About Book

Crop management practices include various techniques and methods to increase crop yield, better crop quality, improve growth and development of crops. The performance of a particular plant or an entire crop is highly dependent on the fertility of the soil it is growing in. Different crops require different managing techniques, determined by their biological characteristics and climatic requirements. Soil, plant, water and fertilizers are the major ingredients of interest in agriculture system. Analysis of soil, plant and water as natural resources is of utmost importance in regard to conservation strategies. Soil fertility is a multi-faceted analysis of elemental concentrations and biological activity. Improving soil health by fertilization requires accurate measurements of a wide range of soils and fertilizers. In recent year’s soil, plant, water and fertilizers analysis has become a scientific approach for understanding the problems related to soil, water, plants and fertilizers. This book includes detailed information about the principles and practices that can be used for crop production and management. It describes physiological and biochemical mechanisms, effects on soil fertility, water and salt stress effects, medicinal plants cultivation, radioactive isotopes, multiscaling analysis and statistical methods. It reveals procedures for the analysis of plant, soil spatial and water quality. It will also prove as a beneficial tool for soil testing, quality control and laboratories of allied fields. It provides the readers with extensive material to understand the concepts and applications of crop management. It aims to serve as a resource guide and contribute to the growth of the discipline.

Preface............................................................................................................v

Chapter 1 Radioactive Isotopes in Soils and Their Impact on

Plant Growth................................................................................................1

Abstract...................................................................................................1

1. Introduction............................................................................................2

2. Methodology..........................................................................................4

3. Results and discussion.........................................................................7

4. Conclusion and recommendation....................................................11

Chapter 2 Prospects of N Fertilization in Medicinal Plants Cultivation.......14

Abstract.................................................................................................14

1. Introduction..........................................................................................14

2. Demand for medicinal plants and rationale for commercial

cultivation.............................................................................................16

3. Nutrient nitrogen................................................................................17

4. Physiological effect of nitrogen on medicinal plants...................19

5. Nutrient nitrogen threshold..............................................................19

6. Economics of nitrogen fertilization.................................................20

7. Case study............................................................................................21

8. Nitrogen toxicity.................................................................................23

9. Regulation of N fertilization.............................................................24

10. Conclusion and recommendation....................................................25

Chapter 3 Comparison Between the Water and Salt Stress Effects on Plant Growth and Development......................................................................31

1. Introduction..........................................................................................31

2. Water stress × salt stress effects on plant growth and

development.........................................................................................37

3. Conclusion............................................................................................56

Acknowledgements ...........................................................................57

Chapter 4 Plant Analysis............................................................................................65

1. Introduction..........................................................................................65

2. Factors that affect nutritional diagnosis.........................................66

3. Criteria for plant sampling...............................................................67

4. Recommendations about foliar sampling and adequate nutritional

levels in some plant species..............................................................69

5. Preparation of vegetal material for analysis..................................75

6. Interpretation of analytical results...................................................77

7. Visual diagnosis...................................................................................81

8. Other methods.....................................................................................83

9. Final considerations............................................................................83

Chapter 5 Analysis of Water Quality Data for Scientists..................................87

1. Introduction..........................................................................................87

2. Materials and methods......................................................................88

3. Case studies giving an example on the data analysis

methods.................................................................................................95

4. Summary.............................................................................................120

5. Acknowledgements...........................................................................121

Chapter 6 Effects on Soil Fertility and Microbial Populations of Broadcast-

Transplanting Rice Seedlings in High Standing-Stubble Under

No-Tillage in Paddy Fields..................................................................126

1. Introduction........................................................................................126

2. Materials and methods ...................................................................128

3. Results ................................................................................................131

4. Discussion .........................................................................................138

5. Acknowledgements .........................................................................140

Chapter 7 Statistical Methods for the Analysis of Soil Spatial and Temporal

Variability.................................................................................................143

1. Introduction........................................................................................143

2. Classical statistical methods............................................................145

3. Geostatistics: Structural analysis....................................................153

4. Geostatistics: Prediction...................................................................159

5. Bayesian maximum entropy...........................................................163

6. Discussion and conclusions............................................................167

7. Acknowledgements...........................................................................173

Chapter 8 Multiscaling Analysis of Soil Drop Roughness.............................183

1. Introduction........................................................................................183

2. Materials and methods....................................................................185

3. Results and discussion.....................................................................190

4. Conclusions........................................................................................198

5. Acknowledgment..............................................................................199

Chapter 9 Physiological and Biochemical Mechanisms of Plant Adaptation to Low-Fertility Acid Soils of the Tropics: The Case of Brachiariagrasses.....................................................................................205

1. Introduction........................................................................................205

2. Materials and methods....................................................................209

3. Conclusions .......................................................................................229

4. Acknowledgment .............................................................................231

Citation......................................................................................................243

Index...........................................................................................................245

About Author

Shamsa Carol holds Ph.D. in Plant Science from Public University, Hobart. She has written papers on topic ranging from organic fertilizers, soil microbiology, soil nutrients, soil mechanics biotechnology, synthetic biology and plant genetics. She is a Research Associate at Technical Institute, Groningen. Her main interest areas are plant taxonomy, plant genetics, plant tissue culture, genetic transformation, cryopreservation, oxidative stress, soil mechanics and nutrients. She has also traveled and lectured extensively throughout Asia and Europe; primarily for undergraduate education.