Advanced Agronomy: Principles, Practices And Emerging Trends

Description

'Advanced Agronomy: Principles, Practices and Emerging Trends, this text book provides a comprehensive synthesis of fundamental agronomic principles and modern advances in crop production, designed for M.Sc. Agronomy education. The book integrates climate-smart agriculture, precision farming, conservation agriculture, and sustainable resource management with strong scientific depth. It systematically covers soil, water, nutrient, and weed management along with production technologies of cereals, pulses, oilseeds, fodder, and industrial crops. Emphasis is placed on dryland farming, watershed management, and resilient cropping systems under changing climatic conditions. Emerging areas such as organic farming and underutilized crops are included to support diversification and sustainability. Aligned with postgraduate curricula, the text effectively bridges theory with field application. It serves as a valuable academic and professional reference for students, researchers, teachers, and practitioners in agronomy.' Read more

Table of Contents

Preface......................................................................................................................v The Authors........................................................................................................vii 1. Modern Concepts in Crop Production...............................................................1 1: Crop Growth Analysis and Environment 3 2: Quantitative Agro-biological Principles 7 3: Crop Architecture and Yield Physiology 10 4: Scientific Principles of Crop Production 15 5: Role of Plant Growth Regulators and Hormones 18 6: Integrated and Sustainable Farming Approaches 21 7: Dryland and Stress Farming 24 8: Nutrient Management in Crop Production 27 9: Precision and Protected Agriculture 30 10: ICT and Remote Sensing Applications in Agriculture 34 Conclusion 36 Summary 37 References 38 2. Principles and Practices of Soil Fertility and Nutrient Management........45 1: Soil Fertility and Productivity Concepts and Determinants 47 2: Nutrient Supply, Availability, and Crop Growth 50 3: Organic Farming and Sustainable Soil Fertility 54 4: Essentiality of Plant Nutrients 58 5: Dynamics and Transformations of Nutrients in Soil 61 6: Organic Manures and Biofertilizers 64 7: Soil-less Cultivation and Organic Waste Recycling 67 8: Commercial Fertilizers and Fertilizer Use Efficiency 70 9: Fertilizer Application Methods, Timing, and Innovations 73 10: Integrated Nutrient Management and Economics 76 Conclusion 79 Summary 80 References 81 3. Principles and Practices of Weed Management.............................................87 1: Fundamentals of Weed Biology and Ecology 89 2: CropWeed Competition and Allelopathy 92 3: Principles and Methods of Weed Control 96 4: Herbicides Development, Classification, and Mechanisms 100 5: Herbicide Structure, Behavior, and Application 103 6: Herbicide Dynamics in Soil and Plants 107 7: Herbicide Resistance and Residue Management 110 8: Weed Management in Crops and Ecosystems 114 9: Integrated Weed Management (IWM) 118 10: Recent Advances and Future Prospects in Weed Management 121 Conclusion 125 Summary 125 References 126 4. Principles and Practices of Water Management...........................................133 1: Fundamentals of Water in Plant Systems 135 2: Irrigation: Concepts, Objectives, and Development 138 3: Field Water Cycle and Soil-Water Dynamics 142 4: Soil-Plant-Atmosphere Continuum and Water Stress 145 5: Irrigation Scheduling and Methods 148 6: Advanced Irrigation Technologies 152 7: Water Use Efficiency and Quality Management 155 8: Drainage and Excess Water Management 159 9: Rainwater Management and Soil Moisture Conservation 161 10: Water Management in Crops and Climate Change Scenarios 165 Conclusion 168 Summary 168 References 169 5. Conservation Agriculture.................................................................................177 1: Introduction to Conservation Agriculture 179 2: Historical Background and Evolution of Conservation Agriculture 182 3: Soil and Nutrient Management under Conservation Agriculture 185 4: Water Management in Conservation Agriculture 188 5: Weed, Insect-Pest, and Disease Management in Conservation Agriculture 191 6: Farm Machinery and Energy Use in Conservation Agriculture 194 7: Crop Residue and Cover Crop Management 196 8: Climate Change Mitigation and Conservation Agriculture 199 9: Economic and Policy Perspectives of Conservation Agriculture 202 10: Future of Conservation Agriculture 205 Conclusion 207 Summary 208 References 209 6. Agronomy of Major Kharif Cereals and Pulses...........................................217 Agronomy of Kharif Cereals 217 1: Historical Perspectives, Distribution, and Genetic Improvement of Kharif Cereals 218 2: Crop Ecology, Resource Requirements, and Agronomic Management 223 3: Quality, Post-Harvest Technology, and Sustainability in Kharif Cereal Systems 231 Summary 240 References 241 Agronomy of Kharif Pulses 245 1: Origin, Distribution, and Genetic Improvement of Kharif Pulses 246 2: Crop Ecology, Resource Requirements, and Production Technologies of Kharif Pulses 253 3: Quality, Post-Harvest Technology, and Sustainable Intensification of Kharif Pulses 260 Conclusion 265 Summary 265 References 266 7. Agronomy of Major Rabi Cereals and Pulses..............................................271 Agronomy of Rabi Cereals 271 1: Origin, Distribution, and Genetic Improvement of Rabi Cereals 272 2: Crop Ecology, Resource Requirements, and Management Practices 276 3: Quality, Post-Harvest, and Value Chain Management of Rabi Cereals 280 Conclusion 284 Summary 284 References 285 Agronomy of Rabi Pulses 289 1: Historical Perspectives, Distribution, and Genetic Improvement of Rabi Pulses 290 