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Elsevier

Books in Agricultural and biological sciences

The Agricultural and Biological Sciences collection advances science-based knowledge for the improvement of animal and plant life and for secure food systems that produce nutritious, novel, sustainable foods with minimal environmental impact. Food Science titles include not only those products from agriculture but all other aspects from food production to nutrition, health and safety, chemistry to security, policy, law and regulation. Biological Sciences address animal behaviour and biodiversity, organismal and evolutionary biology, entomology, marine biology and aquaculture, plant science and forestry.

  • Physical Properties of Foods and Food Processing Systems

    • 1st Edition
    • M J Lewis
    • English
    This book is an invaluable introduction to the physical properties of foods and the physics involved in food processing. It provides descriptions and data that are needed for selecting the most appropriate equipment in food technology and for making food processing calculations.

  • Vitamins and Minerals in Health and Nutrition

    • 1st Edition
    • M Tolonen
    • English
    This book is an excellent introduction to the increasingly complex field of nutrition and health for food technologists and health professionals. It includes individual entries for all major vitamins, minerals and trace elements. Information is provided on nutritional medicine and cell protective mechanisms, together with the role of vitamins, minerals, trace elements and essential fatty acids in treating and preventing disorders.

  • Housing, Care and Psychological Well-Being of Captive and Laboratory Primates

    • 1st Edition
    • Evalyn F. Segal
    • Evalyn F. Segal
    • English
    A detailed study, with recommendations, on the housing, care and psychological well-being of captive and laboratory primates by 50 recognized contributors.

  • Advances in Botanical Research

    • 1st Edition
    • Volume 16
    • English
    The latest volume in the series continues to serve botanists with a wide range of interests.

  • Aphids

    • 1st Edition
    • Volume 2C
    • Bozzano G Luisa
    • English

  • Interrelationships Between Microorganisms and Plants in Soil

    • 1st Edition
    • Volume 18
    • English
    These proceedings present the most up-to-date information on the interrelations between microorganisms and plants in the rhizosphere, and the possibility of utilizing these relationships to improve plant growth, health and yields. The application of some biological preparations may in the future partially replace the use of agrochemicals and thus contribute to environmental improvement and enhancement of the quality of soil, water and foodstuffs.The Symposium brought together specialists from fifteen countries to assess the advances in a field which has recently attracted considerable interest and is also important for society at large. The book contains over sixty contributions from rhizosphere microbiologists, focusing on the study of the function of microorganisms in the root system of crop plants and in its immediate vicinity, the effect of the plants themselves on this function, the interrelationships among different microorganisms in the rhizosphere and the elucidation of the mechanisms of microbial action in the agroecosystem. All these lines of research are intimately associated with the problems of soil fertility and crop yields, which in turn have a direct bearing on the nutrition of mankind and on environmental protection. The papers have been divided into four topics: symbiotic microorganisms in the root system; associative microorganisms in the root system; soil-borne phytopathogenic and phytotoxic microorganisms; and microbial preparations stimulating growth and improving the plant health. Each section starts with invited lectures from outstanding specialists. The work includes numerous tables, figures and references.The volume is primarily directed at soil microbiologists, plant pathologists and physiologists, ecologists as well as specialists in agronomy and environmental protection.

  • Advances in Marine Biology

    • 1st Edition
    • Volume 25
    • English
    Volume 25 of this authoritative review series continues the high standard set by the editors in the past. Marine biologists everywhere have come to value and enjoy the wide variety of thought-provoking papers written by invited experts.In this volume are reviews of four animal groups which span the entire range of the marine food chain. The role of parasites in ecology is a growing interest and the parasites of zooplankton are described in detail for the first time. Aspects of thegastropods, cephalopods and fish life are also examined in detail.

