burleigh dodds science publishing limited gb (907 résultats)

Paperback. Etat : New. This collection features four peer-reviewed reviews on viral diseases affecting pigs.The first chapter summarises recent research on the causes and epidemiology of major bacteria, viruses and parasites found in pig production, focussing on those with a particular impact on safety and global production, such as African swine fever, Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome (PRRS) and Porcine Epidemic Diarrhoea (PED).The second chapter reviews advances in understanding mechanisms of porcine viral disease transmission and pathogenesis. The chapter concludes with commonly used measures for prevention and control of viral diseases of pigs, emphasizing the importance of the vaccination programs as cornerstone of swine health programs.The third chapter discusses our current understanding of the mechanisms of resistance to the major respiratory diseases affecting pigs, including PRRS. The chapter considers the use of marker-selection and genetic modification as mechanisms to prevent the infection of PRRS and reduce its impact on swine health.The final chapter considers the transmission, clinical presentation, evolution and spread of two major diseases affecting swine production - PRRS and PED. The chapter reviews the impact of each virus on a global scale, as well as its impact on swine production in the United Kingdom.

Paperback. Etat : New. This collection features five peer-reviewed reviews on optimising pig nutrition.The first chapter considers advances in nutritional requirements and metabolism and how these contribute to the sustainable production of pig meat, including the need to maintain sow body condition throughout gestation and lactation and ways of reducing variation in pork production systems.The second chapter discusses the essential contribution of balanced energy and protein levels in achieving optimal health in pigs. It includes a case study which illustrates how characteristics of feed form and structure may have contradictory impacts on the gastric health and performance of pigs.The third chapter summarises current knowledge on the effects of prebiotic oligosaccharides on porcine gut function and health, focussing on the effects on gut functions in the early postnatal phase.The fourth chapter addresses recent advances in understanding the role of vitamins in porcine diets. It outlines their importance for some aspects of oxidative mechanisms, including the development and competence of the immune system.The final chapter summarises the nutritional attributes of macroalgae in terms of macro and micronutrients as a source of protein and other compounds in pig nutrition.

Paperback. Etat : New. This collection features five peer-reviewed literature reviews on the environmental impact of livestock production.The first chapter discusses life cycle assessment (LCA) and its role in evaluating the environmental footprint of farming systems. The chapter also explores how the practical trade-off between feasibility and scientific rigour should be addressed in the field of ruminant production systems. The second chapter explores some of the many facets of livestock's contributions to climate change and the difficulties involved in quantifying them, with a closer look into the contribution of livestock methane emissions to changing atmospheric methane concentrations over the last few decades.The third chapter presents a review of the environmental sustainability impacts of swine production, focused at the farm level because the majority of environmental impacts occur by this stage of the supply chain.The fourth chapter considers the potential strategies that can be implemented to improve the environmental performance of intensive poultry systems.The final chapter examines how LCA can be used as a tool to quantify multiple resource use and environmental impacts. The chapter details how potentially harmful emissions can be assessed and measured at each stage inthe life cycle of sheep products.

Paperback. Etat : New. This collection features five peer-reviewed literature reviews on conservation tillage in agriculture.The first chapter reviews types of tillage and soil disturbance and how different soil management techniques affect the cropping cycle. The chapter also discusses how soil disturbance can be minimised during key farming operations.The second chapter describes the principles of Conservation Agriculture (CA), looking primarily at soil management. It also examines the key concepts of no-tillage agriculture, as well as the environmental and economic benefits these techniques offer.The third chapter discusses the role of conservation tillage in organic farming, reviewing over 20 years of practical, on-farm research. It outlines the main benefits associated with conservation tillage, whilst also considering the challenges that arise with its implementation and how these can be addressed.The fourth chapter explores the emergence of conservation tillage (CT) as an innovation to address stagnant wheat yields in the Indo-Gangetic Plains of South Asia. The chapter explores the benefits of CT for soil health and crop yields, and highlights current obstacles facing region-wide adoption of CT.The final chapter reviews the advantages of zero-till maize cultivation, including reduced soil erosion and nutrient losses. It also summarises best management practices to optimise zero-till maize systems.

