Soil health management practices and systems can be important tools for farmers to realize on-farm benefits associated with decreased erosion, improved levels of soil organic matter and improved soil structure and function. This chapter describes existing research on the economics of soil health (with a focus on the USA), with a particular focus on the adoption of soil health management practices by farmers and the effectiveness of incentives. The chapter identifies priorities for future research and provides a detailed list of additional resources for readers interested in topics related to the economics of soil health and soil health management practices.
Developing early-maturing and stress-resistant potato varieties
Regular price
$32.50
Save $-32.50
Asian countries with a cereal-based cropping system face a tremendous food security challenge to feed their 4.3 billion people. Potato, being a complete food, can be a valid alternative. This chapter describes the selection of germplasm and traits for breeding early-maturing varieties of potato, exploring genetic aspects of earliness and breeding strategy. The chapter looks at early tuber initiation, high dry matter partitioning efficiency and basic factors that need to be taken into account when breeding for earliness in the potato. The chapter suggests breeding strategies for earliness and stress resistance and considers the genetic aspects. The chapter incorporates a detailed case study of developing an early-maturing, moderately late-blight-resistant Kufri Khyati potato variety for Indian plains. Finally, the chapter looks ahead to future research trends in this area.
Soil texture and structure: role in soil health
Regular price
$32.50
Save $-32.50
Soil texture is a major parameter in quantifying basic soil properties. Healthy soils are well aggregated and provide a continuous pore system with high surface accessibility. They are well aerated, contain sufficient plant available water and provide a reliable filter and buffer capacity. This chapter discusses the effects of particle size and aggregate formation on soil properties, which affect soil health such as cation exchange capacity and hydraulic conductivity, as well as what optimal particle size and aggregate formation mean for soil management.
Advances in understanding apple tree growth: rootstocks and planting systems
Regular price
$32.50
Save $-32.50
Recent research and development has investigated the factors influencing apple tree growth, with the ultimate aim of helping apple growers provide the market with fruit which is consistent in quality and which exhibits the features that consumers value, such as firmness, juiciness, colour and appropriate sugar–acid balance. This chapter begins with a review of important aspects of tree growth and development. It then discusses the importance of rootstocks, with an emphasis on the mechanisms and morphological effects of dwarfing. The chapter provides a brief introduction to the manipulation of tree growth and development and follows it up with a discussion of the effects of different planting systems.
Soil microorganisms: role in soil health
Regular price
$32.50
Save $-32.50
Soil is a complex environment that supports the largest, most diverse and resilient microbial community on the planet, essential for nutrient cycling and plant growth. The details of many soil microorganisms remain unknown, but the recent improvements in molecular methods for microbial ecology have made it possible to view the soil microbiome as a whole, providing information on its responses to changes in land-use and microbially-mediated functions relevant to agricultural sustainability and major geochemical cycles. This chapter discusses methods for investigating microorganisms in soil and the contribution of soil microorganisms to nutrient cycling in soil, as well as the impact on the soil microbiome of activities such as crop selection, land management and the use of agrochemicals such as fertilisers. The influence of the microbiome on crop health and yields is considered, and the potential for future exploitation of the soil microbiome is discussed.
Soil sampling for soil health assessment
Regular price
$32.50
Save $-32.50
A successful soil health study or project requires thorough planning. Accurate results in soil health assessment can be difficult to obtain due to complications from spatial, temporal and managerial variability. A well-planned soil health sampling design will ensure that the resulting data are representative of the sample population and study objectives. This chapter focuses on three crucial stages of a successful soil health study: defining objectives and generating hypotheses, designing a suitable sampling plan and collecting data.
Managing irrigation for soil health in arid and semi-arid regions
Regular price
$32.50
Save $-32.50
Irrigated arid and semi-arid regions of the world account for more than 40% of the global crop production. Managing soil health while simultaneously increasing water use efficiency in these areas is challenging, but critical to future global food security. This chapter describes production practices such as no-tillage and surface residue preservation that maximize both water infiltration into soil and soil water retention, reduce runoff and evaporation and thereby increase the productive flow of water via transpiration. The chapter summarizes recent information on the application of soil health management principles in irrigated and dry land arid and semi-arid environments, including examples of cost–benefit trade-offs associated with reduced-disturbance no-tillage systems and the use of cover crops. The chapter looks ahead to future trends in this area and suggests further reading for those interested in researching further.
