Plant & Soil Science Fundamentals and Applications combines the basic knowledge of plant and soil science, in and easy to read and teach format, and provides practical real world application for information learned. Important Notice: Media content referenced within the product description or the product text may not be available in the ebook version.

The interactions between the plant, soil and microbes are complex in nature. Events may be antagonistic, mutualistic or synergistic, depending upon the types of microorganisms and their association with the plant and soil in question. Multi-trophic tactics can therefore be employed to nourish plants in various habitats and growth conditions. Understanding the mechanisms of these interactions is thus highly desired in order to utilize the knowledge in an ecofriendly and sustainable way. This holistic approach to crop improvement may not only resolve the upcoming food security issues, but also make the environment greener by reducing the chemical inputs. Plant, soil and microbe, Volume 1: Implications in Crop Science, along with the forthcoming Volume 2: Mechanisms and Molecular Interactions, provide detailed accounts of the exquisite and delicate balance between the three critical components of agronomy. Specifically, these two titles focus on the basis of nutrient exchange between the microorganisms and the host plants, the mechanism of disease protection and the recent molecular details emerged from studying this multi-tropic interaction. Together they aim to provide a solid foundation for the students, teachers, and researchers interested in soil microbiology, plant pathology, ecology and agronomy.

This inter-disciplinary book provides the latest advanced knowledge of plant effects on vegetated soil properties such as water retention capability, water permeability function, shear strength, slope hydrology, movements and failure mechanisms, and applies this knowledge to the solution of slope stability problems. It is the first book to cover in detail not only the mechanical effects of root reinforcement but more importantly the hydrological effects of plant transpiration on soil suction, soil shear strength, and water permeability. The book also offers a fundamental understanding of soil-plant-water interaction. Analytical equations are provided for predicting the combined hydrological and mechanical effects of plant roots on slope stability. A novel method is also given for simulating transpiration-induced suction in a geotechnical centrifuge. Application of this method to the study of the failure mechanisms of vegetated slopes reinforced by roots with different architectures is discussed. This book is essential reading for senior undergraduate and postgraduate students as well as researchers in civil engineering, geo-environmental engineering, plant ecology, agricultural science, hydrology and water resources. It also provides advanced knowledge for civil engineers seeking "green" engineering solutions to combat the negative impact of climate change on the long-term engineering sustainability of infrastructure slopes. Professionals other than civil engineers, such as ecologists, agriculturists, botanists, environmentalists, and hydrologists, would also find the book relevant and useful.

Water Relations of Plants and Soils, successor to the seminal 1983 book by Paul Kramer, covers the entire field of water relations using current concepts and consistent terminology. Emphasis is on the interdependence of processes, including rate of water absorption, rate of transpiration, resistance to water flow into roots, soil factors affecting water availability. New trends in the field, such as the consideration of roots (rather than leaves) as the primary sensors of water stress, are examined in detail. Addresses the role of water in the whole range of plant activities Describes molecular mechanisms of water action in the context of whole plants Synthesizes recent scientific findings Relates current concepts to agriculture and ecology Provides a summary of methods

An introduction to the plant-soil relationship.

Principles of Soil and Plant Water Relations, 2e describes the principles of water relations within soils, followed by the uptake of water and its subsequent movement throughout and from the plant body. This is presented as a progressive series of physical and biological interrelations, even though each topic is treated in detail on its own. The book also describes equipment used to measure water in the soil-plant-atmosphere system. At the end of each chapter is a biography of a scientist whose principles are discussed in the chapter. In addition to new information on the concept of celestial time, this new edition also includes new chapters on methods to determine sap flow in plants dual-probe heat-pulse technique to monitor water in the root zone. - Provides the necessary understanding to address advancing problems in water availability for meeting ecological requirements at local, regional and global scales - Covers plant anatomy: an essential component to understanding soil and plant water relations