Trees, Crops and Soil Fertility Concepts and Research Methods

by Goetz Schroth, Fergus L Sinclair

Overview

Successful agroforestry requires an understanding of the complex relationship between trees, crops and soils. This book provides a review of both economic and biophysical aspects of soil use and research in agroforestry, with an emphasis on nutrient-poor forest and savanna soils. Key topics covered include the economics of soil fertility management, cycling of water, nutrients and organic matter, soil structure, and soil biological processes.
The book combines synthetic overviews of research results and a review of methods used in research

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780851995939
Publisher:	CABI
Publication date:	02/19/2003
Series:	Cabi Publishing Series
Pages:	448
Product dimensions:	6.75(w) x 9.25(h) x (d)

Table of Contents

* Impacts of trees on the fertility of agricultural soils

• Economic aspects of soil fertility management and agroforestry practices

• Designing experiments and analysing data

• Soil organic matter

• Soil nutrient availability and acidity

• Decomposition and nutrient supply from biomass

• Nutrient leaching

• Nutrient capture

• Nutrient exchange with the atmosphere

• Soil structure

• Soil water

• Root systems

• Biological nitrogen fixation

• Mycorrhizas

• Rhizosphere processes

• Soil macrofauna

• Soil erosion

Editorial Reviews

From the foreword: “The book is written within a particular context - soil fertility development under agroforestry. At first this may seem very specific and thus limited in appeal and application. But over the last decade or so agroforestry research has been one of the most influential in developing new insights into soil biology and fertility and thus provides a very suitable framework for review of progress. Furthermore the influence of trees on soil is profound and of significance beyond agroforestry systems, so the book is likely to be of interest in the wider spheres of agriculture, forestry and ecological sciences.”

Simon Mueller

From the foreword: “The book is written within a particular context - soil fertility development under agroforestry. At first this may seem very specific and thus limited in appeal and application. But over the last decade or so agroforestry research has been one of the most influential in developing new insights into soil biology and fertility and thus provides a very suitable framework for review of progress. Furthermore the influence of trees on soil is profound and of significance beyond agroforestry systems, so the book is likely to be of interest in the wider spheres of agriculture, forestry and ecological sciences.”

Mike Swift TSBF

From the foreword: “The book is written within a particular context - soil fertility development under agroforestry. At first this may seem very specific and thus limited in appeal and application. But over the last decade or so agroforestry research has been one of the most influential in developing new insights into soil biology and fertility and thus provides a very suitable framework for review of progress. Furthermore the influence of trees on soil is profound and of significance beyond agroforestry systems, so the book is likely to be of interest in the wider spheres of agriculture, forestry and ecological sciences.”

Mike Swift

From the foreword: “The book is written within a particular context - soil fertility development under agroforestry. At first this may seem very specific and thus limited in appeal and application. But over the last decade or so agroforestry research has been one of the most influential in developing new insights into soil biology and fertility and thus provides a very suitable framework for review of progress. Furthermore the influence of trees on soil is profound and of significance beyond agroforestry systems, so the book is likely to be of interest in the wider spheres of agriculture, forestry and ecological sciences.”

From the Publisher