The frrst attempts to use physical methods in agriculture can be found in nineteenth century as a necessary component of farm and food machinery. There were mechanics, electricity and physical chemistry that were the first physical disciplines used in agriculture and food industry. In the same time period the studies on physical properties of soils started to be one of main topics of soil science. The twentieth century was a century of research on physical properties of agromaterials. The physical properties of agromaterials have been studied e. g. in the USA, where a big role has been played by ASAE (1907), and in the Soviet Union where the special Institute of Agrophysics was founded (1932) by Academician Ioffe. The ASAE's activity was enlarged in 1960s and 1970s, especially with the role playing by the Mohsenin's group and its followers. At that time the Institute of Agrophysics of Polish Academy of Sciences was founded in Lublin and conferences on physical methods in agriculture began to be organised. The participants of the last conference - "Physical Methods in Agriculture - Approach to Precision and Quality", held on August 27-30, 2001, have prepared the basis for this book. Part of the conference participants decided to enlarge their conference papers to be more general and more instructive in relation to further development of the science. New papers prepared under this deciSion were reviewed, discussed and revised, repeatedly, to be presented in this book.

Jointly published with INRA, Paris. Pesticide resistance is becoming more frequent and widespread with more than 500 insect species known to have become resistant to synthetic insecticides. On the other hand, consumers increasingly demand agricultural products without any pesticide residues. This book, for the first time, shows the alternative: solely physical methods for plant protection by means of thermal, electromagnetic, mechanical and vacuum processes. A glossary rounds up this extremely valuable book.

Chemical additives used for increasing plant productivity can contaminate the raw materials used in food production. Physical methods represent alternative promising sources for stimulating plant and mushroom development and increasing vegetable production. Many physical factors are currently used for plant treatment, including electromagnetic waves, optical emission, laser, magnetic field, gamma rays and ultrasound and ionizing radiation. This book discusses these physical methods for stimulation of plant and mushroom development and seed invigoration. Current research trends, future research directions and challenges are also discussed. This book will be of interest to many readers, researchers and scientists who can find this information useful for the advancement of their research works towards a better understanding of physical methods in plant and mushroom development.

A thorough presentation of analytical methods for characterizing soil chemical properties and processes, Methods, Part 3 includes chapters on Fourier transform infrared, Raman, electron spin resonance, x-ray photoelectron, and x-ray absorption fine structure spectroscopies, and more.

The best single reference for both the theory and practice of soil physical measurements, Methods, Part 4 adopts a more hierarchical approach to allow readers to easily find their specific topic or measurement of interest. As such it is divided into eight main chapters on soil sampling and statistics, the solid, solution, and gas phases, soil heat, solute transport, multi-fluid flow, and erosion. More than 100 world experts contribute detailed sections.

Widespread use of broad-spectrum chemical pesticides has revolutionized pest management. But there is growing concern about environmental contamination and human health risksâ€"and continuing frustration over the ability of pests to develop resistance to pesticides. In Ecologically Based Pest Management, an expert committee advocates the sweeping adoption of ecologically based pest management (EBPM) that promotes both agricultural productivity and a balanced ecosystem. This volume offers a vision and strategies for creating a solid, comprehensive knowledge base to support a pest management system that incorporates ecosystem processes supplemented by a continuum of inputsâ€"biological organisms, products, cultivars, and cultural controls. The result will be safe, profitable, and durable pest management strategies. The book evaluates the feasibility of EBPM and examines how best to move beyond optimal examples into the mainstream of agriculture. The committee stresses the need for information, identifies research priorities in the biological as well as socioeconomic realm, and suggests institutional structures for a multidisciplinary research effort. Ecologically Based Pest Management addresses risk assessment, risk management, and public oversight of EBPM. The volume also overviews the history of pest managementâ€"from the use of sulfur compounds in 1000 B.C. to the emergence of transgenic technology. Ecologically Based Pest Management will be vitally important to the agrichemical industry; policymakers, regulators, and scientists in agriculture and forestry; biologists, researchers, and environmental advocates; and interested growers.