Microplastics in Agriculture and Food Science: Methods for Identification and Remediation presents fundamental insights into the sources of microplastics and their impact on important agricultural, food, and environmental resources. Presenting insights into these highly related fields, this book is the first to enable cross- and multidisciplinary understanding and application.Microplastics are tiny particles created during plastic production as well as those particles remaining when plastic degrades and breaks down. They are sometimes difficult to identify, and the methods for qualifying and classifying them are not always clear despite the importance of their recognition and remediation. With insights into analytical methods including the challenges, this book addresses microplastics from the farm to the food pyramid, highlighting the issues they raise and the options for removing them.Written by a global team of experts, this volume contributes to further understanding and addressing of this increasing global challenge, and is an excellent resource for researchers in agricultural science, environmental science, and food science (particularly food chemistry and food packaging).
Nano-Enabled Agrochemicals in Agriculture presents a targeted overview of the safe implementation of nanotechnologies within agricultural and horticultural settings, with the purpose of achieving enhanced production while maintaining ecological integrity. The growing global request for agricultural crops and products requires high standards of quality and safety, which has stimulated the search for new technologies that preserve their quality and delay their decomposition. Nanotechnology may boost plant production by improving nutrient uptake/use efficiency with nanoformulations of fertilizers and agrochemicals for plant enhancement, detection and treatment of diseases, and host-parasite interactions at the molecular level using nanosensors. It also may improve plant disease diagnostics, removal of contaminants from soil and water, postharvest management of vegetables and flowers, and reclamation of salt-affected soils.  Although the markets for nanoproducts and nanoformulations continue to increase, there are also growing concerns regarding the fate and behavior of nanomaterials in environmental systems. Exploring important topics related to nanotechnology and nanomaterials, the book includes the use of nanochemicals in insect pest management, as nanofungicides, nanoherbicides, micronutrient supply, and nanosensors to monitor crop and soil health conditions, from detection of agrochemicals to their slow release of agrochemicals, and their impact on related environs.  This book will serve as an excellent resource for a wide range of plant scientists who have concerns about nanomaterial interactions with terrestrial and aquatic plants.Â
Analysis of Chemical Residues in Agriculture presents a focused, yet comprehensive guide on how to identify, evaluate and analyze the wide range of chemicals that impact our food production system. The book presents a variety of analytical technologies and methods in order to help professionals, researchers, and graduate and undergraduate students understand chemical residues in agriculture and apply them to applications for the detection and quantification of chemical residues – both organic and inorganic – in several agricultural matrices, including crops, fruits, meat, food, feed, soil and water. Agriculture remains one of the most strategic sectors for the global economy and well-being. However, it is seen as a source of environmental and health concerns mainly due to the high amount of pesticides and fertilizers used in production systems around the world; moreover, a thorough understanding of the topic is necessary when we consider livestock production systems also apply large amounts of veterinary drugs to treat illness and promote increases in productivity.
Advances in Nano-fertilizers and Nano-pesticides in Agriculture: A Smart Delivery System for Crop Improvement explores the use of nanotechnology for the controlled delivery of pesticides, herbicides and fertilizers that improve the safety of products while also increasing the efficiency of food production and decreased environmental pollution. The development of nanodevices such as smart delivery systems to target specific sites, as well as nanocarriers for chemical controlled release are currently important aspects in novel agriculture and require a strong foundation of understanding, not only the technology, but also the resulting impacts.
Controlled Release Fertilizers for Sustainable Agriculture provides a comprehensive examination of precision fertilizer applications using the 4-R approach—the right amount of fertilizer at the right time to the right plant at the correct stage of plant growth. This volume consolidates detailed information on each aspect of controlled release fertilizers, including up-to-date literature citations, the current market for controlled release fertilizers and patents. Presenting the tremendous advances in experimental and theoretical studies on sustainable agriculture and related areas, this book provides in-depth insight into state-of-the-art controlled release mechanisms of fertilizers, techniques, and their use in sustainable agriculture. Conventional release mechanisms have historically meant waste of fertilizers and the adverse effects of that waste on the environment. Controlled release delivery makes significant strides in enhancing fertilizer benefit to the target plant, while protecting the surrounding environment and increasing sustainability.
