Soil and Fertilizers: Managing the Environmental Footprint presents strategies to improve soil health by reducing the rate of fertilizer input while maintaining high agronomic yields. It is estimated that fertilizer use supported nearly half of global births in 2008. In a context of potential food insecurity exacerbated by population growth and climate change, the importance of fertilizers in sustaining the agronomic production is clear. However, excessive use of chemical fertilizers poses serious risks both to the environment and to human health. Highlighting a tenfold increase in global fertilizer consumption between 2002 and 2016, the book explains the effects on the quality of soil, water, air and biota from overuse of chemical fertilizers. Written by an interdisciplinary author team, this book presents methods for enhancing the efficiency of fertilizer use and outlines agricultural practices that can reduce the environmental footprint. Features: Includes a thorough literature review on the agronomic and environmental impact of fertilizer, from degradation of ecosystems to the eutrophication of drinking water Devotes specific chapters to enhancing the use efficiency and effectiveness of the fertilizers through improved formulations, time and mode of application, and the use of precision farming technology Reveals geographic variation in fertilizer consumption volume by presenting case studies for specific countries and regions, including India and Africa Discusses the pros and cons of organic vs. chemical fertilizers, innovative technologies including nuclear energy, and the U.N.’s Sustainable Development Goals Part of the Advances in Soil Sciences series, this solutions-focused volume will appeal to soil scientists, environmental scientists and agricultural engineers.

Much has been learned about the proper and judicious use of fertilizers. Fertilizer application by farmers has grown from an art to a science. As food producers have strived to increase crop yields by overcoming nutrient deficiencies the use of fertil izers has increased dramatically. This has created a large chemical industry capable of supplying the needed plant food elements. A more complete understanding of soil chemistry and plant nutrition has led to greater fertilizer use with improved fertilization methods and crop cultural practices. Improved fertilizer technology has led to the production of more efficient forms of fertilizer. The modem fertilizer industry and with it fertilization practices began in the humid countries of the world. The use of fertilizers in arid and semiarid regions was later in development, although agriculture had its beginning in semiarid and arid regions. The development offertilizer use is parallel to industrial development in various areas of the world.

The purpose of our present work is to review the fundamental studies on inhibition of soil urease activity and the applied studies on improving efficiency of urea fertilizers by inhibition of soil urease activity. The general literature on these topics covers 65 years, and the patent literature comprises a period of nearly 40 years. Studies related to inhibition of soil urease activity were performed in a great number of countries' well representing all the continents. Full texts of the papers describing these studies were published in one of 18 languages·'. The literature data reviewed are structured into 10 chapters, 81 subchapters, and 224 sections. The bibliographical list consists of 830 papers cited. ·In alphabetical order: Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Belorussia, Brazil. Bulgaria, Canada, China, Costa Rica, Cuba. Czech RepUblic, Egypt, Estonia, France, Georgia (Gruzia), Germany, Hungary, India, Iraq, Ireland, Israel, Italy. Japan, Kazakhstan, Lithuania, Malaysia, Moldova, Netherlands, New Zealand, Pakistan, Philippines, Poland, Romania, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Slovakia, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sri Lanka. Sudan, Sweden, Thailand, Turkey, Ukraine, United Kingdom, United States of America. Uzbekistan .

This book explores the state-of-the-art information regarding applied soil sciences. It covers the fundamentals, model concepts, principles, chemical reactions, functions, chemical recycling, chemical weathering, acid-base chemistry, carbon sequestration, and nutrient availability of soils. Also, it includes soil chemistry of heavy-metals, environment, clay, ion-exchange processes, analytical tools and applications. This book helps to understand the about soil characteristics targeting soil chemical reactions and interactions and its applications.

Proceedings of the International Symposium on `Zinc in Soils and Plants', held at The University of Western Australia, Perth, Western Australia, 27--28 September 1993

Silicon (Si) plays a significant role in the resistance of plants to multiple stresses including biotic and abiotic stresses. Silicon is also the only element that does not damage plants when accumulated in excess. However, the contribution of Si to plant growth has been largely ignored due to its universal existence in the earth's crust. From numerous intensive studies on Si, initiated in Japan about 80 years ago, Japanese scientists realized that Si was important for the healthy growth of rice and for stability of rice production. In a worldwide first, silicon was recognized as a valuable fertilizer in Japan. The beneficial effects of Si on rice growth in particular, are largely attributable to the characteristics of a silica gel that is accumulated on the epidermal tissues in rice. These effects are expressed most clearly under high-density cultivation systems with heavy applications of nitrogen. Si is therefore recognized now as an ''agronomically essential element'' in Japan.Recently, Si has become globally important because it generates resistance in many plants to diseases and pests, and may contribute to reduced rates of application of pesticides and fungicides. Silicon is also now considered as an environment-friendly element. The achievements of Si research in Japan are introduced in this book, in relation to soils, fertilizers and plant nutrition.

This Encyclopedia of Agrophysics will provide up-to-date information on the physical properties and processes affecting the quality of the environment and plant production. It will be a "first-up" volume which will nicely complement the recently published Encyclopedia of Soil Science, (November 2007) which was published in the same series. In a single authoritative volume a collection of about 250 informative articles and ca 400 glossary terms covering all aspects of agrophysics will be presented. The authors will be renowned specialists in various aspects in agrophysics from a wide variety of countries. Agrophysics is important both for research and practical use not only in agriculture, but also in areas like environmental science, land reclamation, food processing etc. Agrophysics is a relatively new interdisciplinary field closely related to Agrochemistry, Agrobiology, Agroclimatology and Agroecology. Nowadays it has been fully accepted as an agricultural and environmental discipline. As such this Encyclopedia volume will be an indispensable working tool for scientists and practitioners from different disciplines, like agriculture, soil science, geosciences, environmental science, geography, and engineering.

Long-awaited second edition of classic textbook, brought completely up to date, for courses on tropical soils, and reference for scientists and professionals.