Soil Biology and Agriculture in the Tropics

About this book

The relationships between soils, microbes and humans are of crucial relevance in the tropics, where plant stress and microbial activity are exacerbated. This volume of Soil Biology presents the living component of tropical soils, showing how it is shaped by environmental conditions and emphasizing its dramatic impact on human survival and well-being. Following an introduction to the specificities of tropical soils and of their microbial communities, the biological aspects of soil management are examined, dealing with land use change, conservation and slash-and-burn agriculture, the restoration of hot deserts, agroforestry and paddy rice cultivation.

As they are of particular relevance for tropical agriculture, symbioses of plants and microbes are thoroughly covered, as are the biodegradation of pesticides and health risks associated with wastewater irrigation. Lastly, traditional soil knowledge is discussed as a key to our sustainable presence in this world.

Contents

Stephen Nortcliff: Soils of the Tropics; Rainer Georg Joergensen: Organic Matter and Microorganisms in Tropical Soils; Louis V. Verchot: Impacts of Forest Conversion to Agriculture on Microbial Communities and Microbial Function; Gustavo Ribeiro Xavier, Maria Elizabeth Fernandes Correia, Adriana Maria de Aquino, Jerri Aedson Zilli, and Norma Gouvea Rumjanek: The Structural and Functional Biodiversity of Soil: An Interdisciplinary Vision for Conservation Agriculture in Brazil; Dieudonne Nwaga, Jan Jansa, Monique Abossolo Angue, and Emmanuel Frossard: The Potential of Soil Beneficial Microorganisms for Slash-and-Burn Agriculture in the Humid Forest Zone of Sub-Saharan Africa; Yoav Bashan and Luz E. de-Bashan: Microbial Populations of Arid Lands and their Potential for Restoration of Deserts; Radha Prasanna, Lata Nain, Alok Kumar Pandey, and Saswati Nayak: Exploring the Ecological Significance of Microbial Diversity and Networking in the Rice Ecosystem; Aline Lopez-Lopez, Monica Rosenblueth, Julio Martinez, and Esperanza Martinez-Romero: Rhizobial Symbioses in Tropical Legumes and Non-Legumes; Andre Mundstock Xavier de Carvalho, Rodrigo de Castro Tavares, Irene Maria Cardoso, and Thomas W. Kuyper: Mycorrhizal Associations in Agroforestry Systems; Luis Andres Yarzabal: Agricultural Development in Tropical Acidic Soils: Potential and Limits of Phosphate-Solubilizing Bacteria; Daniel Uribe, Jimena Sanchez Nieves, and Javier Vanegas Guerrero: Role of Microbial Biofertilizers in the Development of a Sustainable Agriculture in the Tropics; Ziv Arbeli and Cilia L. Fuentes: Microbial Degradation of Pesticides in Tropical Soils; Robert C. Abaidoo, Bernard Keraita, Pay Drechsel, Priyanka Dissanayake, and Akple S. Maxwell: Soil and Crop Contamination through Wastewater Irrigation and Options for Risk Reduction in Developing Countries; Patrice Dion: Towards a New Purpose for Traditional and Other Forms of Soil Knowledge

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