Detailed coverage of the latest research on plant physiology, including flowering and pollination in trees, apple fruit development and ripening;Reviews current best practice in tree training, pruning and thinning operations, including the use of growth regulators and new areas such as mechanisation and automation;Discusses the range of fungal and viral diseases affecting apples

Sepp Holzer farms steep mountainsides in Austria, 1,500 metres above sea level. His farm is an intricate network of terraces, raised beds, ponds, waterways and tracks, well covered with productive fruit trees and other vegetation, with the farmhouse neatly nestling amongst them. This is in dramatic contrast to his neighbours spruce monocultures. In this book, Sepp shares the skill and knowledge acquired over his lifetime. He covers every aspect of his farming methods, not just how to create a...

First published in 1943, “The Farming Ladder” aims to explain how the reader may start and maintain a successful and profitable farm in the easiest way possible, without requiring a great deal of special knowledge or skills. With original ideas and a wealth of helpful tips, this is a volume not to be missed by existing or prospective smallholders and farmers. Contents include: “The Farm”, “The Plan”, “The Poultry”, “The Cattle”, “The Sheep”, “The Pigs”, “The Land”, “Labour”, “Corn Bins Unl...

**Golden fields, ripening apples, lowing cattle: our idea of the landscape has been shaped by agriculture, as has the land itself. But in a fast-changing world, how does the great British countryside continue to provide the food we eat?**Most people living in Britain today must go back several generations before they find an ancestor who worked on the land. How much do we really know about those who are supplying us with the most essential things in life: our daily bread and butter, meat a...

Adapting Agriculture to Climate Change is a fundamental resource for primary industry professionals, land managers, policy makers, researchers and students involved in preparing Australia’s primary industries for the challenges and opportunities of climate change. More than 30 authors have contributed to this book, which moves beyond describing the causes and consequences of climate change to providing options for people to work towards adaptation action. Climate change implications and adapt...

Mark Nelson, PhD, has worked for several decades in closed ecological systems research. As one of eight brave souls enclosed in the pioneering Biosphere 2 experiment for two years in 1991-1993, Nelson learned fi rst hand how essential the proper use of human waste is to the health of the planet. This realization, combined with his lifelong love aff air with constructed wetlands, led to the development of Wastewater Gardens, an ecological way to treat human waste and preserve water quality....

Improving the dynamic relationship between nature and human well-being is a pressing issue of our time. Landscapes embody this tight interconnectedness and serve as unique sustainability learning hubs, showcased by the global rise of place-based and holistic landscape stewardship initiatives. Incorporating these exciting developments, this book explores the principles of landscape stewardship and their function in fields such as agriculture, ecological restoration and urban green infrastru...

Wetland planting can bring back biodiversity, reduce the impact of drought and flood, improve water quality and conserve beauty in a mismanaged landscape. Planting Wetlands and Dams is a step-by-step, plain language guide to the creation of conditions in which wetland plants will thrive, from design and construction to collecting plants, seeds and propagation. Completely revised and expanded, this new edition includes comprehensive information for around 200 genera of wetland plants from Tasm...

Summarises current good agricultural practice in maize cultivation, from seed selection to nutrient management, conservation agriculture, rotations and intercropping;Reviews advances in understanding and managing diseases and pests such as viruses, nematodes and weeds;Discusses ways maize cultivation can be made more ‘climate smart’

Comprehensive review of each step in the value chain for mango cultivation, from breeding new varieties to post-harvest storageCoverage of advances in mango genetics and understanding genetic diversityStrong focus on understanding and preventing post-harvest losses

Reviews developments in understanding and protecting genetic diversity in rice, and how this translates into marker-assisted and other developments in breeding;Discusses advances in breeding varieties with enhanced properties such as high yield and drought tolerance;Summarises current research on understanding and improving nutritional properties such as vitamin and mineral content

Tea is big business. After water, tea is believed to be the most widely consumed beverage in the world. And yet, as productivity increases, the real price of tea declines while labour costs continue to rise. Tea remains a labour intensive industry. With a distinguished career spanning over 50 years and rich experience in diverse crops, Mike Carr is eminently qualified to indulge in an intelligent discourse on tea agronomy. In addition to a comprehensive review of the principal tea growing ...