Challenges and opportunities in pear cultivation

Excessive vigor of European pear varieties and a dearth of dwarfing rootstocks create significant challenges to the establishment and management of modern high-density orchards. The pronounced negative relationship between pear tree vigor and precocity requires considerable intensive horticultura...

Advances in understanding the role of phytate in phosphorus and calcium nutrition of poultry

In plant seeds, the primary storage form of phosphorus (P) is phytic acid (InsP6), which is usually present in salt form (phytate). Utilization of P from InsP6 and lower forms of InsPx by animals requires stepwise cleavage of P from the inositol ring by phytases. In broiler chickens, the potentia...

Nutritional, nutraceutical and functional properties of soybeans

Soybeans have desirable nutritional properties, since they contain about twice the protein of other legumes per serving. Some soybean protein ingredients have protein digestibility corrected amino acid scores commensurate with proteins thought to be optimal to meet human protein needs. This chapt...

The use of marker-assisted selection in developing improved varieties of soybean

Marker-assisted selection (MAS) for soybean improvement is based on over two thousand mapped loci. In genetics databases there are thousands of mapped loci that underlie quantitative traits, oligogenic traits and simple traits. This chapter describes examples of methods for developing and using D...

Enhancing phosphorus-use efficiency in crop production

Enhancing acquisition and utilization of applied phosphorus by crops will help to conserve limited rock phosphate reserves and minimize off-site transport of applied phosphorus. Understanding plant root growth and the release of substances that can solubilize mineral and organic phosphorus in res...

Weed management in organic crop cultivation

Managing weeds in organic production systems is critical to the economic success of organic farmers, as well as long-term ecological sustainability. Problems with weeds are a major reason why organic operations fail, or never get started. This chapter provides an overview of the range of tools an...

Weed-plant interactions

Crops or desired plant species co-occur with undesired species, and the co-occurring species thereby come to be classed as weeds. This human-imposed classification is based on the perception that there is an interaction that results in some negative effect of the weed on the crop or desired speci...

Optimising udder health in dairy cattle

In this chapter several aspects of udder health are discussed. Mastitis, inflammation of the mammary gland, which is generally caused by bacterial infections, is one of the most important and most studied diseases in dairy cattle. Diagnostic approaches are discussed with specific attention for th...

Management of rice insect pests

Rice farmers face many abiotic and biotic constraints in their quest to increase rice production. In conjunction with the introduction of new high yielding drought and flood tolerant rice varieties, increasing yields will require a reduction in losses to insect pests. This chapter discusses curre...

Instant insights: septoria tritici blotch in cereals

This collection features four peer-reviewed reviews of septoria tritici blotch in cereals.

Advances in understanding of indigenous milk enzymes

Milk contains a complex set of enzymes of varying classes, along with in many cases substrates, zymogens, activators and inhibitors constituting in some instances whole systems, like the plasmin system. Some of the indigenous enzymes are present due to the way in which milk is secreted, and some...

Advances in dairy cattle breeding to improve fertility/reproductive efficiency

The decline in fertility over the last few decades, especially in high milk producing dairy cows, is a major concern in many countries with modern dairy industries. Fertility is a compound trait of many events leading up to successful calving and subsequent lactation. Fertility traits in cattle h...

Assessing the environmental impact of sheep production

Sheep production may impact locally on water, air and soil quality, as well as globally, for example contributing to greenhouse gas emissions. Sheep production can also impact biodiversity, human health via various pollutants, and community and cultural well-being. This chapter examines how life ...

Improving monitoring and forecasting in integrated management of fruit arthropod pests

The efficient and accurate monitoring of insects and mites is a cornerstone of integrated pest management (IPM). Pheromone-baited traps are probably the best known, most convenient and specific method used for monitoring in orchards. However, mating disruption strategies have complicated the inte...

Instant insights: understanding and tackling fusarium wilt of banana

This book provides a comprehensive overview of the epidemiology of Fusarium wilt of banana, the role of monoculture in its spread, as well as best practices to control future outbreaks, including specialised breeding programmes and genetic engineering.

The role of beef in human nutrition and health

Beef is an important source of both macronutrients and micronutrients. Nevertheless, concerns have been raised regarding the effects of eating red and processed meat on human health. In this chapter, we review the nutrients available in beef and then assess the concerns raised about the health im...

