Production from tropical agricultural systems will need to increase to satisfy the rising food demand of an increasing population coupled with changes in consumption patterns. At the same time, the agricultural sector is a significant source of greenhouse gases (GHG) in many developing countries, which can be attributed mainly to land-use change and methane emissions from rice and livestock. But how can we reconcile less GHG emissions from tropical agricultural systems while increasing productivity? Due to the interactive nature of these issues, this book is compiled of articles on natural resource management, as well as the socio-economic aspects of GHG mitigation. The scope of mitigation options in tropical agriculture is discussed for three different activities: (a) agroforestry; (b) rice-based production systems; (c) pasture/animal husbandry. Agronomic solutions alone will not be sufficient, as the institutional and economic frameworks within which farmers operate dictate whether a recommended agronomic management practice is acceptable. The prevention of deforestation, and the re-forestation of degraded land, could become key elements to national climate protection programs of some developing countries. Alternative management practices in rice-based and pasture systems may offer win-win options to reduce emissions and improve resource-use efficiencies.

Covering all aspects of practical plant nematology in subtropical and tropical agriculture, the third edition of this definitive global reference work is fully revised and in full colour throughout. It covers the presence, distribution, symptomology and management of all economically important plant parasitic nematodes damaging the world's major food and cash crops. This includes: rice, cereals, solanum and sweet potatoes (and other root and tuber crops), food legumes, vegetables, peanut, citrus, fruit tree crops, coconut and other palms, coffee, cocoa, tea, bananas, sugarcane, tobacco, pineapple, cotton, other tropical fibres, spices and medicinal plants. New content for this edition includes: A chapter on nematode soil biodiversity and soil health; Reflections on the future impact of nematodes and nematology on food security; The importance of climate change, emerging threats, and new management technologies for large and small subsistence growers; Significant revisions to the IPM chapter and chapters on vegetables, citrus, legumes, tuber crops, cotton, peanut and banana where major advances in nematode management have occurred. This book is highly illustrated, with up-to-date practical guidance on methods of extraction, processing and diagnosing of different plant and soil nematodes and on integrated pest management. It remains an invaluable resource for those studying and working in the area of crop protection.

Biological nitrogen fixation in tropical agrosystems: twenty years of biological nitrogen fixation research in Africa; Sustainable agriculture: definition and measurement; Biological nitrogen fixation systems in tropical ecosystems: an overview; A protocol for screening legumes as soil-improving crops; The sustenance of tropical agriculture with multipurpose azolla; Facteurs pedoclimatiques limitant la lixation biologique l'azole; Response of some tropical nitrogen-fixing woody legumes to drought and inoculation with mycorrhiza; Improvement to the Phaseolus/Rhizobium symbiosis, with particular reference to the Caribbean region; Effect of pest management systems on biological nitrogen fixation; Agronomic evaluation of a rock phosphate as a phosphorus source for Leucaena leucocephala grown on an utisol; Nodulation of soybean grown under field conditions and inoculated with Bradyrhizobium japonicum strains; Effect of fertilization and Rhizobium inoculation on the growth of Leucaena and Gliricidia on an alfisol in south-western Nigeria; Early growth and nodulation in Leucaena and Gliricidia and the effects or pruning on biomass productivity; Comparative stude on the growth and productivity of Sesbania and Leucaena in the Central Plateau region, Rwanda; Supernoculation and non-nodulation mutants of soybean; Genetically improved rhizobia and their use in agriculture; Sustainability of nitrogen-fixing cropping systems: Nodulation and nitrogen fixation and transfer in a cowpea/rice cropping system; The role of legumes in sustaiing soil productivity and controlling soil erosion; Fitting soil-improving legumes into inland valley rice-baes cropping systems in West Africa; Herbage yield and soil fertility restoration potential of some tropical forage legumes.

Addressing the problem of the high cost of agricultural development in tropical regions, this book summarizes the environmental concerns associated with tropical agriculture. The authors highlight major environmental hazards confronted in tropical agriculture and suggest specific management options that could be used to reduce or avoid them. The fi

The Competitiveness of Tropical Agriculture: A Guide to Competitive Potential with Case Studies describes and synthesizes existing methodologies for evaluating competitiveness in agriculture, introduces extensions and refinements, and provides a novel approach based on a combination of quantitative and qualitative methodologies. As exports of tropical fruit, nuts, and other high-value crops have been growing very rapidly from developing countries, but often encounter serious obstacles in their value chains, this book demonstrates how national agricultural policy is oftentimes not guided by considerations of inherent competitiveness. In addition, the book presents case studies that illustrate the application of these approaches using quantitative frameworks. A concluding chapter introduces policy considerations for competitiveness from work in Jordan, Colombia, Estonia, Peru, and elsewhere, also discussing the role of specific policies in raising competitiveness sustainably and its role in reducing rural poverty. Presents evaluations of 105 agricultural products, including crops, livestock outputs, aquaculture products, and forestry products Explores insights not found in other competitiveness studies, including spatial variation within a country for the same crop, relation to the use of skilled labor, and above all, the role of value chain issues in determining competitiveness Includes analysis of results, such as assessing sector-wide effects on employment and income of policies that help align the sector with its competitive advantage

The proceeding of tropical agriculture is a proceeding of papers presented at the International Conference on Tropical Agriculture. Sustainability of agriculture production system is an important issue in the world, which includes all aspects of sustainable criteria, such as technical, socio-economic, and ecological aspects. This book covers sustainable tropical agriculture, sustainable tropical fisheries, sustainable tropical animal production, sustainable tropical forestry, tropical animal health, and Innovative and Emerging Food Technology and Management. The most common, challenging issues in plant, animal and fisheries production in the tropics are climate change, inefficiency production system, low technological innovation, decreasing environment quality, and the outbreak risk of pest and diseases. These issues are closely linked to the socio-economic condition of farmers as small-scale farms are dominant in this area. In addition, post-harvest technology is crucial to maintaining the high quality of products after on farm production. This volume provides the recent research and development on tropical agriculture production systems for plant, terrestrial animal and aquatic animal to establish sustainable agriculture production in the tropics.