Prospects in Crop Research, covers different aspects of sustainability in a holistic manner and presents a wide range of subject areas by agricultural experts from across the world. The book offers different points of view including important topics in agrobiodiversity, biotechnology, marginal crops, industrial approaches, resource conservation, nutritional enhancement of crops and crop products, and explores economic and political issues.

Editorial Reviews

"There is something here for everyone with a serious interest in agricultural sustainability; each of the 15 chapters delves deeply into its specific topic, but the next begins anew in a tangential fashion. The book is unusual in its coverage of such diverse topics and deserves to be recognized for it…Some chapters were written to inspire readers, and the authors were definitely successful in accomplishing their goal. Summing Up: Highly recommended." —CHOICE Reviews Online, January 2014

"The book is highly topical given current concerns regarding food security, water security and climate change. The book provides the opportunity to develop a clear understanding of how agriculture needs to meet global food, fibre and energy demands whilst ensuring the maintenance of ecosystems and protection of biodiversity…[it] is a well-written, detailed, concise and informative book that I would recommend to students and colleagues." —Soil Use and Management, October 11, 2013

"Among specific topics are whether agrobiodiversity is the key to sustainability, the effective management of scarce water resources in northwestern India, biofortifying staple crops, integrating traditional and molecular approaches in breeding virus resistance into cool season food legumes, and lessons from personal experience regarding contract farming for producing and procuring mint." —Reference and Research Book News, August 2013

From the Publisher