2: Crop Ecology, Resource Requirements, and Agronomic Management of Rabi Pulses 294 3: Quality, Post-Harvest Technology, and Sustainable Intensification of Rabi Pulses 297 Conclusion 301 Summary 301 References 302 8. Agronomy of Kharif and Rabi Oilseed Crops.............................................305 Agronomy of Rabi Oilseed Crops 305 1: Crop Botany, Origin, History, and Distribution of Rabi Oilseed Crops 306 2: Crop Ecology, Agronomic Practices, and Nutrient/Water Management of Rabi Oilseed Crops 310 3: Crop Quality, Processing, and Post-Harvest Management of Rabi Oilseed Crops 316 Conclusion 320 Summary 320 References 321 Agronomy of Kharif Oilseed Crops 325 1: Origin, History, Distribution, and Crop Improvement of Kharif Oilseeds 326 2: Crop Ecology, Agronomic Practices, and Resource Management of Kharif Oilseeds 332 3: Quality Components, Post-Harvest Processing, and Productivity Enhancement of Kharif Oilseeds 339 Conclusion 343 Summary 343 References 344 9. Agronomy of Fibre and Sugar Crops.............................................................349 Agronomy of Fibre Crops 349 1: Origin, History, Distribution, and Crop Improvement of Fibre Crops 350 2: Crop Ecology, Cultural Practices, and Resource Management of Fibre Crops 355 3: Fibre Quality, Harvesting, Processing, and Value Addition of Fibre Crops 359 Conclusion 362 Summary 363 References 364 Agronomy of Sugar Crops 367 1: Origin, Distribution, and Production Aspects of Sugar Crops 368 2: Agronomic and Cultural Management of Sugar Crops 378 3: Quality, Harvesting, and Processing Aspects of Sugar Crops 381 Conclusion 384 Summary 384 References 385 10. Agronomy of Medicinal, Aromatic, and Underutilized Crops.................389 1: Introduction to Medicinal, Aromatic, and Underutilized Crops 390 2: Classification of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants 398 3: Export Potential and Market Dynamics 406 4: Climate and Soil Requirements for Medicinal Crops 409 5: Agronomic Practices for Medicinal Crops 415 6: Climate, Soil, and Cultivation of Aromatic Crops 418 7: Agronomic Practices for Aromatic Crops 423 8: Under-Utilized Crops: Climate, Soil, and Agronomy 426 9: Yield and Value Chain of Underutilized Crops 429 10: Post-Harvest Handling, Processing, and Quality Standards in Medicinal and Aromatic Crops 434 Conclusion 436 Summary 436 References 438 11. Agronomy of Fodder and Forage Crops........................................................443 1: Introduction to Fodder and Forage Agronomy 445 2: Adaptation and Distribution of Fodder Crops 449 3: Varietal Improvement and Breeding of Fodder Crops 454 4: Agro-Techniques for Cereal Fodders 458 5: Agro-Techniques for Leguminous Fodders 462 6: Agro-Techniques for Forage Grasses 467 7: Quality Aspects and Anti-Quality Factors in Fodder and Forage Crops 474 8: Fodder Production, Preservation, and Utilization 477 9: Innovations in Fodder Production and Value Addition 483 10: Economics, Seed Production, and Policy Perspectives in Fodder Cultivation 486 Conclusion 490 Summary 491 References 492 12. Agrostology and Agro-Forestry.......................................................................499 1: Introduction to Agrostology and Agro-forestry 501 2: Principles of Grassland Ecology 504 3: Status and Ecology of Grasslands in India 507 4: Pastures Concepts, Classification, and Importance 513 5: Pasture Establishment, Improvement, and Renovation 516 6: Common Pasture Grasses and Their Utilization 522 7: Agro-forestry Systems Concepts and Classification 529 8: Crop Production Technology in Agrostology and Agro-forestry Systems 533 9: Management Practices in Agro-forestry Systems 536 10: Future Perspectives in Agrostology and Agro-forestry 540 Conclusion 545 Summary 545 References 546 13. Cropping Systems and Sustainable Agriculture.........................................553 1: Fundamentals of Cropping Systems 555 2: Physical Resources and Resource Management 559 3: Sustainability in Cropping and Farming Systems 565 4: Cropping System Strategies and Production Potential 569 5: Biological Interactions in Cropping Systems 574 6: Low-Cost Technologies and Non-Monetary Inputs 578 7: Soil Fertility, Crop Diversification, and Nutrient Management 584 8: Advanced Nutritional and Digital Tools 589 9: Plant Ideotypes and Growth Regulators for Sustainability 593 10: Artificial Intelligence and Future Perspectives 596 References 601 14. Dryland Farming and Watershed Management..........................................607 1: Conceptual Framework of Dryland Farming 609 2: Soil and Climatic Parameters in Dryland Farming 615 3: Constraints in Dryland Agriculture 618 4: Drought and Environmental Characterization 622 5: Crop Planning in Dryland Areas 627 6: Stress Physiology and Drought Resistance 631 7: Tillage, Moisture Conservation, and Soil Management 636 8: Soil and Crop Management in Dryland Systems 640 9: Watershed Resource Management 644 10: Components and Strategies of Watershed Management 648 Conclusion 652 Summary 652 References 653 15. Principles and Practices of Organic Farming...............................................661 1: Concept and Scope of Organic Farming 663 2: Principles of Organic Agriculture 667 3: Organic Standards and Certification 671 4: Land Use and Conversion to Organic Farming 677 5: Soil and Water Management in Organic Farming 681 6: Soil Fertility and Nutrient Management in Organic Farming 685 7: Farming Systems and Cropping Strategies in Organic Farming 689 8: Weed, Pest, and Disease Management in Organics 693 9: Socio-Economic and Environmental Aspects of Organic Farming 697 10: Future Prospects and Research in Organic Farming 705 Conclusion 709 Summary 709 References 710 Index.....................................................................................................................717 Read more