Hybrid potato breeding for improved varieties
Regular price
$32.50
Save $-32.50
Hybrid potato breeding promises to create new cultivars within a few years. This would facilitate the introgression of genes by marker-assisted selection. In addition, hybrid cultivars can be made available as true seeds, free of soil-borne pathogens, quick to multiply and easy to transport and store. Self-incompatibility and inbreeding depression were previously thought to be prohibiting factors for hybrid potato breeding but have recently been overcome: nearly homozygous diploid inbred lines have been generated and the first experimental hybrids have been evaluated in the field. In this chapter, we review the scientific basis for hybrid potato breeding and highlight the features of our strategy for creating a hybrid breeding system in potato including propagation through seed. We discuss the recent progress made towards the development of useful hybrid varieties, and consider how the hybrid potato breeding technology platform will need to be adapted and optimized for different production systems.
Viruses affecting potatoes
Regular price
$32.50
Save $-32.50
The impact of viruses on potato production can be devastating in many areas worldwide. Breeding for agronomic and resistance traits, knowledge of virus species and their epidemiology, together with the development of accurate diagnostic methods have been essential for the development of crop management strategies, and helped certification programmes worldwide in maintaining high health standards. However, in developing countries, there are still major challenges in achieving these goals and, in particular, obtaining: high-quality seed potatoes, appropriate agronomic skills and cultivars that are adapted to a specific environment. In developed countries the challenge resides in increasing further harvestable yields for seed and ware potatoes to compensate for a decreasing arable surface area. There are more than forty virus species that infect potato, and their differing epidemiology poses a challenge for their management and control worldwide. Amongst these virus species, insect-transmitted viruses are the major cause of crop degeneration worldwide. The chapter addresses in detail the challenges posed by viruses in potato production and the challenges of managing and controlling potato-infecting viruses. It includes a case study on the transmission and distribution of aphid-transmitted viruses in field conditions, and looks ahead to future trends in this area, providing guidance on further reading.
Post-harvest storage of potatoes
Regular price
$32.50
Save $-32.50
Storage is one component of the field to fork cycle and good storage can maintain the quality of the input tubers with positive benefits for the rest of the supply chain. This chapter reviews the mechanisms underlying potato spoilage and discusses key techniques for storing potatoes to maintain quality and shelf life, with where possible and as little reliance on agrochemical usage as possible, to conform to current and forthcoming legislation. This is crucial to maximise the profit of potato production to enable progressive and sustainable agriculture. The principal tool available to the store manager is the control of air, as the means by which temperature and humidity are controlled, chemical treatments are delivered, oxygen is maintained and carbon dioxide removed. Pathological and physiological factors both impact on quality and these are discussed in relation to available current practical, effective, storage control methods.
Soil and soil health: an overview
Regular price
$32.50
Save $-32.50
Soil health is an urgent concern because of the need to manage soil resources better to meet food and other security imperatives. The different meanings of soil ‘quality’ and ‘health’ are explained. Soil health is defined as an integrative property of the biotic and abiotic components of the soil system that describes its performance relative to its inherent potential. Options for assessing soil health are reviewed and a commentary provided on which of these may be most useful in practical agriculture. The importance of good governance of soil health is emphasised and some insights are presented about its management.
Soil ecosystem services: an overview
Regular price
$32.50
Save $-32.50
Ecosystem services provided by soil can be supporting (e.g. providing primary production and biodiversity) or regulatory (e.g. erosion control, water infiltration, nutrient retention, atmospheric gas regulation and pest control). This chapter explains how ecosystem services benefit human welfare through these functions, addressing the role of soil in the production of food, fibre and energy, erosion control and nutrient abatement. The chapter also examines how soil regulates infiltration of water, can mitigate greenhouse gases control pests and supports biodiversity. The chapter provides an extensive review of the literature for further reading on the subject and looks ahead to future research trends in this area.
