A must for every public library. A one of a kind reference book, near 1,000 pages, providing an overview of worldwide research with an authors index of over 1,500 works dealing with Organic Soil Conditioning including humic, fulvic, & microbial balance. It was written for home & indoor gardeners, farmers, agricultural & toxic waste consultants, researchers & teachers. Described are the accumulation & the abundance of organic matter, & the involvement of humic, fulvic, & microorganisms in nature's lifecycle. Topics include water, drought tolerance, nitrogen, clays, silicates, metabolic stimulants, & natural insect control are discussed. Ch. 12 documents percentages of increases in organic crop yields. Ch. 13 describes methods & organic materials used to remedy toxic environmental conditions. The last Ch. "What Can I Do to Help?" describes practical, personal application directives. The text includes titles, subheadings, margin notes, summary boxes, conclusions, appendices at the ends of Chapters, end notes with reference citations, glossary, bibliography of 1,500 plus & a topical index. William R. Jackson, Ph.D. To order write: Jackson Research Center, P.O. Box 3577, Evergreen, CO 80439.

Access state-of-the-art research about trace element contamination and its impact on human health in Trace Elements as Contaminants and Nutrients: Consequences in Ecosystems and Human Health. In this ground-breaking guide, find exhaustive evidence of trace element contamination in the environment with topics like the functions and essentiality of trace metals, bioavailability and uptake biochemistry, membrane biochemistry and transport mechanisms, and enzymology. Find case studies that will reinforce the fundamentals of mineral nutrition in plants and animals and current information about fortified foods and nutrient deficiencies.

This work goes beyond the description of the nutritional chemistry of minerals as electrolytes. This book presents evidence of how factors in our lifestyle and polluted environment are insidiously contributing to a cumulative depletion of minerals that is the cause of our escalating level of morbidity statistics - most illness, degenerative disease, premature deaths and aging. The author claims breakthrough research experience with over a thousand patients explaining how depleting levels of electrolytes alter alkaline pH causing acid damage to cells and toxic overload responsible for illness and disease.

A handbook for organic landscaping and turf management for recreational and commercial properties, public spaces, parks and urban gardens. Can you manage the landscape of a golf course, city park, or corporate campus without synthetic fertilizers and toxic pesticides? Absolutely! Organic landscaping is not only possible on a large scale, but it also makes sense both economically and environmentally. It promotes healthy soils and plants, which require less water and sequester more carbon—a winning combination for both your bottom line and the planet’s fight against resource depletion and global warming. Organic programs on a commercial scale have enormous potential to make a difference in the quality of our environment, our use of fuels, and climate change. And as those who have already converted to organics have discovered, they also cost a lot less over the long term. Organic Management for the Professional is the first comprehensive guide to “going green” in large-scale landscaping. Nationally recognized organic gardening expert Howard Garrett, with associates John Ferguson and Mike Amaranthus, not only explains in detail how to manage projects with natural organic techniques, but also presents the material in clear, simple terms so that commercial and institutional property owners can understand what to ask of their landscape architects, contractors, growers, and maintenance people. They give detailed, proven instructions for the key components of organic landscaping—soil building, correct planting techniques, fertilizing, pest control, compost, and mulch. Then they show how to apply these organic methods in large-scale landscaping, commercial growing, such as orchards, tree farms, nurseries, and greenhouse operations, and recreational properties such as sports fields and parks.

Present in soil and water, humic substances are the most widespread organic compounds, naturally occurring from a physical, chemical, and microbiological transformation of biomolecules. They represent about 25% of the total organic carbon on the Earth and comprise up to 75% of the dissolved organic carbon in water, making them important for multiple environmental processes in both soil and aquatic systems. Despite many decades of extensive study, the formation mechanisms of humic substances are still a subject of discussion and controversy. This book examines the dynamics of humic substances, their physicochemical and biological properties, and methods for their extraction and characterization. The book also sheds light on recent advances and applications of humic substances in agriculture, environment, industry, and medicine.

This book presents a compilation of case studies from different countries on achieving agricultural sustainability. The book stresses that, in order to meet the needs of our rapidly growing population, it is imperative to increase agricultural productivity. If global food production is to keep pace with an increasing population, while formulating new food production strategies for developing countries, the great challenge for modern societies is to boost agricultural productivity. Today, the application of chemicals to enhance plant growth or induced resistance in plants is limited due to the negative effects of chemical treatment and the difficulty of determining the optimal concentrations to benefit the plant. In the search for alternative means to solve these problems, biological applications have been extensively studied. Naturally occurring plant-microbe-environment interactions are utilized in many ways to enhance plant productivity. As such, a greater understanding of how plants and microbes coexist and benefit one another can yield new strategies to improve plant productivity in the most sustainable way. Developing sustainable agricultural practices requires understanding both the basic and applied aspects of agriculturally important microorganisms, with a focus on transforming agricultural systems from being nutrient-deficient to nutrient-rich. This work is divided into two volumes, the aim being to provide a comprehensive description and to highlight a holistic approach, respectively. Taken together, the two volumes address the fundamentals, applications, research trends and new prospects of agricultural sustainability. Volume one consists of two sections, with the first addressing the role of microbes in sustainability, and the second exploring beneficial soil microbe interaction in several economically important crops. Section I elucidates various mechanisms and beneficial natural processes that enhance soil fertility and create rhizospheric conditions favourable for high fertility and sustainable soil flora. It examines the mechanism of action and importance of rhizobacteria and mycorrhizal associations in soil. In turn, section II presents selected case studies involving economically important crops. This section explains how agriculturally beneficial microbes have been utilized in sustainable cultivation with high productivity. Sustainable food production without degrading the soil and environmental quality is a major priority throughout the world, making this book a timely addition. It offers a comprehensive collection of information that will benefit students and researchers working in the field of rhizospheric mechanisms, agricultural microbiology, biotechnology, agronomy and sustainable agriculture, as well as policymakers in the area of food security and sustainable agriculture.

New analytical techniques have enhanced current understanding of the behavior of trace and ultratrace elements in the biogeochemical cycling, chemical speciation, bioavailability, bioaccumulation, and as applied to the phytoremediation of contaminated soils. Addressing worldwide regulatory, scientific, and environmental issues, Trace Elements in th