  • Advances in Agronomy

    • 1st Edition
    • Volume 42
    • English

  • Armored Scale Insects

    • 1st Edition
    • Volume 4A
    • Bozzano G Luisa
    • English
    This volume presents an up-to-date account of armored scale insects (Homoptera: Diaspididas), a family of highly specialized insects, many of which are important agricultural pests. Being sedentary, colonial and rather cryptic, many species have invaded new countries with important host plants. This has made them prime targets for biological control by natural enemies.No other book has attempted to present such a rounded picture of this important group. It covers all aspects: morphology, systematics, phylogeny, biology, ecology, natural enemies (pathogens, predators, parasites), pest status, control measures (quarantine, eradication, monitoring, chemical control, biological control, mechanical control, integrated control), as well as pest problems and control on specific crops, from a worldwide perspective.The armored scale insects: their morphology, systematics and phylogeny; reproductive biology and genetics; development biology and physiology; ecology; and techiques for their study is handled in Volume A.The book is intended for a broad audience: professional entomologists, extension specialists, pest control operators and advanced horticulturists and agriculturists, as well as biologists, naturalists and environmentalists (the latter should find the strong emphasis on natural enemies and biological control of interest).

  • Valuation Methods and Policy Making in Environmental Economics

    • 1st Edition
    • Volume 36
    • H. Folmer + 1 more
    • English
    This volume considers, in depth, some valuation methods and aspects of cost benefit analysis, and policy making in environmental economics. Part I contains a number of contingent valuation studies for non-market assets. Part II consists of contributions on the valuation of health and life, and deals with the benefits of reduced morbidity from air pollution control. In Part III, cost benefit analysis for environmental policy-making is discussed in a disequilibrium setting, and in a macroeconomic context. Finally, Part IV deals with aspects of policy-making, particularly benefit estimation for complex policies, and the international aspects of transboundary air pollution in Europe.The book should not only appeal to students and researchers in university departments of economics and ``environmental sciences'' but also to those working in public organisations and associated advisory institutes which are concerned with environmental problems.

  • Advances in Food Research

    • 1st Edition
    • Volume 32
    • English

  • Tigers of the World

    The Biology, Biopolitics, Management and Conservation of an Endangered Species
    • 1st Edition
    • Ronald Tilson + 1 more
    • English
    In the last 50 years the tiger population in Asia has plummeted from 100,000 to about 5,000. The number of tigers is dangerously low, and the conservation of the world's remaining tigers is of global concern. Now, in this volume, 40 world authorities on tigers from Asia, Europe, and North America have summarized and identified the management, conservation, and research needs for this endangered species. A new disciplineùconservat... biologyùis emerging and this book is an early contribution. It spans and unites theory, laboratory, and field studies with management practices of both the wild and captive populations.The book is based on the international symposium held in Minnesota, discusses the tiger's systematics and taxonomy, its status both in the wild and captivity, reproductive biology, and management and conservation strategies. In addition, an entire section is devoted to a discussion of the white tiger. The tigers of Indonesia, Nepal, Siberia, and China, as well as captive tigers are discussed. Finally, the information in this book places real numbers on the remaining tiger populations, their habitat that is protected, and probabilities of these populations surviving an extinction.

  • Pesticide Waste Disposal Technology

    • 1st Edition
    • James S. Bridges + 1 more
    • English
    This book attempts to define practical solutions to pesticide users' disposal problems. A major agreement must be reached on what can be done, legally and technically, to deal with the difficulties of proper pesticide-related waste disposal, and who should share in the cost of a clean environment.

  • Advances in Botanical Research

    • 1st Edition
    • Volume 15
    • English
    The latest volume in this series continues as a detailed review in botanical science to a wide audience. The papers in this volume are of general interest and present fascinating updates of important aspects of plant growth, physiology, and reproduction.

  • Advances in Insect Physiology

    • 1st Edition
    • Volume 21
    • English
    This latest volume in this series contains articles on a variety of insect physiological topics from the nervous system to the cuticle and circulatory system.

  • Fish Vaccination

    • 1st Edition
    • Anthony E. Ellis
    • English
    Fish disease is a major economic threat to the aquaculture industry. One key to combating this problem is the successful development and utilization of vaccines.A glossary of terms is included as an appendix to the book.Fish immunologists and pathologists, fish farmers, students and teachers of aquaculture, and veterinarians will find this text an indispensible guide.