Biological indicators of soil health in organic cultivation
Regular price
$32.50
Save $-32.50
This chapter reviews the range of physical, chemical and biological indicators of soil health and how they can be used in practice, in this case focussing on measuring soil health in organic vegetable cultivation and, in particular, the effects of adding organic amendments to soil. Measures include soil organic carbon (SOC), carbon (C) pools and biologically active carbon. The chapter also reviews use of biological indicators such as the use of functional gene copies of bacterial nitrifiers to measure the effects of amendments on soil biological health. The chapter identifies the need to develop standard protocols that simplify techniques, rendering them accessible, reproducible and economical for routine soil analyses.
Effects of crop rotations and intercropping on soil health
Regular price
$32.50
Save $-32.50
There has been an increasing interest in evaluating the health of soil resources motivated by the growing cognizance that soil is a critically important component of the earth’s biosphere, playing an important functional role not only in producing food and fibre, but also in maintaining ecosystem services and global environmental quality. There was a great deal of concern in developing management practices that improve the capacity of the soil to perform its various functions by identifying the physical, chemical and biological soil attributes and by quantifying the changes in the state of soil resulting from different agronomic practices. The goal of this chapter is to discuss the effects of crop rotation and intercropping management practices that are relevant to productivity and their impact on soil health enhancement and stability. This chapter will also attempt to contribute holistic appreciations of the importance of leguminous crops and soil organic matter in maintaining healthy soils, sustaining crop productivity and enhancing biodiversity.
Soil health assessment and inventory: indices and databases
Regular price
$32.50
Save $-32.50
It is increasingly appreciated that the soil resource embodies significant natural capital supporting valuable ecosystem services, yet soil natural capital and ecosystem services are threatened by land degradation at the same time as they become more central to efforts to expand food production to feed a growing population. This chapter explores the challenges for comprehensive soil health assessment, giving an account of soil health assessment frameworks and indices and indexing systems in active use. The chapter looks at practical on-farm assessment of soil health, including the use of soil health cards, crowdsourcing and citizen science. It also describes methods of mapping soil health and the use of soil property databases, concluding with a proposal for a multi-scale soil database framework. Finally, the chapter looks ahead to future research trends and provides detailed guidance on further reading in this area.
Advances in irrigation management and technology in potato cultivation: experiences from a humid climate
Regular price
$32.50
Save $-32.50
For many farmers, irrigation is an essential component of potato production, serving to maximise yields and meet quality assurance targets for retailers and consumers. In recent years, rising costs for labour and energy (pumping) have led to considerable attention being given to improving on-farm irrigation efficiency and water productivity, or ‘more crop per drop’. This chapter focuses on recent advances in both in-field water management (notably irrigation scheduling) and application equipment, including the challenges in implementing precision irrigation technologies to improve productivity and reduce water demands. The chapter reports evidence relating to research and practitioner experiences from the United Kingdom, which has a humid climate and where irrigation is supplemental to rainfall, but the issues raised and measures proposed are equally applicable to other environments where water resources for agriculture are under scrutiny and potatoes are an important commodity crop.
Soil health and climate change: a critical nexus
Regular price
$32.50
Save $-32.50
A healthy soil has the capacity to sustain biological activity, maintain environmental quality and promote plant and animal health. This chapter reviews the impact of climate change on the key components of soil health, including soil physical, chemical and biological properties. Holistically, under the nexus of climate change and farming systems, this chapter also reviews some of the key management practices that have been demonstrated to improve soil health and deliver climate benefits. To address the conundrum of building soil health under a changing climate, this chapter proposes a framework for wider implementation of sustainable management approaches for improving soil health globally. The chapter looks ahead to future research trends in this area, including multidisciplinary collaboration and communications, and provides guidance on further reading on the subject.
