Optimizing The Soil Physical Environment Toward Greater Crop Yields

Optimizing The Soil Physical Environment Toward Greater Crop Yields

Optimizing the Soil Physical Environment Toward Greater Crop Yields contains the proceedings of an invitational panel convened during the International Symposium on Soil-Water Physics and Technology held at The Hebrew University Faculty of Agriculture in Rehovot, Israel, August 29 to September 5, 1971. Organized into 13 chapters, this book begins with a discussion on the criteria for determining the aims and direction of research in soil physics and technology. Some chapters deal with the transformation and fluxes of energy and matter in the field, particularly water, soil temperature, soil structure, soil salinity, radiation climate, and nutrient supply and uptake. The book also explores the methods of measuring, managing, and modifying the crop production system to greater agricultural advantage. This book will reflect not only what is known, but also what is missing in the incomplete conception of this environment.

Optimizing Soil Physical Environment Toward Greater Crop Yields

Advances in Soil Science

The world needs for food and fiber continue to increase. Population growth in the developing countries peaked at 2. 4 percent a year in 1965, and has fallen to about 2. 1 percent. However, in many developing countries almost half the people are under 15 years of age, poised to enter their productive and reproductive years. The challenges to produce enough food for this growing population will remain great. Even more challenging is growing the food in the areas of greatest need. Presently the world has great surpluses of food and fiber in some areas while there are devastating deficiencies in other areas. Economic conditions and the lack of suitable infrastructure for distribution all too often limit the alleviation of hunger even when there are adequate supplies, sometimes even within the country itself. World hunger can only be solved in the long run by increasing crop production in the areas where the population is growing most rapidly. This will require increased efforts of both the developed and developing countries. Much of the technology that is so successful for crop production in the developed countries cannot be utilized directly in the developing countries. Many of the principles, however, can and must be adapted to the conditions, both physical and economic, of the developing countries.