  • The Ecology of Social Behavior

    • 1st Edition
    • Bozzano G Luisa
    • English
    The chapters in this book discuss and summarize the ecological factors affecting and effecting the formation of animal social groups and thereby address one of the central issues confronting researchers and students in sociobiology. The objectives are to review what is known about the impact of ecological factors in the formation and maintenance of social groups. Numerous examples have been drawn from a variety of phyla.

  • Advances in Food Research

    • 1st Edition
    • Volume 31
    • English

  • Advances in Agronomy

    • 1st Edition
    • Volume 41
    • English

  • Advances in Botanical Research

    • 1st Edition
    • Volume 14
    • English

  • Chemistry of Soil Organic Matter

    • 1st Edition
    • Volume 17
    • K. Kumada
    • English
    Despite the large number of papers and books published on soil organic matter (humus), our knowledge of the subject is still very limited, as is our knowledge of humic acid. The author of this book began to study humus at the end of the 1940s and continued until 1984 when he retired from Nagoya University. With the intention of establishing a systematic understanding of soil organic matter, he has compiled facts and a discussion of humus based on his extensive experimental results during the past 40 years.In this book, humic acids are classified into A, B, Rp and P types, based on their optical properties. The elementary composition and other chemical properties of humic acid types are shown to be regularly different from each other. A new method for humus composition analysis applied to various kinds of soils in Japan and several other countries indicates that the diversity of humus compositions of soils is systematically understandable. These findings lead the author to novel theories on the chemical configuration and formation of humic acids and humic substances. Diagenesis of humus under terrestrial conditions is illustrated as to the buried humic horizons of Black soil (Andosol).The book will be useful not only to soil scientists and agronomists but also to geochemists, oceanographers, limnologists, water scientists, biologists and chemists who are dealing with organic matter in terrestrial, aquatic, and sedimentary environments.

  • Trace Elements in Human and Animal Nutrition

    • 5th Edition
    • Walter Mertz
    • English
    The major change in the format of the fifth edition is the presentation of the book in two volumes, necessitated by the rapidly increasing knowledge of metabolism, interactions, and requirements of trace elements. The guiding principle was to present the minimum of results that would serve as a logical foundation for the description of the present state of knowledge.

  • Advances in Marine Biology

    • 1st Edition
    • Volume 24
    • English

  • Advances in Ecological Research

    • 1st Edition
    • Volume 17
    • English

  • Environmental Physiology of Plants

    • 2nd Edition
    • Alastair H. Fitter + 1 more
    • English
    Already a widely acknowledged and successful work, this Second Edition has been extensively revised to reflect the vast amount of new literature in the field of plant physiology. The text deals with plant physiological responses to the environment, focusing on the boundary between physiology and ecology, and the treatment is largely based on North American and European examples with reference to the tropics when necessary.

  • Laboratory Hamsters

    • 1st Edition
    • G. L. Van Hoosier Jr.
    • English

  • Towards Holistic Agriculture

    A Scientific Approach
    • 1st Edition
    • R.W. Widdowson
    • English
    This book explains the use of an ecological way of farming, with modern practical applications, to make the fullest use of land resources and the best utilization of available capital and labour. In analyzing the vital relationship between soil, plant, animal and man, the author discusses the best care of land itself, its components, grassland management and the most efficient use of crops to maximize yield, food quality and profitability without the extensive use of chemicals and without damaging the ecology. Widdowson also covers the holistic approach to animal farming, the welfare and health of poultry, cattle, sheep and goats, their nutritional needs through the various stages of their lives, and the best way to balance their diets.

  • Photosynthesis

    • 1st Edition
    • Volume 15
    • J. Amesz
    • English
    Photosynthesis is an active area of research in which many exciting developments have taken place in the last few years. This book gives an overview of the present understanding of all areas of molecular processes of photosynthesis. It is based on the international literature available in the summer of 1986 and much unpublished material. The new material contained in this book, together with a basic framework of established concepts, provide a useful source of reference on the biochemical and biophysical aspects of photosynthesis in plants and bacteria. The book is written by specialists in the various areas of photosynthesis and is useful both for workers in these areas as a source of specialized information as well as for non-photosynthesists who want to become informed about recent developments and basic concepts in this area.