Fungal diseases affecting potato storage
Regular price
$32.50
Save $-32.50
Fungal and oomycete pathogens responsible for causing potato storage diseases are both numerous and ubiquitous wherever potatoes are grown. These diseases can result in losses of 5–10% during storage, with additional losses caused in the field in subsequent growing seasons for affected seed crops. Previous research has tended to focus on individual diseases and their management, but there is a growing need to understand the bigger picture. This chapter considers the issue in three stages: identifying the causal pathogens, understanding the epidemiology of the diseases and managing disease in the field and during storage. A detailed case study of Fusarium dry rot is presented to illustrate how improved understanding of diseases can be used to ensure more effective management.
Advances in understanding potato plant physiology and growth
Regular price
$32.50
Save $-32.50
Potato physiology determines how genetically-encoded developmental attributes interact with local environmental conditions, as modified through agricultural practice, to produce the final crop. This chapter highlights how physiological responses of potato to management choices made by growers and environmental conditions during growth and post-harvest storage determine yield, quality and sustainability. The development of the potato plant is described and special emphasis is given to the interdependence of tuber growth and canopy development. Key aspects of the root system architecture are reviewed. The chapter discusses research assessing the sensitivity of potato yield to water and nutrient availability, highlighting the adverse effects of water deficits and high temperatures on tuber growth, quality and overall sustainability.
Nematode pests of potatoes
Regular price
$32.50
Save $-32.50
Potatoes are particularly susceptible to attack from nematodes, with around 70 species from 24 genera several different reported. Nematodes reduce the value of the harvested crop by affecting yield, tuber size and marketability or indirectly through the transmission of viruses. After introducing nematodes and nematode pests of potato, this chapter describes quarantine regulations affecting potatoes with regard to nematodes, before outlining techniques of nematode management. Finally, the chapter describes the major nematode pests of potatoes, outlines future trends in research and suggests further reading on the subject.
Developing new sweet potato varieties with improved performance
Regular price
$32.50
Save $-32.50
Novel sweet potato varieties with improved traits are needed, especially for marginal lands and disease-prone regions. However, the high degree of heterozygosity, high levels of male sterility, and self- and interspecific incompatibility of the sweet potato plant results in strong segregation of hybrid progenies. Molecular breeding provides a promising approach for the development of new varieties with value-added traits. This chapter reviews the development and application of genetic transformation and trait improvement to sweet potato, including the development of sweet potato plants which are resistant to disease and abiotic stress, and sweet potatoes with improved starch quality and higher anthocyanin content.
Plant–soil interactions: an overview
Regular price
$32.50
Save $-32.50
Plant–soil interactions are the prime mechanism for integrating the impacts of the aerial environment, animals (including plant shoot symbionts and pathogens), plant shoot physiology, plant root physiology and structure, the soil microbiome and soil chemistry and structure into what is commonly termed soil health. This chapter addresses three aspects of this chain: interactions of the shoot with the roots, interactions between the roots and the microbiome, and interactions between the root system and the soil physical and structural characteristics. The chapter looks ahead to future developments in this area of research.
Improving potato cultivation to promote food self-sufficiency in Africa
Regular price
$32.50
Save $-32.50
Demand for potato in sub-Saharan Africa is growing, but the projected growth in demand is not matched by the projected growth rate in local potato production. An interplay of factors ensure the production gains achieved are small and slow. This chapter reviews the current state of potato production in Africa, and the challenges it faces. We review the development and promotion of suitable potato varieties, consider crop improvement initiatives and programs, and emphasise the potential of potato to contribute to food security and poverty reduction.
Nutrient cycling in soils
Regular price
$32.50
Save $-32.50
Sustainable agricultural systems must enable profitable production of sufficient high-quality crops to meet human demands while simultaneously minimising off-site impacts. Though simple chemical equilibrium plays a part, nutrient cycling processes in soil are largely the outcome of biochemical processes resulting from the activity and interactions of a huge diversity of soil organisms. Hence soil health is central to nutrient cycling. Decomposition and cycling of C are the central processes driving almost all soil nutrient cycles. The size, diversity and activity of the soil community are affected by complex interactions between physical, chemical and plant community factors within the soil, as well as farm management practices and local climate. New research methods continue to provide increasing insight into the biological and geochemical interactions within soil nutrient cycles. But this research must be conducted in partnership with farmers and agronomists to develop effective site-specific nutrient management approaches and increase the sustainability of farming systems, whilst maintaining soil health.
