What is soil health and why is it so important? In short, healthy soil allows farmers to continue to produce our food safely and inexpensively, so it is vitally important to all of us and generations to come. Cover Cropping in Western Canada provides essential information for farmers who want to increase the fertility of their fields for increased production. While cover cropping is, as the author states, “not a silver bullet,” it is an important part of a whole system approach that can play a central part in bringing agricultural fields renewed health. For those who haven’t considered cover cropping, this easy-to-read reference guide offers basic information about the common issues that impact agricultural land and some strategies to improve its health. For those who are ready to consider cover cropping options, this compact reference guide provides detailed data about sixty-one species that can be planted to fulfill the producer’s goals. To complement goals and species selection, Cover Cropping in Western Canada discusses options for grain farming, benefits of grazing and generating hay and silage, the role cover crops can play in erosion control, nutrient building, nitrogen fixation, weed suppression, and more. Cover Cropping in Western Canada will help producers incorporate cover cropping into their production systems with confidence. The references discussed are observations from Western Canada but can be applied anywhere. Producers will understand how to set goals, pick appropriate species to meet those goals, and create a management plan to effectively integrate cover crops into their rotations. This is a must-have reference for producers who want to increase soil health and to help control greenhouse gas emissions.

What is soil health and why is it so important? In short, healthy soil allows farmers to continue to produce our food safely and inexpensively, so it is vitally important to all of us and generations to come. Cover Cropping in Western Canada provides essential information for farmers who want to increase the fertility of their fields for increased production. While cover cropping is, as the author states, “not a silver bullet,” it is an important part of a whole system approach that can play a central part in bringing agricultural fields renewed health. For those who haven’t considered cover cropping, this easy-to-read reference guide offers basic information about the common issues that impact agricultural land and some strategies to improve its health. For those who are ready to consider cover cropping options, this compact reference guide provides detailed data about sixty-one species that can be planted to fulfill the producer’s goals. To complement goals and species selection, Cover Cropping in Western Canada discusses options for grain farming, benefits of grazing and generating hay and silage, the role cover crops can play in erosion control, nutrient building, nitrogen fixation, weed suppression, and more. Cover Cropping in Western Canada will help producers incorporate cover cropping into their production systems with confidence. The references discussed are observations from Western Canada but can be applied anywhere. Producers will understand how to set goals, pick appropriate species to meet those goals, and create a management plan to effectively integrate cover crops into their rotations. This is a must-have reference for producers who want to increase soil health and to help control greenhouse gas emissions.

Cover crops slow erosion, improve soil, smother weeds, enhance nutrient and moisture availability, help control many pests and bring a host of other benefits to your farm. At the same time, they can reduce costs, increase profits and even create new sources of income. You¿ll reap dividends on your cover crop investments for years, since their benefits accumulate over the long term. This book will help you find which ones are right for you. Captures farmer and other research results from the past ten years. The authors verified the info. from the 2nd ed., added new results and updated farmer profiles and research data, and added 2 chap. Includes maps and charts, detailed narratives about individual cover crop species, and chap. about aspects of cover cropping.

Cover Crops in West Africa Contributing to Sustainable Agriculture

The proceedings of this conference deal with the role of cover crops in water quality management, including reducing water runoff, soil erosion, agrichemical lost in runoff, and nitrate leaching to groundwater

This book presents the proceedings of the 13th International Congress on Nitrogen Fixation, held in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, in July 2001. It covers molecular and biochemical aspects, plant genomics, stresses and factors limiting nitrogen fixation, and applied aspects.

'Fluent, persuasive and surely right.' Evening Standard The inside story of the fight for and against genetic modification in food. Mark Lynas was one of the original GM field wreckers. Back in the 1990s – working undercover with his colleagues in the environmental movement – he would descend on trial sites of genetically modified crops at night and hack them to pieces. Two decades later, most people around the world – from New York to China – still think that 'GMO' foods are bad for their health or likely to damage the environment. But Mark has changed his mind. This book explains why. In 2013, in a world-famous recantation speech, Mark apologised for having destroyed GM crops. He spent the subsequent years touring Africa and Asia, and working with plant scientists who are using this technology to help smallholder farmers in developing countries cope better with pests, diseases and droughts. This book lifts the lid on the anti-GMO craze and shows how science was left by the wayside as a wave of public hysteria swept the world. Mark takes us back to the origins of the technology and introduces the scientific pioneers who invented it. He explains what led him to question his earlier assumptions about GM food, and talks to both sides of this fractious debate to see what still motivates worldwide opposition today. In the process he asks – and answers – the killer question: how did we all get it so wrong on GMOs? 'An important contribution to an issue with enormous potential for benefiting humanity.' Stephen Pinker 'I warmly recommend it.' Philip Pullman