Validating indicators of sheep welfare

Until recently, assessment of sheep welfare has received little attention, perhaps because sheep have traditionally been managed extensively and their relative behavioural freedom has led to perceptions of fewer or lower risks to their welfare. However, extensively managed sheep are still vulnera...

How neonicotinoid insecticides affect bees and other pollinators

Neonicotinoids are particularly important in any discussion of pollinators in an agricultural context because of their use patterns, physical properties, environmental persistence, and their high toxicity to bees. This chapter discusses the wide range of research on how neonicotinoids affect both...

Advances in understanding the ecology of invasive crop insect pests and their impact on ipm

Invasive species represent one of the greatest threats to agriculture and commercial forestry, worldwide. Examples of invasive pests continue to increase with increasing world trade and human transport, but all biological invasions progress through similar stages of arrival, establishment, spread...

Insects as alternative sources of protein for food and feed

This collection reviews the wealth of current research on the use of insect species as sources of protein in both human and animal diets. The book considers recent advances in the production and application of black soldier flies, yellow mealworms and other insects primarily as feed for swine, po...

Achieving sustainable production of poultry meat volume 2

There have been significant advances in poultry breeding and nutrition. This books discusses key developments such as marker-assisted breeding and improvements in poultry feed such as the use of enzymes to optimise nutritional efficiency.

Tea cultivation under changing climatic conditions

Predicted climate change is likely to pose a major threat to normal tea cultivation. This chapter reviews the effects that climate change is likely to have on which regions are suitable for tea production and the duration of the plucking period. We consider how tea production might be improved by...

Achieving sustainable production of milk volume 1

This book provides a detailed review of current research on key components and quality traits of milk as well as ways of measuring milk quality. It then discusses genetic factors affecting these traits and how they can be used to improve breeding of dairy cows.

Design and management of industrial-scale vertical farms: intelligent growth solutions (igs)

For growers to fully realise the benefits of a total controlled environment agriculture system, ensuring the correct design and management of industrial-scale vertical farms is critical. Systems should be modular, scalable, and flexible to de-risk the farmer's businesses and make the most of econ...

Biofertilizers: assessing the effects of plant growth-promoting bacteria (pgpb) or rhizobacteria (pgpr) on soil and plant health

Modern agriculture relies on the extensive use of chemicals to combat plant diseases and increase agricultural productivity which leads to health and environmental hazards. In the recent past, soil microorganisms, such as the plant growth promoting bacteria (PGPB) or rhizobacteria (PGPR), have em...

Advances in organic cultivation of vegetables

Organic farming is considered an agroecological system focused on promoting biological cycles, soil biological activity, and biodiversity toward enhancing resource conservation and environmental quality. The global growth of the organic market and production drives the research to improve organic...

Advances in understanding parasite infections of poultry: protozoa and the red mite

This chapter reviews research on understanding and controlling three of the most widespread and economically-relevant parasites of poultry and the infections they cause: Eimeria species (coccidiosis), Histomonas meleagridis (histomonosis) and Dermanyssus gallinae (the poultry red mite (PRM)). In ...

Reducing carbon emissions from plant factories with artificial lighting

Plant factories with artificial lighting (PFALs) must fulfill the following basic requirements to help solve global and local issues relating to food, resources, environment, and quality of life: minimal greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from construction and operation, high resource and economic pr...

Assessing inbreeding and genetic diversity in the holstein breed using pedigree and genomic approaches

Various breeding strategies to improve dairy cattle production, conformation, health and, more recently, efficiency, have been developed. However, as selection intensity within these finite populations has increased, so has the relatedness within individual populations. This chapter looks at inb...

Developments in the use of embryo technologies in dairy cows

Reproductive technologies offer the opportunity to produce far greater numbers of offspring from genetically valuable dams, than they would normally have in their lifetime. Technologies such as ovum-pickup when applied to harvest oocytes from prepubertal animals provide the means to dramatically ...

Recent invasions of insect pests of wheat and sorghum

This chapter provides general description of the invasion and management response of six insects that have affected wheat and other cereal grains: Agriphila aeneociliella Eversmann (Lepid: Crambidae), Metopolophium festucae cerealium Stroyan (Hem: Aphididae), Cephus cinctus Norton (Hymen: Cephida...

The role of certification schemes in sustainable forest management (sfm) of tropical forests

Forest certification and its impact has proved to be fertile ground for research and study, both political and technical, and a huge number of research articles, papers and books has accumulated. This chapter seeks to offer an overview and of this research, some of the main conclusions that have ...