Ensuring the genetic diversity of potatoes
Regular price
$32.50
Save $-32.50
Preserving genetic diversity lies at the heart of improvements in breeding and resilience in potato cultivation. This chapter discusses the challenges, opportunities and recent accomplishments of potato gene banks in the areas of acquisition, classification, preservation, evaluation and distribution of genetic stocks and information, as well as offering a legal perspective on access to genetic materials. The chapter reviews routes for acquisition of potato genetic material, together with methods for its classification and preservation. The chapter also discusses the evaluation and enhancement of potato genetic material, before looking at issues of control and assess to minimise problems such as transmission of disease.
Potato production and breeding in China
Regular price
$32.50
Save $-32.50
China is the largest potato producer in the world, accounting for a quarter of total global production. The potato has become the fourth most important food crop in China, following corn, rice and wheat. The development of the potato industry has significantly helped to alleviate poverty, improve food security and increase farmers’ incomes. This chapter provides a systematic and comprehensive review of the Chinese potato industry. Topics addressed include potato germplasm collection and evaluation, variety breeding, cultivation and planting patterns. Seed potato propagation is also covered.
Conservation grass hedges and soil health parameters
Regular price
$32.50
Save $-32.50
Grass hedges, narrow (
Improving potato cultivation practices: an overview
Regular price
$32.50
Save $-32.50
Environmental and food safety concerns are driving potato research towards the development of sustainable practices. Soil and planting management, as well as cultivation practices, are directly related to increased marketable yield and quality and are of great importance for quick crop emergence, better growth and quality. Based on research and development in India and abroad, this chapter explores the adoption of production technologies by potato growers in the Indo-Gangetic plains. The chapter provides an overview of potato cultivation in India before considering techniques of soil management, seed bed preparation and planting, and potato cultivation. The chapter then moves on to consider the contribution of green manures and cover crops to potato nutrient management, as well as the impact of irrigation, mechanisation and conservation agriculture.
Advances in conventional potato-breeding techniques
Regular price
$32.50
Save $-32.50
Potato is highly heterozygous. In order to maintain productivity, improved potato varieties are therefore developed by inter-mating desired parental lines and selecting superior clones from the progeny. Since potato is vegetatively propagated, any selected genotype can be fixed with all its intra- and inter-locus interactions responsible for phenotypic expression, and multiplied for commercial cultivation if desired. Recent advances in molecular breeding provide opportunities for rapid genetic gain (Slater et al. 2014a). Nevertheless, phenotypic selection remains the common practice in conventional potato-breeding programmes. Nearly all new varieties of potato still emerge from a process free from use of molecular technologies. This chapter reviews the progress and advances made in phenotypic selection techniques of conventional potato breeding. The role of molecular approaches in improving phenotypic selection is also described briefly.
Understanding ageing processes in seed potatoes
Regular price
$32.50
Save $-32.50
The physiological quality of seed tubers is very important for the performance of the crop grown from them, and interacts strongly with seed tuber size. Physiological quality consists of two components: dormancy and physiological age. This chapter reviews the conditions which influence both dormancy and physiological age, and the effects of seed quality on various aspects of crop performance. Future research should aim for a reliable, cheap indicator of physiological age that can predict the performance of the crop grown from the seed under different conditions and for different outlets.
Pesticide use and biodiversity in soils
Regular price
$32.50
Save $-32.50
Pesticides are applied to agricultural systems in high quantities relative to other synthetic compounds and therefore have considerable effects on soil microbial communities and their functions. Although pesticides undergo considerable evaluation for efficacy in controlling target pests in agroecosystems and non-agricultural sites, effects on soil and environmental organisms and their activities receive minimal attention beyond specific environmental impacts required by regulatory agencies. Limited research has found that pesticides used in agricultural management systems influence both structural and functional biodiversity in soils, which are important components of soil health. The objectives of this chapter are to present the mechanisms by which pesticides affect soil microbial diversity and describe management systems developed to limit impacts of pesticides on soil and environmental health.