Paperback. Etat : New. This collection features five peer-reviewed literature reviews on crop rotations in agriculture.The first chapter discusses the effects of crop rotation and intercropping management practices and their impact on soil health enhancement and stability. It also considers the importance of leguminous crops and soil organic matter in maintaining healthy soils, sustaining crop productivity and enhancing biodiversity.The second chapter examines the principles of crop rotation, precrop effects in crop rotations, and the nutrient effects of legumes and other rotation crops. It also reviews the role of rotation crops in suppressing weeds, diseases and pests and studies rotations and crop yields, as well as the challenge of designing a crop rotation.The third chapter illustrates how crop models account for the interactions between soil, genotypes, management, and climate, on crops grown in various rotations, and their effects on yield and environmental outcomes under current and future climate scenarios.The fourth chapter assesses the potential of decision support systems for crop rotations in improving soil health and agricultural sustainability.The final chapter reviews how crop rotations with non-cereal species can be implemented to substantially reduce inoculum sources for residue-borne cereal leaf diseases.

Paperback. Etat : New. This collection features four peer-reviewed literature reviews on lameness in dairy cattle.The first chapter provides an overview of lameness and its impact on dairy cow health and welfare. The chapter reviews existing methods for manual and automated detection of lameness, including approaches that detect changes and abnormalities in the gait, stance and behaviour of the animal, including the use of video, accelerometers and spatial positioning systems.The second chapter discusses the aetiology of the four main causes of lameness in dairy cows: sole ulcer, white line, digital dermatitis and interdigital phlegmon. The chapter reviews the importance of prompt and effective treatments, as well as the best practices to optimise foot health to prevent the onset of lameness.The third chapter reviews advances in dairy cattle breeding to improve resistance to claw and foot disorders, primarily lameness. It considers the various steps in breeding, from the definition of the breeding goal to genomic evaluation and data validation, as well as the consequent challenges which can develop.The final chapter examines the impact of lameness on dairy production and highlights the importance of optimising foot health in dairy cattle to prevent the occurrence of lameness. The chapter discusses claw horn disruption and concludes with a case study on an outbreak of lameness in a herd of 800 Holstein cows.

Paperback. Etat : New. This collection features three peer-reviewed literature reviews on pesticide residues in agriculture.The first chapter outlines the ways in which pesticide use can lead to increased pest problems, such as pest resurgence and replacement, and the development of pesticide resistance. The chapter examines current strategies for mitigating the impacts of pesticides and refers to a detailed case study on the diamondback moth (DBM) to demonstrate the practical application of these strategies.The second chapter explores the threat of pesticide poisoning to human health, either via deliberate self-poisoning or via occupational exposure. It discusses how best to monitor exposure to pesticides, as well as how to minimize the human health risks that may arise as a result of their use/exposure. The authors refer to a case study on smallholder cotton farmers in the Republic of Benin to emphasise the global pesticide poisoning crisis.The final chapter reviews the environmental impacts of pesticide use in agriculture, focussing on their contribution to global human and ecological health issues. It provides an overview of how pesticides are currently addressed in emission inventory and impact assessment, and discusses the relevance of spatiotemporal variability in modelling emissions and the toxicity and ecotoxicity impacts of pesticides.

Paperback. Etat : New. This collection features four peer-reviewed literature reviews on developing immunity in pigs.The first chapter provides an overview of the latest research in gut function and immunity in pigs, as well as the role of the gut microbiota in shaping intestinal immune responses. The chapter also reviews recent advances in the development of novel tools to investigate the function of the pig gut.The second chapter describes the enteric and mucosal immune systems of pigs and presents evidence from experimental studies of the links between the immune system and microbiota. It examines the microbiome and metabolism of pigs and highlights its importance in the development of pig immune systems.The third chapter reviews advances in nutritional strategies to boost immune function in pigs, including the use of lipopolysaccharide to stimulate the immune system. The chapter considers the need to reduce the use of antimicrobials in swine diets and reviews the effect of dietary supplementation during key stages of a pig's life to enhance immunity.The final chapter assesses methods of improving gut function in pigs to optimise health, prevent pathogen colonization and optimise immunity. The chapter discusses research on genes associated with pathogen resistance and porcine immune response and reviews the role of dietary and nutritional strategies in preventing intestinal pathogen colonisation.