Advances in cold-tolerant maize varieties

Maize, a thermophilic plant species, originates from subtropical highlands. Maize cultivation, however, has spread to temperate regions of the world that experience low temperatures during the early development of the plants. Maize genotypes that are cultivated in cooler climates need to have a s...

Advances in sheep production

While sheep production has an important place in many farming systems across the world, sheep products face an increasingly competitive market. In addition to traditional concerns about product quality, consumers are also increasingly motivated by issues such as livestock welfare, greenhouse gas ...

Participatory plant breeding programs to optimize use of crop genetic resources

This chapter summarizes a sample of variety evaluation, experimental design, and breeding method innovations that have served as solid approaches for participatory plant breeding (PPB) efforts. With success in PPB comes success in conservation at a local level of useful alleles and allele assembl...

Advances in maintenance practices of turfgrass

Turfgrass management has greatly changed over time. Advancements in technology have resulted in changes to management practices including autonomous mowers, lightweight rolling on putting greens and fairways, vertical mowing, air injections, and fraise mowing for renovation to name a few. These p...

Improving methods for developing new microbial biopesticides

This chapter discusses improving methods for developing new microbial biopesticides. It begins by highlighting the role and economics of biopesticides. The chapter moves on to analyse the strategic framework for biopesticide development and provides an overview of the biopesticide development pro...

Advances in understanding pre-harvest apple fruit development

Fruit growth is a complex mechanism linking biochemical and biophysical processes promoting water and dry matter uptake in fruit tissues. This chapter describes growth mechanisms in apple fruit at different phenological stages and relates phases to key physiological parameters for fruit growth, i...

Maintaining the safety and quality of beef carcass meat

Contamination of animal carcasses during slaughtering procedures is undesirable, but unavoidable in the conversion of live animals to meat for consumption. Internal muscle tissues are essentially sterile, and most initial contamination of red meat carcasses is contributed by the hide during remov...

Optimizing slurry management

This chapter discusses optimizing slurry management in agricultural practices. It begins by first highlighting current decision tools for optimizing manure management, then goes on to review modifying animal slurry pH to enhance its value as a biobased fertilizer through methods such as bio acidi...

Advances in assessing nutrient availability in soils

Plants depend on sufficient and timely soil availability of 14 essential nutrients. In order to achieve sustainable and resource-efficient plant production with high yields and minimal environmental impact, soil analyses aimed at assessing nutrient availability should be considered an important a...

Potato pest management with specific reference to the pacific northwest (usa)

Over the past 20 years, potato pest management in the Pacific Northwest (PNW) region of the United States has changed dramatically with the emergence and resurgence of new insect pests, including vectors of new, devastating plant pathogens. This chapter reviews the status of pest management in th...

Managing the soil biological community to improve soil health and reduce losses from nematode pests

Plant-parasitic nematodes commonly cause yield losses of 10 to 20% in sugarcane, largely because varieties with resistance to key pests such as Pratylenchus and Meloidogyne are unavailable, rotation crops provide only temporary control and nematicides are prohibitively expensive. Given the inadeq...

Advances in breeding of chestnuts

In the two last centuries, diseases and pests from Asia have been introduced in chestnut plantations in both Northern America and Southern Europe, jeopardizing indigenous populations and some local chestnut varieties. The societal demand for chestnut in these countries has considerably increased,...

Improving welfare in poultry slaughter

Poultry production involves the killing of very large numbers of birds so there is a compelling need to protect welfare at slaughter. In most countries, slaughter must be preceded by stunning to induce unconsciousness. The major stunning approaches used in chicken slaughter are electrical stunnin...

Tools and technologies to reduce fossil energy use on dairy farms

With a growing demand for milk and dairy products coupled with concerns regarding greenhouse gas emissions, the sustainable use of on-farm energy resources is essential. Milk production requires electrical energy for powering plant equipment, liquid fuels for powering machinery, indirect energy f...

The role of egg turning in embryo development

This chapter examines the role of egg turning in embryo development. The chapter identifies the four main aspects of turning deemed crucial to successful integration. It first focuses on turning during the egg storage period, then moves on to highlight critical periods during the incubation perio...

Advances in ensuring the microbiological safety of fresh produce

This collection reviews the wide range of research on preventing microbial contamination of fresh fruit and vegetables, from understanding key pathogens to ways of detecting and preventing contamination across the supply chain.

