Some general charscteristics of farming in a tropical environment; Shifting cultivation systems; Fallow systems; Ley systems; Systems with permanent upland cultivation; Systems with arable irrigation farming; Systems with perennial crops; Grazing systems; General tendences in the development of tropical farm systems.
This book covers the uses of tropical farming systems in tropics of mixed, strip, relay, sequential and multistorey cropping. It discusses the aspects of the tropical farming systems including their history and agronomy and the plant inter-relationship within them.
Land And Soil Are Non-Renewable Natural Resources. The Nature Has Taken Thousands Of Years To Create An Inch Of Fertile Soil. Mismanagement Of This Precious Resource Is A Sin Against Nature And Will Play Havoc With The Fortunes Of The Country. Many Parts Of The Country Have Already Come To The Brink Of Devastation Through Injudicious Usages, Over Exploitation Of Natural Resources Resulting In Unsustainable Productivity Of Crops.Modern Concept Of Cropping System Is Based On The Principle Of Effective Utilization Of Soil Water, Nutrients And Light For Sustainable Crop Productivity. This Book Gives The Basic Principles And Broadly Accepted Definitions Terms Frequently Used In The Literature. A Short-Review Of The Cropping Systems Work Done In The Tropics, Particularly In India Is Presented.In This Revised Edition, Contents Of All The Chapters Have Been Revised To Give Orientation Towards Management Of Sustainable Crop Production Systems. A New Chapter On Farming System Is Also Added In Tune With The Latest Trends. Information Available On Perennial Crop-Based Cropping Systems, For Example High Density Multi Species Cropping Systems Involving Coconut And Arecanut Is Updated. The Various Management Aspects Of Sustainable Cropping Systems Are Discussed And The Research Methodology That Could Be Adopted Is Elucidated. Possible Future Lines Of Work Are Given In The Final Chapter.This Book Will Prove To Be Of Immense Value Not Only To The Research Workers But Also To The Teachers And Students And Above All Farmers And Individuals Who Are Desirous Of Improving Sustainable Crop Production Systems.
Agriculture in the Tropics is one of the most successful and widely read books in the Tropical Agriculture Series and offers a general account of all the factors that affect agriculture in the tropics. It details the economic and physical factors that affect tropical agriculture and discusses land management and the different types of farming systems in practice. It also discusses tropical crops and the improvements that can be made by effective plant breeding programmes. Information is provided on animal feeds, how animals adapt to their environment and how livestock can be improved by well managed hygiene, breeding and nutrition. The third edition has been fully updated and is an essential reference source for all those requiring a comprehensive introduction to tropical agriculture.
The objectives of this Bulletin are to collate up-to-date information on soil tillage requirements for soils in the tropics; to assess the impacts of different ways of tillage on soil, environment and crop productivity; and to outline criteria for developing environment-friendly and economically viable tillage techniques for sustainable use of soil and water resources
Knowledge of Africa’s complex farming systems, set in their socio-economic and environmental context, is an essential ingredient to developing effective strategies for improving food and nutrition security. This book systematically and comprehensively describes the characteristics, trends, drivers of change and strategic priorities for each of Africa’s fifteen farming systems and their main subsystems. It shows how a farming systems perspective can be used to identify pathways to household food security and poverty reduction, and how strategic interventions may need to differ from one farming system to another. In the analysis, emphasis is placed on understanding farming systems drivers of change, trends and strategic priorities for science and policy. Illustrated with full-colour maps and photographs throughout, the volume provides a comprehensive and insightful analysis of Africa’s farming systems and pathways for the future to improve food and nutrition security. The book is an essential follow-up to the seminal work Farming Systems and Poverty by Dixon and colleagues for the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations and the World Bank, published in 2001.
A unique look at how the adoption of sustainable farming methods is being pursued throughout the world. This comprehensive book provides clear insight into research and education needs and the many points of view that come to bear on the issue of sustainability. Essential for agricultural leaders in research, education, conservation, policy making, and anyone else interested in creating an economically and environmentally sustainable agriculture worldwide.
Tropical Dairy Farming is a manual designed for use by dairy production advisors working in tropical areas, especially in South-East Asia. It aims to increase the productivity of small holder dairy farmers in the humid tropics by improving the feeding management of their livestock. It shows how to provide dairy cows with cost-effective feeds that match small holder farming systems and discusses the major obstacles to improving feeding management in the humid tropics. The author shows the benefits and drawbacks of various feed components and the calculation of balanced diets based mainly on forages combined with some supplementary feeding. Diseases and problems associated with unbalanced diets are also covered, as well as important information on growing and conserving quality forages as silage. The book draws on examples from a variety of countries including Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, China, East Timor and the Philippines.
Continued population growth, rapidly changing consumption patterns and the impacts of climate change and environmental degradation are driving limited resources of food, energy, water and materials towards critical thresholds worldwide. These pressures are likely to be substantial across Africa, where countries will have to find innovative ways to boost crop and livestock production to avoid becoming more reliant on imports and food aid. Sustainable agricultural intensification - producing more output from the same area of land while reducing the negative environmental impacts - represents a solution for millions of African farmers. This volume presents the lessons learned from 40 sustainable agricultural intensification programmes in 20 countries across Africa, commissioned as part of the UK Government's Foresight project. Through detailed case studies, the authors of each chapter examine how to develop productive and sustainable agricultural systems and how to scale up these systems to reach many more millions of people in the future. Themes covered include crop improvements, agroforestry and soil conservation, conservation agriculture, integrated pest management, horticulture, livestock and fodder crops, aquaculture, and novel policies and partnerships.