  • Antarctica: Soils, Weathering Processes and Environment

    • 1st Edition
    • Volume 16
    • I.B. Campbell + 1 more
    • English

  • Remote Sensing in Soil Science

    • 1st Edition
    • Volume 15
    • M.A. Mulders
    • English
    This book provides comprehensive coverage of remote sensing techniques and their application in soil science. A clear, step-by-step approach to the various aspects ensures that the reader will gain a good grasp of the subject so that he can apply the techniques to his own field of study.The book opens with a thorough introduction to the physical aspects of electromagnetic radiation and the technical aspects of remote sensing and image processing. This is followed by a discussion of the methods for interpreting remote sensing data, and their application to soils, vegetation, and land as a whole.As the interpretation of soil conditions is based on many aspects (i.e. soil surface, vegetation, land use, land form), the scope of the book is correspondingly broad. It will therefore provide much useful information for students and scientists in soil science, geography, geology, hydrology, ecology, agriculture and civil engineering.

  • Advances in Botanical Research

    • 1st Edition
    • Volume 13
    • English

  • Food Emulsions and Foams

    • 1st Edition
    • E. Dickinson
    • English
    This text explains how properties of the system are affected by such factors as the crystallisation of the fat, the surface behaviour of the proteins, and presence of various small molecules and ions in the aqueous phase.

  • Mechanics of Agricultural Materials

    • 1st Edition
    • Volume 8
    • G. Sitkei
    • English
    The importance of economical production of agricultural materials, especially crops and animal products serving as base materials for foodstuffs, and of their technological processing (mechanical operations, storage, handling etc.) is ever-increasing. During technological processes agricultural materials may be exposed to various mechanical, thermal, electrical, optical and acoustical (e.g. ultrasonic) effects. To ensure optimal design of such processes, the interactions between biological materials and the physical effects acting on them, as well as the general laws governing the same, must be known.The mechanics of agricultural materials, as a scientific discipline, is still being developed, and therefore has no exact methods as yet, in many cases. However, the methods developed so far can already be utilized successfully for designing and optimizing machines and technological processes.This present work is the first attempt to summarize the calculation methods developed in the main fields of agricultural mechanics, and to indicate the material laws involved on the basis of a unified approach, with all relevant physico-mechanical properties taken into account.The book deals with material properties, gives the necessary theoretical background for description of the mechanical behaviour of these materials including modern powerful calculation methods and finally discusses a large number of experimental results. Many of them can only be found in this book. Special attention is paid to the unified approach concerning theory and practice.The systematic treatment of the material makes the book useful to a wide circle of designers, researchers and students in the field of agricultural engineering. The book can also be used as a textbook at technical and agricultural universities.

  • Plant Polymeric Carbohydrates

    • 1st Edition
    • F Meuser + 2 more
    • English
    The International Symposium on Plant Polymeric Carbohydrates, which was held as a satellite symposium of the International Carbohydrate Meeting, has become a symposium in its own right, bringing together an number of experts to exchange knowledge. This has been achieved by placing the emphasis on specific aspects of carbohydrate research in the selection and organization of the items on the programme. The aim of the symposium was to present the latest research in sub-branches of the biosynthesis and structure of polymeric carbohydrates, their rheological properties, both as pure substances and in complex bonds with other natural materials, their nutritional importance with respect to their physicochemical and nutritive properties, and their industrial applications in food and non-food.

  • Food Structure

    Creation and Evaluation
    • 1st Edition
    • J. R. Mitchell + 1 more
    • English
    The book considers fundamental concepts and discusses dispersed food systems such as gels, emulsions and foams and chemical properties of food polymers. It examines structured food systems such as fibrous and non-fibrous systems, and concludes with and evaluation of food structure by microscopic, rheologic and sensor means.