Paperback. Etat : New. This collection features five peer-reviewed literature reviews on decision support systems (DSS) in agriculture.The first chapter provides a review of DSS in agriculture, whilst addressing the key questions surrounding their use for farm soil and crop management. The different aspects of agricultural DSS design, implementation and operation are also discussed.The second chapter assesses the role of DSS for pest monitoring and management through information technology such as, remote sensing, GIS, spectral indices, image-based diagnostics, and phenology-based degree day models.The third chapter discusses the potential of implementing DSS within the growing mechanisation in greenhouses. It examines differences in development and application of deterministic explanatory and data-based models for real-time control and DSS.The fourth chapter explores the key issues associated with deploying DSS in precision agriculture, whilst also considering their human and social aspects. The chapter also considers how future research on DSS can be moulded to improve productivity in a precision agriculture setting.The final chapter outlines the importance of a participatory approach in DSS development, whilst also offering examples of climate-based DSS for crop and land management, pest and disease management, and livestock (dairy) management.

Paperback. Etat : New. This collection features five peer-reviewed literature reviews on integrated weed management in cereal cultivation.The first chapter examines the problem of weeds in barley and explains the application of integrated weed management (IWM) to barley cultivation. The chapter also outlines weed control tactics and the practical implementation of IWM in barley.The second chapter reviews the availability of cultural strategies which can be used in wheat cultivation as part of an IWM strategy. The chapter considers the implementation of practices that can improve crop health, including diverse crop rotations.The third chapter considers the impact of weeds on maize cultivation and productivity, as well as the emergence of IWM as a sustainable method of controlling weeds. The chapter assesses the efficacy of key IWM techniques, such as crop rotations.The fourth chapter provides a detailed assessment of the biological constraints currently impacting the productivity of rice cultivation, focusing on the issue of weeds. The chapter includes an overview of the IWM approach and its benefits.The final chapter focuses on competitive cereal crops and cultural strategies for weed management, including the use of weed-suppressive cultivars, post-harvest crop residues, and cover crops for management of the weed seedbank and eventual weed suppression.

Paperback. Etat : New. This specially curated collection features six reviews of current and key research on genetic modification of crops.The first chapter reviews key challenges facing banana production, primarily the risk of species decimation by diseases such as Fusarium wilt, and considers how genetic modification may be a solution to this.The second chapter discusses the development and establishment of 'Golden Rice' - a biofortified variety designed as a health intervention to help alleviate the problem of vitamin A deficiency.The third chapter details recent advances in the genetic modification of important agronomic traits of soybean crops, such as herbicide tolerance and insect resistance. The fourth chapter addresses progress in and prospects for transgenic interventions in the improvement of grain legumes, concentrating on chickpea, pigeonpea, cowpea and more.The fifth chapter reviews recent research efforts in the production of genetically modified (GM) oil palm plants and looks towards establishing stable lines of commercially viable GM varieties.The final chapter describes recent progress relating to transgenic modification of cassava and how future research can strengthen food security and commercialization of the crop.

Paperback. Etat : New. This specially curated collection features four reviews of current and key research on metabolic disorders in dairy cattle.The first chapter reviews the prevalence, etiology and effects of ruminal acidosis, as well as ways to counteract it through regulation of ruminal pH. The chapter includes a case study on subacute rumen acidosis (SARA) in the post-partum phase of the transition period.The second chapter assesses the main pathways for rumen fermentation which is a major factor in efficient transformation of nutrients. It discusses factors influencing the efficiency of microbial growth as well as the interactions between rumen energy and nitrogen metabolism in ensuring efficient digestion and avoiding metabolic disorders.The third chapter investigates the genetics of improving feed intake efficiency which has significant potential in reducing metabolic disorders. The chapter reviews key challenges in developing genomic selection indices for feed intake, including recording feed intake, pooling genetic data and establishing genomic breeding values for feed efficiency.The fourth chapter discusses how cereal grains impact feed efficiency in cattle. It reviews how cereal grains can be used to improve feed efficiency and the microbiology of cereal grain fermentation. The chapter also discusses ways of avoiding acidosis and other negative feed effects.

Paperback. Etat : New. This collection features four peer-reviewed reviews on developing immunity in poultry.The first chapter discusses the advances in genetic, genomic and functional genomic studies of immune and disease resistance in chickens. The chapter reviews multi-trait selection experiments and considers the potential trade-offs between production and immunocompetence in response to disease.The second chapter reviews the importance of the gut microbiome in optimising animal health and reducing susceptibility to major diseases affecting poultry production. The chapter examines intestinal immunity, as well as the microbiota interactions which occur within the poultry immune system.The third chapter addresses the nutritional strategies which can be implemented to boost immune function in poultry. The chapter considers the process of nutritional modulation and reviews the use of vitamins, minerals and amino acids to enhance, suppress and balance poultry immune systems.The final chapter provides an overview of the avian defence system and its role in tackling some of the major pathogens affecting global poultry production, such as coccidiosis. The chapter reviews the various elements of the host defence system and considers how supplements can modulate the immune system and its responses to specific challenges.