The nutritional and nutraceutical/functional properties of mangoes

Mangoes can be considered a major source of bioactive compounds, notably vitamin C, phenolics (mainly gallic acid) and carotenoids, among which many are provitamin A. This chapter describes the claimed health benefits associated with the antioxidant properties of these compounds, which potentiall...

Advanced breeding techniques for grain legumes in the genomics era

The challenge of grain legume production is to continue increasing productivity while reducing the significant seed yield gap between developed and developing countries/regions. Advanced breeding techniques play an important role in the era of genomics. This chapter describes the main grain legum...

Improving photosynthesis in rice: from small steps to giant leaps

Current strategies for boosting rice productivity encounter diminishing returns as rice crops approach yield ceilings. This chapter describes how improvement of photosynthetic efficiency is needed to boost yield ceilings. This can be in the context of C3 photosynthesis, overcoming single limitati...

Identifying and managing plant health risks for key african crops: banana and plantain

Many smallholder farmers in humid sub-Saharan Africa rely on bananas and plantains (Musa spp.) as major staple food and income generating crops, with only a negligible portion traded internationally. Banana and plantain production is mainly threatened by various pathogens and pests. This chapter ...

Advances in understanding plant root water uptake

Water deficit is one of the primary limitations to crop production. Here, we review the role of root and rhizosphere hydraulic processes that affect the ability of a plant to extract water from the soil. Prominent features of rhizosphere hydraulic properties are: root shrinkage, alteration of por...

Advances in understanding and managing insect pests of forest trees

Boreal and temperate forests comprise half of all forested land globally and are a major source of timber and other ecosystem services. Disturbances caused by native and invasive insects are among the most important mediators of forest mortality. The interacting effects of climate change on insec...

Assessing the effects of crop residue retention on soil health

Crop residues are the most accessible form of plant residues. Conventional agricultural cropping systems rely on synthetic fertilizer; however, these systems also require regular organic inputs from crop residue, root biomass, and rhizodeposition to maintain soil organic matter (SOM), improve soi...

The rumen archaea

Methane (CH4) is produced in the rumen by a group of microorganisms called methanogenic Archaea In this chapter, the types of Archaea found in the rumen will be reviewed through a summary of the rumen cultivation studies and molecular surveys of rumen archaeal community composition. The chapter w...

Modeling the effects of climate change on agriculture: a focus on cropping systems

Crop models are powerful tools to explore agricultural impacts and adaptation to climate change. They are extensively used to predict the effect of climate change on agriculture. In this chapter, the authors review how crop models take into consideration climate variables and how they are used fo...

Challenges and initiatives in reducing food loss and waste in europe

This chapter has 3 parts: the first introduces the topic from a regional and global perspective; the second is focused on data availability and quality; and the third discusses on enabling factors for policy development and provides resources for further information.

Nutraceutical potential of glucosinolates

Glucosinolates (GLs) are secondary metabolites of plants that are primarily synthesized in the Brassica genus. They are classified into three categories: aliphatics, aromatics or indoles. Isothiocyanates are organosulfur compounds which are typically formed by the enzymatic conversion of indole G...

Using genetic selection in the breeding of dairy cattle

There has been a huge increase in the productivity of dairy cows over the last half a century, with the yield per cow more than doubling. This is substantially due to the use of genetic selection in dairy cattle breeding programmes. In this chapter, we review the use of artificial insemination (A...

Instant insights: improving biosecurity in livestock production

This collection highlights the need for improved biosecurity in livestock production as a result of increased disease risk, focussing primarily on pig, poultry and beef cattle production. Chapters review the emergence and re-emergence of key pathogens and the role of effective biosecurity measure...

Assessing the overall impact of the dairy sector

Dairy is the number one agricultural commodity by value, provides livelihoods for 1 billion people and is key to enriching diets the world over. Yet, global consumption of dairy falls short of national dietary guidelines. Increasing dairy consumption to match dietary guidelines could save billion...

Ecological network approaches for promoting pollinators in agriculture

Interactions between plants and pollinators, and thus pollination, are network-based processes. Many early studies of plant-pollinator networks focused on interactions within agroecosystems, providing a substantial knowledge-base around agricultural pollinators and how they can be promoted. There...

Advances in cultivation of almonds: effects of genotypes, environment and cultural techniques

The chapter is an overview of the recent research advances in almond scion and rootstock genotypes, orchard management, including irrigation and fertilization, emphasizing an integrated approach including the environment. The chapter looks ahead to areas for further research in almond tree eco-ph...