Managing soil health in organic cultivation
Regular price
$32.50
Save $-32.50
Although organic standards do not refer directly to soil health, organic agriculture has the potential to improve soil health and environmental services by promoting soil conservation and reducing greenhouse gases. This chapter presents findings from a field experiment which continuously monitored the soil health of an organically managed production system from 2003 to 2014. The experiments focus on intensive organic vegetable crop production systems typical of experienced fresh market growers. The research sought to evaluate short- and long-term effects of various different management systems, including crop rotations, cover crops and animal amendments. We discuss the impact of these measures in terms of nutrient release, soil health, greenhouse gas emissions and ecosystem structure and function.
Improving the breeding, cultivation and use of sweetpotato in Africa
Regular price
$32.50
Save $-32.50
Sweetpotato is a low-input crop with significant potential for improving public health and nutrition and developing food security in sub-Saharan Africa. This chapter examines the nutritional contribution made by OFSP (orange-fleshed sweetpotato) in poor rural communities in Malawi, Ghana, Nigeria and Burkina Faso; sustainable breeding and seed systems; and effective commercialisation and marketing to benefit the communities concerned. The chapter includes detailed case studies from Ghana and Malawi and offers suggestions for future trends for research in this area.
Maintaining soil health in dryland areas
Regular price
$32.50
Save $-32.50
Drylands cover 40% of the global terrestrial space and are home for 2 billion people, often the most vulnerable. Land use is dominated by rangelands and much less by croplands, while barren areas with sparse vegetation mixed with rock outcrops are widespread. In spite of their hostile nature, drylands host 50% of global livestock and 30% of all present grown crops originate from them. This chapter addresses critical research issues needed to maintain soil health in the drylands, including nutrient cycling, preservation of soil biota, carbon sequestration, erosion control, rainwater harvesting and irrigation efficiency. The chapter examines the options for improving dryland soil health and provides a case study from Egypt, as well as looking ahead to future trends in this area and suggesting detailed further reading on the topic.
The impact of heavy metal contamination on soil health
Regular price
$32.50
Save $-32.50
Heavy metal pollution often results in the degradation of soil health. The term ‘soil health’ or ‘soil quality’ is used to express the status of the soil’s functional ability in the ecosystem, as indicated by its physical, chemical and biological properties. Contamination of heavy metals above threshold values can destroy the soil’s natural ability to perform ecosystem services, a change which can be irreversible. Heavy metal contamination of soils is a global challenge that needs to be resolved by the joint efforts of governments and scientific communities. The purpose of this chapter is to summarize the available literature regarding sources, impacts, indicators, risk assessment, remediation and the future problems of heavy metals in relation to soil and human health, and to provide directions for the improvement of soil management and the development of effective pollution control strategies.
Modelling soil organic matter dynamics as a soil health indicator
Regular price
$32.50
Save $-32.50
The presence of soil organic matter (SOM) is seen as essential for soil health. Modelling SOM in soils helps researchers and farmers understand and predict the effects of different cultivation practices on changes in SOM. This chapter reviews key issues in SOM modelling and the development of increasingly sophisticated, dynamic SOM models. It looks at the role of SOM models in improving soil health monitoring and developing decision support tools for farmers.
Advances in development of potato varieties resistant to abiotic stress
Regular price
$32.50
Save $-32.50
Abiotic stresses namely drought, salinity, high or low temperature, submergence, nutrient deficiency and so forth have an impact on potato yields. These suboptimal conditions restrict potato plant performance so that the plants do not reach their full genetic potential. This chapter examines different abiotic stress improvement targets in the potato as well as the variety of tools and techniques being developed and used for crop improvement for abiotic stresses. The chapter reviews technological advances to develop abiotic stress resistance in potatoes and tolerant varieties, especially through genetic engineering, and looks ahead to future trends in this area.