About the Author/Editor

Prof. (Dr.) S. N. Sharma is a distinguished agricultural scientist with over 43 years of exemplary experience in research, education, and administration. Beginning his career in 1981, he retired as Dean and Faculty Chairman, SKN College of Agriculture, Jobner, and presently serves as Dean, Faculty of Agricultural Sciences, Maharishi Arvind University, Jaipur. A prolific researcher, he has led 10 funded projects, published 112 research papers (46 international), guided 6 Ph.D. scholars, and authored 10 academic books. Prof. (Dr.) O. P. Sharma is a distinguished agronomist and Emeritus Professor under the ICAR Scheme, with an illustrious career in agricultural education, research, and academic leadership. He served at Sri Karan Narendra Agriculture University, Jobner, rising from Assistant Professor to Professor, and significantly contributed to the advancement of agronomic sciences. An accomplished teacher and mentor, he has guided 30 M.Sc. (Ag.) and 8 Ph.D. scholars, many of whom hold prominent academic and scientific positions. Prof. (Dr.) Seema Sharma is a distinguished Professor of Agronomy at the Rajasthan Agricultural Research Institute, Durgapura, Jaipur, under Sri Karan Narendra Agriculture University, Jobner. An accomplished mentor, she has successfully guided 4 M.Sc. (Ag.) and 4 Ph.D. scholars in Agronomy. She has developed nearly 50 farmer-oriented agronomic technologies and published over 50 research papers in reputed national and international journals. Prof. (Dr.) Swati Sharma, Professor (Agribusiness Management), ASPEE Agribusiness Management Institute, Navsari Agricultural University, Navsari (Gujarat). She holds a Ph.D. in Management, an MBA in Agri-Business Management, a B.Sc. in Agriculture, and a PG Diploma in Agri-Warehousing Management from MANAGE, Hyderabad. She has published 87+ research papers, 83 book chapters, and several authored and edited books. A mentor to PG and Ph.D. scholars and agripreneurs under the AC&ABC Scheme. Read more