Conserving and exploiting biodiversity in crop cultivation in sub-saharan africa

Under relentless global population growth the key challenge is to increase agricultural production while preserving biodiversity and reducing the pressure on ecosystems and natural resources. As a first step, the development of sustainable agricultural practices requires thorough understanding of...

Ensuring beef safety through consumer education

For food safety in the US beef industry, 1993 was a watershed year because of the large outbreak of food-borne illnesses that were linked to ground beef. More than two decades later, microbial issues persist as areas of concern. While the industry has made great strides in reducing bacteria on ra...

Monitoring postharvest attributes: instrumental techniques for measuring harvest maturity/fruit quality

Measurement precedes management. In this chapter, measurement technologies relevant to postharvest management are reviewed, both in context of technologies in current industry use and those with apparent promise for future use. A brief description of these techniques is made in relation to their ...

The global avocado industry

This chapter highlights the significant evolution of the global avocado industry, which has experienced extraordinary growth in the last very few decades, both in the American continent where the fruit was originated, and in the other continents. The chapter indicates the important avocado produc...

Dairy herd health management: an overview

The importance of ensuring animal welfare and food security, of combating antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and of increasing food production, all contribute to the need for preventative medicine. Herd health management (HHM) involves the delivery of a more coordinated approach, where management int...

Modelling the effects of cropping systems on weed dynamics: the trade-off between process analysis and decision support

Models are essential to synthesize knowledge on weeds and to design integrated weed-management strategies. These models must rank cropping systems as a function of weed infestation, and account for variability in effects to estimate probabilities of success or failure. Three case studies are pres...

Sustainable use of seaweed for biofuel

In the last two decades, biofuel research has intensified as they are being increasingly considered as a viable replacement for crude oil derivatives. In comparison to crude oil reserves, biological feedstocks for bio-fuel production are globally widespread. On the other hand, biofuel production ...

Agroforestry practices: windbreaks

Windbreaks, also known as vegetative environmental buffers (VEB) or shelterbelts, are a common feature of agricultural systems around the world. These strips of trees, shrubs, and other perennial or annual vegetation perform a number of functions, including providing protection from the wind for ...

Other viral pathogens of banana

In this chapter, minor viral pathogens of banana, plantain and abacá are discussed. Some such as banana bract mosaic virus and the abacá strain of sugarcane mosaic virus have the potential to cause much more serious problems if they are allowed to spread unchecked around the world. Other viruses ...

Agroforestry for the cultivation of nuts

Row crop agriculture covers over 1.28 billion ha of land globally. Though extremely productive in terms of yield, annual cropping systems rely on external inputs of energy, nutrients and pesticides, leading to a suite of ecological consequences. This chapter focuses primarily on the opportunities...

The role of no or minimum mechanical soil disturbance in conservation agriculture systems

Minimum mechanical soil disturbance is one of the pillars of Conservation Agriculture (CA). It is the core concept, which distinguishes CA as a sustainable farming system from tillage-based systems. This chapter introduces concepts of tillage and soil disturbance and the issues and solutions rela...

Management of dairy cows in transition and at calving

Most of the clinical disease events in a dairy cow’s life occur during the transition period, defined as the period three weeks before and after calving. It is believed that almost all cows experience some immune dysfunction during the peripartum period, and that this combined with nutritional di...

Detecting antibiotic residues in animal feed: the case of distiller’s grains

The purpose of this chapter is to review the methods for detection of antibiotic residues in animal feed, using the example of distillers’ grains. There is a growing concern about the use of antibiotics in the process of which distillers’ grains are a co-product. Antibiotic residues in distillers...

Seaweed and microalgae as alternative sources of protein

This collection summarises current developments in utilising seaweed and microalgae as alternative sources of protein. Chapters focus on identifying the different types of macroalgae and microalgae, cultivation and processing, as well as the practical application in human and livestock diets.

Producing biofuels with torrefaction

Biomass of various types is being used as coal substitute in power generation and industrial usage around the world. Significant investments have been made in Europe and elsewhere to accommodate the use of dried and pelleted biomass materials in various power plants. Substituting biomass for c...

Optimizing energy and other resource use in vertical farms

Plant factories utilizing artificial light (PFALs) perform particularly well in terms of resource efficiency, although energy use, mainly due to the use of artificial light for plant photosynthesis, remains high. This chapter presents the latest innovations in horticulture, photobiology, climate ...