  • Prions

    Novel Infectious Pathogens Causing Scrapie and Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease
    • 1st Edition
    • Stanley Prusiner
    • English

  • Apes of the World

    Their Social Behavior, Communication, Mentality, and Ecology
    • 1st Edition
    • Russell H. Tuttle
    • English
    The first major and most comprehensive synthesis of results from ecological, naturalistic behavioral, comparative psychological, and humanoid language research on apes since the classic work, The Great Apes, by Robert M. and Ada Yerkes in 1929. Based on more than 1,360 references from scientific journals, monographs, symposium volumes, and other public sources, the book contains a wealth of current information on the taxonomy, ecology, postural and locomotive behavior, natural communications, and social behavior of the apes. Topical discussions in the book are organized to show the extent of progress, including the development of new research questions, and the way our views of apes have changed as new information has become available since 1929.

  • Advances in Marine Biology

    • 1st Edition
    • Volume 23
    • English

  • Advances in Agronomy

    • 1st Edition
    • Volume 40
    • English

  • Advances in Agronomy

    • 1st Edition
    • Volume 39
    • English

  • Plant Tissue Culture: Theory and Practice

    • 1st Edition
    • Volume 5
    • S.S. Bhojwani + 1 more
    • English
    Now available only in paperback, this book has been described as ``...by far the most comprehensive book on plant tissue culture...few publications in this field can compare with this book in terms of subject matter covered and literature surveyed. Overall, the book is a fine achievement for Drs. Bhojwani and Razdan. It also serves the authors' avowed purpose of integrating the theoretical and practical aspects of plant tissue culture. If you like a text and a laboratory manual on plant tissue culture combined, this is obviously a book to be considered seriously.'' (Plant Science Bulletin).Plant tissue culture has become an invaluable aid in the field of experimental botany and has many practical applications in agriculture and horticulture. In recognition of its importance in basic and applied areas of plant science, many universities have included this subject in undergraduate and postgraduate courses but find that they lack a suitable introductory text. This book has been written primarily to fill that need. Starting with an introductory history, the book covers such practical aspects as laboratory requirements and media preparation. The authors go on to discuss fundamental aspects of cellular totipotency (e.g. production of haploids, diploids and triploids, and raising new genotypes through single cell culture), in vitro approaches to plant breeding, raising high health plants, micropropagation, and techniques of in vitro storage of germplasm.Profusely illustrated with line drawings and original photographs, the book is further enhanced by the inclusion of a complete bibliography.

  • Advances in Food Research

    • 1st Edition
    • Volume 30
    • English

  • Trace Elements in Human and Animal Nutrition

    Volume 2
    • 5th Edition
    • English
    The major change in the format of the fifth edition is the presentation of the book in two volumes, necessitated by the rapidly increasing knowledge of metabolism, interactions, and requirements of trace elements ... The guiding principle was to present the minimum of results that would serve as a logical foundation for the description of the present state of knowledge. Recent results of research were accommodated by devoting new chapters to the subjects "Methodology of Trace Element Research" and "Quality Assurance for Trace Element Analysis" and by expanding the discussion of lithium and aluminum in separate, new chapters. The first two subjects are of outstanding importance as determinants of future progress. The concern for the quality of analytical data motivated the authors of the individual chapters to review critically and, where necessary, revise analytical data presented in the previous editions. The rapid progress of trace analytical methodology since the mid-1970s has changed what had been accepted as normal for the concentrations of many trace elements in tissues and foods. The new data reflect the present state of the art in trace element analysis, but they may be subject to future revision.

  • Spider Mites

    • 1st Edition
    • Volume 1B
    • Bozzano G Luisa
    • English
    This two-part volume with contributions from more than 50 international specialists, provides an up-to-date text and brings together facts and views of acarologists specialized in various aspects of the biology of spider mites. The need for such a treatment of scientific progress and recommended topics for future research exists among students, commencing in the study of acarology and plant protection, as well as among those engaged in acarological research and teaching. Both books will serve to provide a synthesis of much of the knowledge on basic and applied aspects of the biology of spider mites and their natural enemies; stimulate students to analyse critically the views propounded by the authors of the book, and instigate research into environmentally safe and cost effective means of pest control.

