With the agricultural sector pledging to improve its sustainability, there is an urgent need to move away from linear food production models which rely on significant raw material inputs and generate large amounts of residual waste.Developing circular agricultural production systems reviews the emergence of circular agriculture as an approach to improving the sustainability of the agricultural sector. The book addresses recent advances in understanding and...

This book features four peer-reviewed reviews on organic soil amendments.The first chapter examines the role of biofertilisers and consortia of microorganisms in improving the effectiveness of organic fertilisation, before moving on to consider the use of animal excrement, including manures, slurry and guano. The chapter also considers the use of products or by-products of both animal and plant origin as fertilisers.The second chapter provides a critical evaluation of the p...

This book features five peer-reviewed reviews on the utilisation of manure to improve soil management and health.The first chapter reviews ways to improve manure management in animal housing during storage and after application in the field. The chapter also considers manure application methods and their effects on nitrogen utilisation and soil carbon storage.The second chapter discusses the role of manure and compost in maintaining soil health, as well as ways of integrati...

Nitrogen (N) is potentially one of the most complex elements on the Earth. It is necessary for all biological activity, but creates negative impacts on water and air quality. There is a balancing act between deficiency and surplus and the forms of N available further complicate our understanding of the dynamics. Biological fixation provides some plants with N supply while others are totally dependent upon N being available in the soil profile for the roots to extract. Nevertheless, the dem...

Assesses the viability of management strategies implemented to improve soil health, e.g. intercropping and zero tillageProvides a comprehensive coverage of the dimensions of soil healthReviews the role of organic and other amendments in improving soil health

Soil organic matter (SOM) is a highly reactive constituent of the soil matrix because of its large surface area, high ion exchange capacity, enormous affinity for water due to hygroscopicity, and capacity to form organo-mineral complexes. It is an important source and sink of atmospheric CO2 and other greenhouse gases depending on climate, land use, soil and crop management, and a wide range of abiotic and biotic factors, including the human dimensions of socioeconomic and political factor...

The Open Access version of this book, available at https://www.taylorfrancis.com/books/edit/10.1201/9781003082613, has been made available under a Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial-No Derivatives 4.0 license.This book explains the concept of using phytotechnology with biomass production to improve soil quality and restore contaminated sites to a useful state that has economic and social value. Phytotechnology with Biomass Production: Sustainable Management of Cont...

Sustainable agriculture is a rapidly growing field aiming at producing food and energy in a sustainable way for humans and their children. Sustainable agriculture is a discipline that addresses current issues such as climate change, increasing food and fuel prices, poor-nation starvation, rich-nation obesity, water pollution, soil erosion, fertility loss, pest control, and biodiversity depletion. Novel, environmentally-friendly solutions are proposed based on integrated knowledge from scie...

Recycling and Deinking of Recovered Paper, Second Edition covers recent advances in recycling technologies. This second edition examines this new process, which is more eco-friendly than the virgin-papermaking process, and which uses less energy and natural resources, produces less solid waste and fewer atmospheric emissions, and helps to preserve natural resources and landfill space. In addition, the most recent information about the recycling of fibers into various grades of paper and bo...

Soil Health and Intensification of Agroecosystems examines the climate, environmental, and human effects on agroecosystems and how the existing paradigms must be revised in order to establish sustainable production. The increased demand for food and fuel exerts tremendous stress on all aspects of natural resources and the environment to satisfy an ever increasing world population, which includes the use of agriculture products for energy and other uses in addition to human and animal food....

Improving Water and Nutrient Use Efficiency in Food Production Systems provides professionals, students, and policy makers with an in-depth view of various aspects of water and nutrient us in crop production. The book covers topics related to global economic, political, and social issues related to food production and distribution, describes various strategies and mechanisms that increase water and nutrient use efficiency, and review te curren situation and potential improvements ...

Exploring the dramatic growth and changes in the field of vermicomposting since 1988, this comprehensive review assesses the advancements made in government-funded projects in the U.S. and UK. It discusses outdoor and indoor windrows, container systems, wedge systems, and low labor-requirements. It also examines fully-automated continuous flow vermicomposting reactor systems that can process more than 1000 tons of organic wastes per reactor. The book highlights the science and biology behi...