Paperback. Etat : New. This collection features four peer-reviewed reviews on integrated pest management (IPM) in cereal cultivation.The first chapter describes a holistic approach to IPM using knowledge of the natural regulation of herbivore and weed populations and of natural succession in agricultural wetlands. It also highlights the need for an improved understanding of rice ecosystems in a holistic manner to ensure the economic and environmental sustainability of rice production.The second chapter provides a brief overview of IPM and reviews the range of control methods available to growers, including biological, cultural and chemical. The chapter considers the implementation of IPM programmes in wheat production and utilises a case study from New Zealand to demonstrate a successful example of it.The third chapter discusses key insect pests of sorghum, their life cycles and their impact on crop productivity and performance. The chapter reviews the use of IPM programmes as a sustainable alternative to controlling pest infestations without the need for insecticides.The final chapter examines host plant resistance as an ecological approach to managing crop pests and considers the process of evaluating resistance on the basis of insect behavior. The chapter also looks at breeding rice for resistance to insect pests and considers the constraints on the development and deployment of insect-resistant plant technology.

Paperback. Etat : New. This collection features four peer-reviewed reviews on Artificial Intelligence (AI) applications in agriculture.The first chapter reviews developments in the use of AI techniques to improve the functionality of decision support systems in agriculture. It reviews the use of techniques such as data mining, artificial neural networks, Bayesian networks, support vector machines and association rule mining.The second chapter examines how robotic and AI can be used to improve precision irrigation in vineyards. The chapter pays particular attention to robot-assisted precision irrigation delivery (RAPID), a novel system currently being developed and tested at the University of California in the United States.The third chapter reviews the current state of mechanized collection technology, such as the development of harvest-assist platforms, as well as the possibilities of these machines to incorporate artificial vision systems to perform an in-field pre-grading of the product.The final chapter explores the emergence of the automated assessment of plant diseases and traits through new sensor systems, AI and robotics. The chapter then considers the application of these digital technologies in plant breeding, focussing on smart farming and plant phenotyping.

Paperback. Etat : New. This collection features four peer-reviewed literature reviews on arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi in agriculture.The first chapter reviews the use of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) as biostimulants for sustainable crop production and explores the benefits of its use, such as bidirectional nutrient exchange and soil quality. The chapter discusses the requirements needed for successful implementation of AMF in sustainable crop production, and also maps the current market for mycorrhizal products.The second chapter explores our understanding of how AMF can modify nutrient availability in soil, specifically concerning the roles that fungal ecology and physiology may play during the processes of nutrient acquisition and transformation. The chapter also refers to future opportunities in research to exploit AMF to improve nutrient-use efficiency.The third chapter highlights further advances in our understanding of how AMF can improve root function in agricultural systems. The chapter also discusses the functional diversity apparent in plant responses to AMF colonisation.The final chapter reviews the use of AMF-based bio-inoculants in tea cultivation. The chapter also discusses the range of AMF associated with tea and their effects on the tea rhizosphere, plant growth and quality.

Paperback. Etat : New. This specially curated collection features four reviews of current and key research on mastitis in dairy cattle. The first chapter reviews the indicators of mastitis and the contagious and environmental pathogens which cause it. It then discusses how mastitis can be managed and controlled on dairy farms, including consideration of dry cow therapy and the use of antibiotics.The second chapter examines the impact of clinical and subclinical mastitis in cows on milk quality, and provides a detailed account of indicators of mastitis. It describes the impact of mastitis on milk composition and quality, addressing its effect on the protein, fat, lactose and iron content of milk.The third chapter reviews advances in dairy cattle breeding to improve resistance to mastitis. It includes sections on both conventional and new phenotypes for improving resistance to clinical mastitis and concludes with a section on increasing rates of genetic gain through genomic selection.The final chapter considers recent research on the prevalence and development of antimicrobial resistance in mastitis pathogens. It shows how consistent diagnostic protocols and recording systems, attention to medical history, appropriate choice of antibiotics and control of treatment duration can all contribute to minimizing unnecessary use of antimicrobials and promoting effective treatment of mastitis.