  • Nitrogen and Energy Nutrition of Ruminants

    • 1st Edition
    • English
    This comprehensive volume examines the interrelationships of nitrogen and energy nutrition of ruminants. It provides exhaustive coverage of basic concepts, applications, and new research developments.Rumen microbial activity is emphasized. The author, an expert in animal nutrition, discusses new systems of determining dietary energy requirements, the effect of processing feedstuffs, and stress factors. He reviews the availability of nutrients in grains, distillers' grain residues, oilseed meals, molasses, silages, pastures, crop residues, and aquatic plants. Growth stimulants, nutritional management of ruminants in feedlots and pastures, and the value of feed additives are also among the topics considered.The scope of coverage provided by this volume will make it the leading reference for teachers, researchers, consultants, livestock producers, feed manufacturers, and all others who are involved in ruminant feeding and nutrition.From the Preface: This volume covers research on various nitrogen and energy feedstuffs and defines terminology commonly utilized in nitrogen and energy nutrition. The utilization of nitrogen and energy in oilseed meals, fish meals, cereal grains, distillers' residues, molasses, silages, grasses, hays, crop residues, animal waste, and nonprotein nitrogen sources is discussed. Details are given on development and utilization of net energy systems, systems for balancing total nitrogen, and nonprotein nitrogen with total digestible nutrients (TDN) or energy components of ruminant diets. Discussions are presented on metabolism, feedlot, milking, and grazing trials. Growth stimulants, processing of feedstuffs, type of animal, and environmental and management factors that affect feed intake, growth, feed efficiency, and quality of product are reviewed.Emphasis is given to the contributions of ruminal microbes in upgrading forage and nonprotein nitrogen sources to higher-quality bacterial protein, as well as their ability to downgrade high-quality protein and waste nitrogen when protein is fed in excess of microbial needs. Research is presented on means to increase bypassing of the rumen to prevent nitrogen wastage when ruminants are fed concentrate diets. Contributions of ruminal microbes in utilizing cellulosic materials as lignocellulose and hemicellulose as well as starch and other carbohydrates are discussed.

  • Advances in Botanical Research

    • 1st Edition
    • Volume 12
    • English
    Advances in Botanical Research provides an up-to-date source of information for students, lecturing staff and research workers in plant sciences. The topics discussed in Volume 12 span a wide area, ranging from the biochemical mechanisms involved in the light modulation of enzyme activity, to the phylogenetic significance of the dinoflagellate chromosome. This series specializes in articles evaluating particular areas of advanced botany and as such continues to be of interest to botanists in a variety of research areas.From the Preface:The changes in enzyme activity in green plants caused by the transition from light to dark are now regarded as important regulatory processes directing metabolism towards synthesis of sugars and storage compounds in the light, and their breakdown in the dark. Light affects chloroplast enzyme activity in a number of diverse ways, through alteration of stromal pH, ion and metabolite levels. However, there are also changes in activity in some enzymes that involve post-translation (probably covalent) modification of the enzyme protein, and these are generally referred to as 'light modulation'. In her article, Anderson reviews such plant enzyme systems, the biochemical mechanisms involved (probably by reduction of a disulphide bond), their potential molecular basis and the function of modulation in photosynthetic carbon metabolism.One of the most important developments in plant molecular genetics is the rapid improvement of our understanding of the nature and mechanisms of mutation induced by transposable elements. It is interesting to reflect that the origins of this lie in our fascination for variegated plants as horticultural curiosities! Because of our increasing interest in transposable elements for exploring the genetic origins of variation, or as systems for molecular biology and genetic engineering, the review of Plant Transposable Elements by the group at the Max-Planck Institute, K"ln (Nevers, Shepherd and Saedler) is particularly welcome. How transposons will be used to isolate genes known only for their phenotypic effects will be seen in the future.The unicellular dinoflagellates are major components of marine and freshwater ecosystems. Apart from their general ecological importance, there are a number of reasons why they are of interest to biologists. In this volume we consider two such aspects. The article by Sigee discusses the very high level of DNA possessed by these organisms, the particular configuration of their chromatin and their nuclear organisation. These are of phylogenetic significance, and to summarise the position as presented in Sigee's article, it now seems that dinoflagellates are to be regarded as true eukaryotes with some prokaryote features, and that probably they are 'primitive' rather than degenerate forms of more advanced ancestors.Algae that can produce toxins effective against animals are found in three of the eight algal divisions, including the dinoflagellates. Carmichael reviews various apsects of biology and chemistry of these chemically diverse toxins, some of which can exert potent effects on humans, and considers their potential natural role. Few ideas of such ecological roles appear to have been subject to critical experimentation, and this article should provide a framework for such future work.