Mechanisms of soil erosion/degradation
Regular price
$32.50
Save $-32.50
Soil degradation threatens soil health in terms of soils functioning as complex living biological systems, delivering multiple ecosystem goods and services. For example, soil erosion removes the most fertile topsoil, reducing soil depth and soil health, which leads to poor crop growth. This impacts on the economic sustainability of farmers’ livelihoods. This chapter identifies different types of soil degradation, focusing on soil erosion by water. Soil erosion processes are described, and how these change soil properties that relate directly to crop growth, including soil depth, water-holding capacity, biota, carbon content and nutrient reserves. The causal links between soil erosion and crop production are presented, including attempts to quantify the economic costs incurred. It is likely that current impacts and costs will increase further under climate change, increasing the need for effective soil erosion mitigation measures that also enhance soil health.
Optimising fertiliser use to maintain soil health
Regular price
$32.50
Save $-32.50
Maintaining the health of soils, and therefore their capacity to carry out the ecosystem functions necessary for sustainable food production, is a complex and evolving area of science. This chapter examines management of mineral fertilisers and organic manures in relation to its effects on soil health in terms of soil organic carbon and nitrogen, soil acidification and soil microbiology. The chapter discusses the optimisation of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium fertilisers use, together with their interactions and interdependency. The chapter considers agricultural systems and practices and offers suggestions for future areas of research.
Manure and compost management to maintain soil health
Regular price
$32.50
Save $-32.50
This chapter discusses the role of manure and compost in maintaining soil health in relation to the use of inorganic fertilizer. It reviews best management practices in using manure and the effects of increased manure use, including resolving problems related to excess manure. The chapter reviews ways of integrating livestock and crop production to optimise soil health, and includes a case study on the legacy effect of a one-time manure application on crop yield and soil health.
Potato pest management with specific reference to the Pacific Northwest (USA)
Regular price
$32.50
Save $-32.50
Over the past 20 years, potato pest management in the Pacific Northwest (PNW) region of the United States has changed dramatically with the emergence and resurgence of new insect pests, including vectors of new, devastating plant pathogens. This chapter reviews the status of pest management in the PNW, along with future research aimed at enabling growers to maintain economically viable and sustainable potato production. The chapter describes the life cycles and effects of the main arthropod pests in the region, including the beet leafhopper, the potato tuberworm and the most significant emerging pest, the potato psyllid, vector of zebra chip disease.
Drainage requirements to maintain soil health
Regular price
$32.50
Save $-32.50
The effective management of soil water conditions is essential for ensuring healthy plant growth and optimum yield. Drainage is the primary technique by which producers keep soil water conditions at or near optimum for plant growth. A well-designed drainage system may result in a number of benefits including: better soil aeration, less flooding in low areas, less surface runoff, better soil structure, better root development, higher yields and improved crop quality. This chapter begins with a brief summary of the history, purpose and practice of land drainage. This is followed by a review of the literature on the impact of excess water and drainage on different aspects of soil health, including physical, chemical, and biological properties and processes.
Supporting smallholder women farmers in potato cultivation
Regular price
$32.50
Save $-32.50
As the importance of potato cultivation among smallholder farmers increases, it is clear that women farmers have a vital role to play in shaping and maximising this growth, safeguarding potatoes as a primary food security crop. The present chapter offers a summary of the current state of potato cultivation and the role of women, with a focus on sub-Saharan Africa. We highlight the enormous potential of women farmers in promoting the broader goals of development and food security in these areas, before examining some of the challenges women face in making their voices count. Different strategies are presented for supporting women smallholders, with a particular emphasis on ensuring that women benefit from agricultural training and have the opportunity to apply their knowledge and resources.
Nutritional properties and enhancement/biofortification of potatoes
Regular price
$32.50
Save $-32.50
There are a number of factors that make potatoes a logical focus for nutritional breeding efforts. As one of the world’s staple foods, they have a key role to play in improving global food security, largely due to their nutritional value, storability, affordability and high yield. Recent years have also witnessed greatly increased consumer concern for healthy food choices, leading to high demand for an increase in the nutritional value of foods that have previously been subject to negative health publicity. This chapter reviews the nutritional composition of potatoes from diverse germplasm including vitamin C, B vitamins, potassium, carotenoids, phenylpropanoids and glycoalkaloids. In each case, we discuss the feasibility and health benefits of increasing these nutrients through traditional and precision breeding efforts. We conclude that the time is ripe for intensifying such efforts, and that some potential targets may have merit beyond health benefits, such as improving flavour, taste and environmental resistance.
