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Advances In AGRONOMY Vol.41

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The international status of Advances in Agronomy continues to prevail as
illustrated by this volume. Authors from five countries have participated in
preparing ten review articles. This participation confirms the wide-ranging
interest in crop and soil science.
There is a variety of topics covered this year, ranging from reviews of
research to improve the yield and quality of two crops of worldwide
importance, sorghum and groundnuts, to the reclamation of land around
abandoned mines. The two crop improvement reviews show evidence of the
use of modern biotechnology to alter genetically and to improve these
important food crops. They are examples of what will likely become more
and more common as new and improved methods of genetic improvement
are applied to crop plants.
Two articles are concerned with mineral nutrition. The first deals with one
specific crop (flax) and focuses on the effects of nutrient stress on vegetative
development, yield components, and yield quality. The second summarizes
the advances made in understanding the requirement for nutrients through
the use of flowing nutrient solutions which the authors have researched in
depth.
The effects of environmental factors on the genetic variation in root systems
are also reviewed, with the literature covering a number of important field
crop species. There appears to be considerable variation that could be used
in crop improvement programs. Intraplant and whole-plant factors influenc-
ing water and quality loss of hay during drying are also considered.
An excellent review is that covering the positive and negative effects of soil
and fertilizer phosphorus on the terrestrial environment. Attention is given
to potentially toxic heavy metals, which are commonly added with phosphate
fertilizers, and to means of reducing phosphate levels in lakes.
Cereal-legume intercropping systems that have become increasingly more
common in the tropics are well reviewed by scientists who have had con-
siderable experience in this research area. Such systems will likely receive more
attention in the future, especially where low-input agriculture is being
practiced.
The management of weeds using biotechnological methods is the focus of
another article. Increasing crop tolerance to herbicides promises to be one
of the more exciting aspects of applied biotechnology. We willikely read more
on this topic in the future.
My thanks to the 24 contributors who prepared these articles. Their ef-
forts should be appreciated by their fellow agronomists around the world.

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Availability

10583/41

631(058) ADV a

Perpustakaan PPKS Medan Lt. 1 (631)

Available

Detail Information

Series Title

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Call Number

631(058) ADV a

Publisher

New York : Academic Press., 1987

Collation

ix, 456 hal.: ill; 23 cm

Language

English

ISBN/ISSN

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Classification

631(058)

Content Type

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Media Type

-

Carrier Type

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Edition

41

Subject(s)

agronomi

Specific Detail Info

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Statement of Responsibility

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