  • Plant Molecular Biology

    • 1st Edition
    • Volume 118
    • Nathan P. Colowick + 1 more
    • English
    The critically acclaimed laboratory standard, Methods in Enzymology, is one of the most highly respected publications in the field of biochemistry. Since 1955, each volume has been eagerly awaited, frequently consulted, and praised by researchers and reviewers alike. The series contains much material still relevant today - truly an essential publication for researchers in all fields of life sciences.

  • Advances in Agronomy

    • 1st Edition
    • Volume 38
    • English

  • Soil Physics with BASIC

    Transport Models for Soil-Plant Systems
    • 1st Edition
    • Volume 14
    • G.S. Campbell
    • English
    This book covers material taught in a graduate-level soil physics course at Washington State University. While most soil physics courses dwell mainly on deriving rather than solving the differential equations for transport, the author's approach is to focus on solutions. Graduate students in agricultural and biological sciences usually have a good working knowledge of algebra and calculus, but not of differential equations. In order to teach methods for solving very difficult differential equations with difficult boundary conditions using fairly simple mathematical tools, the author uses numerical procedures on microcomputers to solve the differential equations. Numerical methods convert differential equations into algebraic equations which can be solved using conventional methods of linear algebra.This book reflects the philosophy used in the course. Each chapter introduces soil physics concepts, generally in the conventional way. Most chapters then go on to develop simple computer programs to solve the equations and illustrate the points made in the discussion. Problems at the end of each chapter help the reader practice using the concepts introduced in the chapter. The problems and computer programs are an integral part of the presentation, and readers are strongly encouraged to experiment with each model until both the working of the model and the concepts it teaches are familiar. Although the programs are generally short and relatively simple, they are suitable for use as submodels in large, general-purpose models of the soil-plant-atmospher... system, and have been used in this way by the author and by several of his students.Teachers and students alike will welcome this new textbook. It will enable graduate students to understand and solve transport problems which exist in field situations, and will provide them with a good working knowledge of soil physics - fundamental to so many other areas in soil, plant and engineering sciences.

  • Soil Cutting and Tillage

    • 1st Edition
    • Volume 7
    • E. McKyes
    • English
    After giving a brief history of tillage practices and implements used throughout the world dating back to ancient times, this book goes on to describe the basic soil mechanics techniques needed to calculate the forces developed in soil by simple-shaped cutting tools. The methods of measuring soil mechanical properties, water pressure in soil and shear rate effects are touched upon. A review is given of two and three dimensional soil cutting mathematical mechanics models to predict soil cutting forces and soil volumes disturbed by cutting and tillage tools, as well as the state-of-the-art of soil loosening, structural rearrangement and plant growth as affected by tillage tools. The author also includes an introduction to the analysis of traction machines. There are many numerical examples of mechanical analyses and predictions worked out in the various sections of the book as well as numerous unsolved problems at the end of a number of the chapters.Written in a textbook style, this monograph is ideal for anyone wanting to learn modern techniques for the mechanical description of soil cutting and tillage forces and soil volumes disturbed. It also provides a reference for analytical formulae and calculated force forces. It will be of interest to universities and colleges worldwide which have Agricultural Engineering Programs, Civil and Mechanical Engineering schools which specialize in soil mechanics and construction machinery as well as to research stations worldwide with interests in soil tillage, soil physics etc.

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