Paperback. Etat : New. This collection features four peer-reviewed literature reviews on soil health indicators.The first chapter describes indicators and frameworks for soil health currently in use. It evaluates the principles underpinning current approaches to monitoring soil quality/health and shows these principles have been applied in the development of a practical soil health toolkit for use by UK farmers.The second chapter reviews the range of physical, chemical and biological indicators of soil health and how they can be used in practice. It focusses on measuring soil health in organic vegetable cultivation and, in particular, ways of measuring the effects of adding organic amendments to improve soil health.The third chapter discusses key issues in soil organic carbon (SOM) modelling and the development of increasingly sophisticated, dynamic SOM models. It looks at the role of SOM models in improving soil health monitoring and developing decision support tools for farmersThe final chapter reviews current challenges in collecting more systematic and reliable data on earthworm communities, including issues in identifying different earthworm groups. It includes a case study on developing a robust method for accurate measurement of earthworm communities in soil in assessing and improving soil health.

Paperback. Etat : New. This specially curated collection features five reviews of current and key research on crops as livestock feed.The first chapter reviews the impact of feeding ruminants cereal grains on animal physiology and health. The chapter explores the use of starch-containing cereal grains as a feedstuff to improve animal efficiency and performance, as well as to reduce the environmental footprint of ruminant animal production.The second chapter discusses key environmental trade-offs in the use of crops as livestock feed. It reviews key elements in trade-off analysis and explores opportunities for making better use of existing feed resources and producing more feed biomass of higher fodder quality.The third chapter reviews ways of optimising the use of barley for animal feed, from production and breeding through to the application of new technologies such as near infrared spectroscopy and molecular markers.The fourth chapter reviews the use of sorghum as an important source of fodder and forage. It reviews the different types of sorghum used for forage and other applications, and then provides a detailed discussion of the use of forage sorghum as feed for ruminants.The final chapter discusses the use of soybean meal (SBM) as an animal feed. It assesses the nutritional content of SBM, as well dealing with its anti-nutritive compounds in optimising its use.

Paperback. Etat : New. This specially curated collection features five reviews of current and key research on improving water management in crop cultivation.The first chapter focuses on site-specific variable rate irrigation systems utilised across agriculture and examines site-specific data acquisition and mining approaches, such as soil mapping and zone delineation.The second chapter considers the main deficit irrigation strategies used in agriculture to improve crop water productivity. It also explores the status of site-specific irrigation management and its role in minimizing agricultural water use.The third chapter reviews progress in winter wheat water management and water-use efficiency (WUE), drawing on long-term field experiments in the U.S. southern Great Plains. It discusses the key relationships between yield, evapotranspiration, WUE and best management practices.The fourth chapter considers the key techniques for improving rice water productivity through enhanced irrigation practices aiming to reduce irrigation water use in rice cultivation, such as the Alternate Wetting and Drying technique.The final chapter examines the main irrigation methods used in dryland sorghum production. It also reviews the relationship between soil properties and irrigation management.

Paperback. Etat : New. This collection features three peer-reviewed literature reviews on feather-pecking in poultry.The first chapter describes the three main forms of injurious pecking (IP) in poultry: tissue pecking (TP), aggressive pecking (AP) and feather-pecking (FP). It discusses the origin of severe FP, the most severe form of IP. The chapter concludes with a discussion on the risk factors and current management strategies used to reduce IP in poultry production.The second chapter assesses the use of beak trimming of laying hens as an effective preventative strategy for injurious pecking (IP). It considers the welfare costs and benefits of the two different methods: hot blade (HB) and infrared (IR). The chapter concludes with a section on alternative strategies that could reduce the need for beak trimming.The final chapter reviews the different types of featherpecking and considers the origins of this behaviour. The chapter offers a detailed discussion on the management techniques available for the prevention of feather-pecking, during both rearing and the laying period.