Use and nutritional value of cassava roots and leaves as a traditional food

Cassava is an important staple crop for the food security of millions of people in developing countries. This chapter examines the strengths and weaknesses of cassava roots and leaves as a source of nutrients, and describes and analyses efforts to promote biofortified varieties of cassava with hi...

Advances in finding a vaccine for african swine fever

Instant insights: restoring degraded forests

This collection features four peer-reviewed literature reviews on restoring degraded forests.

Responsible and sustainable use of medicines in dairy herd health

As well as having a moral obligation to safeguard animal health and welfare, veterinarians and dairy producers also have One Health responsibilities to protect human health and the environment from the risk of antimicrobial resistance and the food chain from medicine residues. This chapter descri...

Integrated weed management in tomato cultivation

Weeds pose a major threat to agriculture and cause crop yield losses in a big way. What needs to be done to counter the threat of weeds? This chapter discusses many measures to tackle the problem of weeds, especially in tomato cultivation. One of the most important is Integrated Weed Management (...

Instant insights: vertical farming in horticulture

This specially curated collection features five reviews of current and key research on vertical farming in horticulture.

Advances in understanding grain legume physiology: understanding root architecture, nutrient uptake and response to abiotic stress

Root system architecture (RSA) influences root foraging and resource uptake from the soil and thus determines plant growth and productivity in grain legumes. Understanding RSA, nutrient uptake and its response to drought and other abiotic stresses is vital for breeding super genotypes for efficie...

Plant-animal interactions in grazing systems

This chapter reviews the interactions between plants and animals that govern the production efficiency of temperate pasture-based livestock production systems. These interactions operate at different temporal and spatial scales, and are highly variable. We take as our case study the dry matter in...

Cacao diseases: vascular-streak dieback

‘Vascular-streak dieback’ (VSD) was the name given to a devastating disease of cacao, first described in Papua New Guinea in the 1960s and later found to be caused by a previously undescribed tullasneloid basidiomycete, Oncobasidium theobromae (now Ceratobasidium theobromae). This chapter describ...

Monitoring trends in diseases of poultry

Disease surveillance is a staple programme in most developed poultry systems and is a cooperative effort between individual poultry companies, regional and national disease control agencies and programmes, public and private diagnostic laboratories, research universities, wildlife agencies and al...

Advances in cold-resistant wheat varieties

Winter wheat is planted in the autumn and must survive the winter months before being harvested the following summer. Winterhardiness is therefore of paramount importance to the survival of the crop. This chapter reviews recent advances in our understanding of the transcriptomic and genetic basis...

Advances in understanding the role of forests in the carbon cycle

The recognition that increased levels of atmospheric carbon dioxide are warming the global climate has led to forests being viewed as potential natural ways to reduce carbon dioxide concentrations in the atmosphere. Forests’ complex interactions with local and global climates, however, make predi...

Advanced testing, multiplication and release of new sorghum varieties

The release of a new sorghum variety or hybrid is the culmination of many years of breeding and evaluation. This chapter describes the hybrid advancement process, including ways of increasing the parent lines for hybrid production and the guidelines that must be followed to ensure high-quality se...

Advances in disease-resistant oil palm varieties

This chapter describes advances in the breeding of disease-resistant varieties of oil palm, presenting the key issues associated with oil palm disease resistance, including the usefulness and sustainability of resistance and the agricultural practices required to enable it. The chapter focusses o...

The apple genome – harbinger of innovation for sustainable apple production

Apple breeding programs are aimed at improving the agronomic and consumer traits of apples. While DNA-informed breeding doesn’t reduce the time between generations, it can enable the early elimination of undesirable seedlings, thus saving resources for the program. Combined with horticultural and...

Instant insights: developing immunity in pigs

This collection features four peer-reviewed literature reviews on developing immunity in pigs.

Closed plant production systems in vertical farms for a circular economy

The reuse, recycling and control of emissions from large-scale food waste in urban areas have gained increased attention in recent years. Developing efficient food production systems with a low environmental impact is an important issue in facility-based plant production systems, such as plant fa...

Strengthening public-sector extension systems for smallholder farmers in kenya

This chapter discusses key issues and challenges in public extension services for smallholders and how challenges have been addressed. The discussion is made with particular reference to experiences in disseminating Conservation Agriculture-based technologies and practices generated from the Sust...