The role of soil hydrology in soil health
Regular price
$32.50
Save $-32.50
Soil hydrology stands at the forefront of soil health due to its critical importance in regulating physical, chemical and biological processes in soils. Soil–water interactions are closely related to and create both positive and negative feedbacks with soil characteristics, landscape features and management practices that are closely tied to soil health. This chapter discusses various soil hydrologic processes and properties that influence soil health along with crop growth, ecosystem services and environmental impacts. It describes how soil physical, chemical and biological processes are often mediated by soil hydrologic conditions. These processes and related properties are discussed in this chapter in relation to soil hydrologic functions in the context of soil health and various management practices.
Non-infectious disorders affecting potatoes
Regular price
$32.50
Save $-32.50
There are a wide range of non-infectious disorders that can affect potatoes, generally as a result of imbalances within the plant caused by environmental stresses. Such disorders make tubers unappealing to consumers, and therefore have significant economic consequences. However, non-infectious disorders are often poorly understood and characterized, limiting the extent to which they can be prevented and detected. This chapter describes a range of disorders of potato tubers, categorizing them as external, superficial or internal. In each case, a description of symptoms is given, followed by information about the causes of the disorder and ways of preventing and minimizing its symptoms.
Organic potato cultivation
Regular price
$32.50
Save $-32.50
Organic potato cultivation requires a whole system perspective, with particular focus on rotation design. Producing organic potatoes relies strongly on indirect, preventive and long-term strategic measures for both plant nutrition and plant protection. This chapter examines all aspects of the process of cultivating organic potatoes, including rotation and diversification, breeding, seed potatoes, planting, tillage, weed control, nutrient management, soil fertility and irrigation. The chapter also describes the main diseases and pests of potatoes and organic methods of disease and pest regulation.
Modelling potato growth
Regular price
$32.50
Save $-32.50
The development of mechanistic models for predicting growth of various crops (including potatoes) has continued for several decades, and new applications of such models are increasingly becoming available. Despite the benefits of this development, it may be difficult for the user to choose particular models suitable for a specific purpose (such as decision making in potato farming). In this chapter, we try to provide insights that would help the potential user to better understand the benefits and limitations of various types of models. First, we present some ideas on the general principles of mechanistic modelling and potential applications of crop models. Then, we briefly describe the main physiological processes of potato growth and how they have been handled in mechanistic models. Finally, we provide examples of the recent applications of potato models and discuss the future use of the models for new applications, mainly in precision farming.
Integrated soil health management: a framework for soil conservation and regeneration
Regular price
$32.50
Save $-32.50
Soil function is an interplay of physical, chemical and biological processes, and soil microbes play a direct role in driving soil chemical and physical processes important for overall ecosystem function. This chapter highlights some of the known impacts of management strategies on soil health, conservation and regeneration. The chapter introduces an Integrated Soil Health Management (ISHM) framework that may be used to design, implement and evaluate management decisions for soil conservation and regeneration. The chapter examines the role of soil microbes in chemical and physical processes as well as plant processes, and also examines the challenge of moving beyond tolerable soil loss (T) to ISHM.
Improving nutrient management in potato cultivation
Regular price
$32.50
Save $-32.50
Potatoes require 14 mineral nutrients, which are often applied in fertilisers. This chapter describes management practices that maximise crop production and minimise nutrient losses to the environment. First, it describes the development of the crop and its temporal demands for macronutrients (nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, sulphur, magnesium, calcium) and micronutrients (chlorine, boron, iron, zinc, manganese, copper, nickel, molybdenum), and current agronomic practices for delivering these. It then reports recent developments in precision management of potato crop nutrition, underpinned by geospatially referenced soil maps and application systems, which aim to optimise fertiliser inputs by addressing local heterogeneities in soil conditions and varying inputs across a cultivated area. Finally, it describes how agronomic strategies can be complemented by breeding cultivars with greater acquisition of mineral nutrients, by focussing on root characteristics, and better physiological utilisation of nutrients for tuber yields, by focussing on canopy architecture and nutrient or biomass partitioning within the plant.
