Agriculture
NOVA publishes a wide array of books in the field of agriculture from authors and editors from around the globe.
-
Quick ViewA variety of analytical techniques have been developed to determine the content of sugars in honey, such as spectroscopic, chromatographic, and electrochemical ones. In this collection, the authors present the cross-section of results on sugar composition, obtained by contemporary analytical methods used in honey authentication. The following chapter addresses how sago fronds can be used…
-
Quick View
Sweet sorghum is a cereal that belongs to the species Sorghum bicolor (L) Moench. Although the crop is reportedly native to Africa, it is grown worldwide largely because it thrives well under wide rainfall, varied day lengths, and varied soil conditions and can tolerate varying degrees of biotic and abiotic factors and stresses. In Sweet…
-
Quick ViewIn California, the roughly 500-mile long Central Valley Project (CVP), one of the nation’s largest water projects, provides water for multiple uses, including irrigation; municipal supply; power generation; and fish and wildlife mitigation, protection, and restoration. Reclamation, which manages the CVP, must balance these competing interests for water, which is particularly important as California enters…
-
Quick ViewFarm businesses’ debt-use decisions can affect their growth and survival, as well as the economic vitality of farm-dependent rural communities. Thus policymakers, agricultural lenders, and other farm-sector participants closely follow trends in farm debt. This book is a primer on the use of debt by U.S. farm businesses for policymakers, researchers, and others interested in…
-
Quick View
New Developments in Agricultural Research provides a comprehensive introduction and overview of portable MMSs applied to agricultural and forestry, to highlight the potentialities and challenges of this novel technology in this specific application field. The application of these systems for dendrometric parameters is presented, as well as a review about their applications. The authors discuss…
-
Quick ViewMost U.S. farms are family operations, and even the largest farms are predominantly family-run. Small farms are less profitable than larger farms, on average, and their operator households tend to rely on off-farm income for their livelihood. Generally speaking, farm operator households cannot be characterized as low-income when both farm and off-farm incomes are considered.…
-
Quick ViewRice, an ancient grain, is the primary staple for more than half the world’s population, through its role in the diets of billions of low-income, food-insecure consumers. Its vital role makes its availability and price politically sensitive for governments in several regions. Government intervention is often aimed at keeping prices affordable, especially for low-income consumers.…
-
Quick ViewTrade, particularly exports, is critical to the vitality of American agriculture. On average, foreign markets absorb about one-fifth of U.S. agricultural production, thus contributing significantly to the health of the farm economy. The positive economic effects of trade in farm products are felt well beyond the farm gate. Farm product exports make up about 10%…
-
Quick ViewLarge farms now dominate crop production in the United States. Although most cropland was operated by farms with less than 600 crop acres in the early 1980s, today most cropland is on farms with at least 1,100 acres, and many farms are 5 and 10 times that size. This ongoing shift in farm structure raises…
-
Quick ViewMany farm policymakers generally consider the federal crop insurance program as the principal tool to help farmers cope with the variable impact of weather on crop yields. The program makes available subsidized policies that farmers may purchase each year to protect against yield and/or revenue declines during a particular growing season. Policies are available for…
-
Quick ViewThis book examines the most up-to-date research in the agricultural field. The first chapter examines intercropping systems as a way of increasing productivity of land. The following chapter discusses hyperspectral imaging as an emerging and green chemistry technique for non-destructive and rapid food analysis. Chapter three also discusses hyperspectral imaging, with an emphasis on carrots.…
-
Quick ViewThis book on cover crops begins with a review of management practices on cover crops, their benefits, constrains associated with their use and possible solutions as experienced in southern Africa. The following chapter aims to review the literature addressing the effect of growing different cover crops under different soil management systems on the soil P…
-
Quick ViewBees are eusocial insects with highly successful cosmopolitan distribution. Honeybees contribute substantially to the worldwide healthy economy and food security as pollinators. On-going and well-documented declines and losses in managed honeybee colonies represent one of the current threats to insect crop pollination service. This book begins with a review on the genetic structure of dark…
-
Quick View
Congress has been active in establishing federal policy for the agricultural sector on an ongoing basis since the 1930s. Over the years, as economic conditions and technology have evolved, Congress has regularly revisited agricultural policy through periodic farm legislation. Over these decades, the breadth of policy areas addressed through such farm bills has expanded beyond…
-
Quick ViewThe federal crop insurance program began in 1938 when Congress authorized the Federal Crop Insurance Corporation. The current program, which is administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Risk Management Agency (RMA), provides producers with risk management tools to address crop yield and/or revenue losses for about 130 crops. The federal farm safety net also…
-
Quick ViewOn June 17, 2014, the White House released a Presidential Memorandum entitled “Establishing a Comprehensive Framework to Combat Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated Fishing and Seafood Fraud.” Among other actions, the Memorandum established a Presidential Task Force on Combating Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated Fishing and Seafood Fraud. The Task Force was directed to report to the…
-
Quick ViewAgricultural Management for Climate Change includes work from various international institutions that consider agricultural management to address climatic changes and extremes. Our team of editors and authors hope to add a valuable contribution to address global climate change in relation to agricultural ecosystems in vulnerable locations. For this book and its contents, the intended audience…
-
Quick ViewThe National Household Food Acquisition and Purchase Survey (FoodAPS) is the first survey to collect unique and comprehensive data about food purchases and acquisitions for a nationally representative sample of U.S. households. This book compares shopping patterns of (1) Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) households to low- and higher income nonparticipant households, (2) participants in…
-
Quick ViewClimate change poses significant risks to future crop productivity as temperatures rise, rainfall patterns become more variable, and pest and disease pressures increase. The use of crop genetic resources to develop varieties more tolerant to rapidly changing environmental conditions will be an important part of agricultural adaptation to climate change. Finding new genetic traits that…
-
Quick ViewIn the first chapter of the book, the immunotoxicological risk arising from xenogenous substances is emphasized. Immunotoxicology investigates unwanted adverse effects of xenobiotics on the immune system of man and animals. With regards to insecticides and pest control, several studies showed that the insect endocrine system, especially anti-stress neuropeptides, could be used as a potential…
-
Quick ViewSolanum lycopersicum is the scientific name for cultivated tomatoes. Tomatoes are produced and consumed worldwide. Many scientists are investigating such aspects as production, post-harvest, nutritional components, and health benefits of tomatoes. Moreover, Solanum lycopersicum is one of the model plants in recent molecular biology as Arabidopsis. This book consists of recent research topics written by…
-
Quick ViewThe Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) provides payments to agricultural producers to take highly erodible and environmentally sensitive land out of production and install resource conserving practices for 10 or more years. CRP was first authorized in the Food Security Act of 1985 and is administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA’s) Farm Service Agency…
-
Quick ViewFrom 1970 to 2007, hundreds of millions of pounds of pesticides were applied annually to U.S. food crops to protect them from pests. To protect consumers, EPA sets standards – known as tolerances – for pesticide residues on foods. FSIS monitors meat, poultry, and processed egg products to ensure they do not violate EPA’s tolerances,…
-
Quick ViewIn this book, current research is presented no the study of weed and pest control with a special focus on molecular biology, agronomic practices and environmental impact. Topics discussed include integrated weed management in winter cereals; control of Orobanche spp. in terms of molecular aspects and agronomic practices; alien plant species invading rare and protected…
