General aspects of organic farming in the Tropics and Subtropics: Philosophy and principles of organic agriculture; Soil management and soil nutrition; Pest and disease management; Weed management; Seeds and planting material; Management of semi-natural habitats; Livestock husbandry; Water conservation and irrigation; Agroforestry; Conversion to organic farming; The economic performance of organic farms. Organic cultivation of fruits and vegetables: Organic fruits: citrus, guava, lychee, avocado, coconut, bananas, mango, pineaple, dates, pepper, different possible processing methods for fruits; Organic vegetables: beans, tomato, cabbage, asparagus, carrot, cucumber, aubergine, lettuce, onions, radish, spinach, sweet corn, water melon. Global market perspectives for developing countries: Organic markets by regions: North America, Europe, Asia, Organic markers in developing countries. Standards and regulations: Requirements and conditions relating to organic trade; Principles of inspection and certification of organic products.

This new volume is a rich and comprehensive resource of the basic information and latest developments and research efforts on tropical and subtropical fruits. It presents an extensive overview of crop production techniques, processing, marketing, breeding efforts, harvesting, postharvest handling, pest and disease management, and more of banana, citrus, durian, grapes, guava, jackfruit, litchi, mango, and papaya.

Advances in Postharvest Fruit and Vegetable Technology examines how changes in community attitudes and associated pressures on industry are demanding changes in the way technology is used to minimize postharvest loss and maintain product quality. In particular, the book discusses important drivers for change, including: Using more natural chemicals or physical treatments to replace synthetic chemicals Increasing the efficiency of older, more traditional methods in combination with newer biocontrol treatments Leveraging a range of biomolecular research tools or "omics" to efficiently gather and assess mass information at molecular, enzymic, and genetic levels Using modelling systems to identify key changes and control points for better targeting of new treatments and solutions to postharvest problems The postharvest handling of fresh fruits and vegetables plays a critical role in facilitating a continuous supply of high-quality fresh produce to the consumer. Many new technologies developed and refined in recent years continue to make possible an ever-expanding supply of fresh products. This volume examines a range of recently developed technologies and systems that will help the horticulture industry to become more environmentally sustainable and economically competitive, and to minimize postharvest quality loss and generate products that are appealing and acceptable to consumers.

Principles of Tropical Horticulture leads the reader through a background of environmental influences and plant physiology to an understanding of production and post-harvest systems, environmental adaptation techniques and marketing strategies. Focusing on the principles behind production practices and their scientific basis, rather than detailed biological traits of each crop, this text outlines successes and failures in practices to date and sets out how the quantity and quality of horticultural produce can improve in the future. Case studies are frequently used and chapters cover the production of vegetables, fruit and ornamental crops, including temperate zone crops adapted to grow in the tropics.

Principles of organic cropping plus extensive case studies for a range of enterprises such as soybeans, wheat, citrus, nuts, coffee, strawberries, tropical fruit, sheep, cattle, vegetables and many other examples. There is a growing demand for organic produce, and this book explores the value-adding benefits of organic practices in farming, economically and environmentally. With a scientific background and a wide range of real world case studies, this book will help you consider different methods of organic farming and how to implement them. It will show you how to farm in a way that cares for the environment, without using synthetic chemicals. See Organic Farming: an introduction for a thorough overview of composting, earthworms, managing pests and diseases, farm management considerations, converting to organics and certification. Other titles in this series: Organic Farming: An introduction Organic Farming: Livestock

According to the latest issue of this biannual outlook, food commodity markets remain well supplied. The cost of importing food is expected to rise by 6 percent compared to last year’s, due to a sharp increase in freight rates, stronger import demand and firmer prices for most food commodities. This would bring the global food import bill to the second highest level on record.