Practical Handbook of Soybean Processing and Utilization is a single source of information on all aspects of soybean processing and utilization written by experts from around the globe. Written in an easy-to-read format, this title covers a wide range of topics including the physical and chemical characteristics of soybeans and soybean products; harvest and storage considerations; byproduct utilization; soy foods; and nutritional aspects of soybean oil and protein.
Six Chemicals That Changed Agriculture is a scientific look at how the chemicals used in today's food production were developed, evaluated, and came to be in wide-spread use. From fertilizers to pest management, antibiotics to DNA, chemicals have transformed the way our food is grown, protected, and processed. Agriculture is the world's most important environment interaction, the essential human activity, and an increasingly controversial activity because of its use and presumed misuse of chemistry. The major characteristics of US agriculture for at least the last six decades have been rising productivity, declining number of mid-size farms, increasing farm size, an increasing percentage of farm production on fewer, large farms, increasing dependence of chemical technology and more developmental research being done by the agricultural chemical industry rather than by independent land-grant universities. Another equally important feature of modern agriculture is wide-spread suspicion of its technology by the public. The book will recount examples of this suspicion related to specific chemicals and present the essence of the suspicion and its results.
Best Synthetic Methods: Organophosphorus (V) Chemistry provides systematic coverage of the most common classes of pentavalent organophosphorus compounds and reagents (including phosphonyl, phosphoryl, and organophosphates), and allows researchers an easy point of entry into this complex and economically important field. The book follows the Best Synthetic Methods format, containing practical methods, synthetic tips, and shortcuts. Where relevant, articles include toxicity data and historical context for the reactions. Typical analytical and spectroscopic data are also presented to enable scientists to identify key compound characteristics. The book is a valuable companion to research chemists in both academia and industry, summarizing the best practical methods (often originating in difficult-to-access, foreign-language primary literature) in one place. It is ideally suited for those working on industrial applications of these compounds, including insecticides, herbicides, flame retardants, and plasticizers.
This reference handbook provides fully updated chemical, regulatory, health, and safety information on nearly 800 pesticides and other agricultural chemicals. The clear, consistent and comprehensive presentation of information makes Sittig's an essential reference for a wide audience including first responders, environmental and industrial health/safety professionals, the food industry, the agricultural sector and toxicologists. Detailed profiles are provided for each substance listed, including: usage; crop-specific residue limits; hazard ratings for long-term human toxicity; and endocrine disruptor and reproductive toxicity information. Every chemical profile contains references and web links to source information from the EPA, OSHA, the World Health Organization (WHO), and other important advisory and lawmaking bodies. This work is focused on regulated chemicals. The substances covered include pesticides, insecticides, herbicides, fungicides, rodenticides and related agricultural chemicals used on foods grown and produced for both human and animal consumption. These products are organized with common names, chemical synonyms, trade names, chemical formulae, US EPA pesticide codes, EU regulations including Hazard Symbol and Risk Phrases, EINECS, RTECS, CAS, and other unique identifiers so that all who may have contact with, or interest in them can find needed information quickly.
This book covers the progress of the last 10 years of studies on cocoa butter. Descriptions of several aspects, including physical characteristics such as rheology, hardness, melt profiles, etc., studied by new and advanced techniques are included. Similarly, the polymorphism of cocoa butter is reconsidered in light of studies done by synchrotron DSC, FTIR, and SAXS techniques. These data are complemented by new understandings on the cause of the crystallization and transitions of the polymorphs. Other aspects such as the effect of minor components, emulsifiers, and other fats are discussed in great detail in this book.