Plant nutrition and soil fertility manual (2nd Ed.)

As soil and crop management procedures have become more complex, County Agricultural Agents, farm advisors, consultants, and fertilizer and chemical dealers have had to specialize in some aspect of soil fertility and crop nutrition management procedures, limiting their ability to provide a range of advice and services. Most farmers and growers can no longer turn to just one source for the information and instruction needed to achieve their production goals. With over 70 percent new material, the second edition of the Plant Nutrition and Soil Fertility Manual discusses the principles determining how plants grow and the elements essential for successful crop production, with a focus on the principles of soil fertility and plant nutrition. The book covers physical and chemical properties of soil, chemical and organic fertilizers, soil acidity and alkalinity, liming and liming materials, and micronutrients essential to plant growth. It also describes elements toxic to plants, soil testing, and plant analysis. The topics and discussion in this self-contained book are practical and user-friendly, yet comprehensive enough to cover material presented in upper-level soil and plant science courses. It allows practitioners with general background knowledge to feel confident applying the principles presented to soil/crop production systems.

Section I. Introduction. Soil Fertility Principles. Plant Nutrition Principles. The Plant Root. How to be a Diagnostician. Section II: Physical and Physiochemical Characteristics of Soil. Soil Taxonomy, Horizontal Characteristics and Clay Minerals. Physical Properties of Soils. Physiochemical Properties of Soil. Soil pH: Its Determination and Interpretation. Soil Organic Matter. Section III: Plant Elemental Requirements and Associated Elements. Micronutrients Considered Essential to Plants. Elements Considered Beneficial to Plants. Elements Considered Toxic to Plants. Trace Elements Found in Plants. Section IV: Methods of Soil Fertility and Plant Nutrition Assessment. Plant Analysis and Tissue Testing. Section V: Amendments for Soil Fertility Maintenance. Inorganic Chemical Fertilizers and Their Properties. Organic Fertilizers and Their Properties. Fertilizer Placement. Soil Water, Irrigation, and Water Quality. Section VI: Methods of Soilless Plant Production. Soilless Rooting and/or Growing Media. Section VII: Miscellaneous. Organic Farming/Gardening. Weather and Climatic Conditions. Best Management Practices (BMPs). Origin. Best Management Practice Application Broadened. Best Practice. Important Protocol Considerations. Precision Farming. Section Appendices. Glossary. Formulation and Use of Soil Extraction Reagents. Preparation Procedures and Elemental Content Determination for Plant Tissue. Weights and Measures. Reference Books and Texts. References. Index.