Paperback. Etat : New. This collection features four peer-reviewed reviews on managing arthropod pests in tree fruit.The first chapter provides a brief overview of the major aphid pests affecting tree fruit production, focussing on those causing economic damage in citrus, apple, pear and stone fruit production. The chapter considers the techniques available for their control and looks ahead to future research in this area.The second chapter addresses the complex issue of managing and controlling arthropod pests in tree fruit production in the face of increasing pesticide regulatory restrictions, as well as public concerns about food safety and environmental impact. The chapter considers the need for a more basic understanding of pest biology and development which can then be used in predictive models to support the effective use of more selective and sustainable crop protection methods.The third chapter introduces key arthropod pests of apples and highlights the importance of integrated pest management (IPM) programmes in controlling infestations. The chapter reviews the tools and tactics available as part of a sustainable IPM programme, as well as current and future challenges facing IPM.The final chapter outlines key cultural tactics for managing arthropod pests in temperate tree fruit, including the modification of trees, tree architecture, orchard floor management, cultivation practices, mowing and the cultivation of orchard cover crops.

Paperback. Etat : New. This specially curated collection features five reviews of current and key research on vertical farming in horticulture.The first chapter describes and evaluates technologies and methods for growing edible plants indoors and presents a survey of selected commercial vertical farms currently operating that employ them.The second chapter explores the benefits of plant factories with artificial lighting (PFALs). The chapter assesses resource consumption, costs and performance of current PFALs, as well as methods for reducing resource consumption and production costs.The third chapter explores recent advances in the ornamentals industry, such as vertical propagation systems and LED technology, and how these can be implemented to meet the challenges of a changing marketplace and societal demands.The fourth chapter describes the advantages and disadvantages of hydroponics, along with the equipment and substrates used, and also examines soilless/hydroponic growing systems for vegetables.The final chapter describes the most recent innovation in hydroponic technologies for plant cultivation within cities and their adaptability to the urban fabric.

Paperback. Etat : New. This specially curated collection features five reviews of current and key research on fruit losses and waste.The first chapter reviews the magnitude of losses and waste of fruit and vegetables as well as key issues in estimating losses. It provides a detailed assessment of the main causes of losses and waste together with strategies for their prevention.The second chapter assesses the adoption of new, non-destructive technologies as a way of measuring harvest maturity and improving sorting operations to minimise the risk of product loss and waste.The third chapter outlines the importance of harvest management of apples and considers the importance of various factors associated with fruit physiology, maturation and ripening to reduce losses.The fourth chapter reviews existing research in the preservation of fruit quality and reduction of post-harvest damage and loss by adopting suitable technologies and knowledge during post-harvest operation, storage management, transportation and marketing of mango fruit.The final chapter explores the advantages and disadvantages of cultivating ripening-impaired tomato mutants. It describes how controlling tomato diseases in both pre- and postharvest operations can help avoid fruit losses.

Paperback. Etat : New. This collection features three peer-reviewed literature reviews on reducing antibiotic use in dairy production.The first chapter describes the regulatory control of medicines in the United Kingdom and European Union and discusses the wider implications of antimicrobial use in dairy production and the need for change in the way we view and use medicines. The chapter also proposes how medicine prescribing practices in the dairy industry may undergo a series of changes in the near future.The second chapter considers recent advances of disease prevention in dairy cattle. Using bovine respiratory disease as a model, the chapter investigates key interactions between the host, environment and pathogen. These interactions can provide beneficial information that can be utilised to develop a prevention platform for multiple syndromes of bacterial disease in dairy cattle.The final chapter begins by assessing the need to promote digestive efficiency and productivity whilst maintaining animal health and welfare. It considers the role of probiotics in achieving this and reviews the range of research undertaken on the benefits and modes of action of probiotics. The chapter also details the role of probiotics in reducing antibiotic use in dairy production through improvements in areas such as pathogen control, feed efficiency and methane production.

Paperback. Etat : New. This collection features three peer-reviewed literature reviews on pre- and probiotics in poultry production.The first chapter summarises the safety and efficacy of individual monocultures for prophylactic and/or therapeutic efficacy against Salmonella infections in poultry under both laboratory and field conditions. The chapter also considers the development of novel, cost-effective, feed-stable, direct-fed microbials with potential for widespread utilisation and improved production, delivery and clinical efficacy for animal use.The second chapter discusses the establishment of prebiotics as a series of feed compounds that serve as specific substrates for gastrointestinal tract (GIT) bacteria. The chapter reviews the impact of prebiotics on bird health, GIT function, and prevention of foodborne pathogen GIT colonization. Particular attention is drawn on the impact of prebiotics on the avian intestinal microbiome, cecal microbiome and the avian upper GIT.The final chapter considers current concerns surrounding the application of probiotics in poultry production, primarily due to mixed experiences of their effectiveness and lack of knowledge regarding the scientific basis for their modes of action. In contrast, prebiotics have been readily accepted by the sector. This chapter summarises recent research on the effects of both types of treatment, their possible modes of action, as well as the strengths and limitations of their use.

Paperback. Etat : New. This collection features four peer-reviewed literature reviews on cover crops in agriculture.The first chapter describes the contribution of cover crops to improving soil health. The chapter reviews their key role e.g. supplying a food source for soil organisms, providing a source of carbon to help build soil organic matter, enhancing nutrient dynamics in the soil and improving soil structure.The second chapter considers recent research on the benefits of cover crops in organic cultivation in areas such as soil structure and erosion control as well as nutrient cycling. It also looks at the wider role of cover crops in control of weeds, diseases and pests, promoting biodiversity and reducing greenhouse gases (GHGs).The third chapter highlights the use of different cover crops species to promote live or dead soil mulch cover in Conservation Agriculture systems. It also reviews how cover crops effect aspects such as soil acidity and nutrient availability, soil physical and biological properties, soil nematode control, weed control and grain yield.The final chapter reviews the role of cover crops in weed control. Cover crops are important additions to crop rotations because they suppress weeds during rotational periods when crops are absent and provide ecosystem services that enhance soil quality and fertility.

Paperback. Etat : New. This collection features five peer-reviewed literature reviews on life cycle assessment (LCA) of crops.The first chapter discusses the application of LCA to agricultural systems and highlights key issues associated with its implementation, including delimitation of systems boundaries, defining the functional unit, handling coproduction, and the choosing of impact assessment methods.The second chapter explores the concepts of LCA and the coffee value chain. The chapter discusses how carbon footprint performances can be used to upgrade coffee value chains.The third chapter assesses the environmental impact of oil palm production during cultivation and as a result of land use change for new plantations. The chapter describes the principles and modelling steps of LCA, as well as the challenges ahead regarding further development and application.The fourth chapter reviews the core principles of LCA methodology, the state of the art of LCA for fruits and associated key challenges. The first complete LCA case study for export mango is also discussed. The final chapter assesses the environmental impact of banana production and highlights the importance of LCA in influencing the adoption of practices that can reduce or offset the carbon footprint of the banana value chain.

Paperback. Etat : New. This collection features five peer-reviewed reviews on ecosystem services delivered by forests.The first chapter summarises the current state of knowledge on the interactions between forest ecosystems and the climate system and the way in which forests influence the water cycle.The second chapter reviews the wealth of research on the range of species, functional groups and ecological processes which can develop as a result of the biodiversity in tropical forests. The chapter also considers the main threats to tropical forest biodiversity.The third chapter examines the importance of forest carbon content and the methods currently used to monitor it. The chapter also explores the mechanisms driving forest carbon storage and offers a considered discussion on whether forests should be considered sources or sinks of carbon.The fourth chapter highlights how sustainable forest management (SFM) can be used to maintain or enhance biodiversity in temperate and boreal forests. The chapter utilises two case studies to demonstrate successful implementation of SFM in Ireland and Canada.The final chapter considers the benefits of introducing agroforestry into agroecosystems, focussing on its influence on soil health. The chapter discusses the benefits of agroforestry systems on key soil physical, chemical and biological properties.

Paperback. Etat : New. This specially curated collection features five reviews of current and key research on improving crop weed management.The first chapter highlights the need for alternative weed control strategies that will preserve herbicide efficacy, as well as agricultural and environmental sustainability. The chapter discusses the role of integrated weed management (IWM) in achieving this through the implementation of practices that can improve plant health, such as crop rotations and no-till farming.The second chapter considers the use of IWM in barley cultivation. After an initial outline of more traditional control methods, primarily the use of herbicides, the chapter provides an example of the successful implementation of IWM in barley in the form of two case studies.The third chapter reviews the impact of weeds on maize grown under temperate conditions in the United States and Europe. It provides a summary of current weed management systems and discusses the issue of herbicide resistance in weed varieties.The fourth chapter reviews the use of IWM in rice cultivation for improved crop productivity and performance and offers detailed discussions on the variety of techniques that can be incorporated into an IWM strategy to achieve this.The final chapter presents a number of weed management options and considerations for sorghum, and discusses the critical period for weed control to occur.