Advances in Agronomy

DONALD L. SPARKS is the Unidel S. Hallock du Pont Chair and Francis Alison Professor at the University of Delaware. He is internationally recognized for his research in the areas of kinetics of biogeochemical processes and surface chemistry of natural materials. His research has focused on fate and transport of trace metals in soil and water, soil remediation, water quality, and carbon sequestration in soils. Dr. Sparks is the author of two previous editions of Environmental Soil Chemistry and more than 350 refereed papers and book chapters. He is fellow of five scientific societies, and he has been the recipient of major awards and lectureships including the Geochemistry Medal from the American Chemical Society, the Liebig Medal from the International Union of Soil Sciences, the Einstein Professorship from the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the Philippe Duchaufour Medal from the European Geosciences Union. Dr. Sparks served as president of the Soil Science Society of America and the International Union of Soil Sciences, has served on advisory committees for several national laboratories and national and international centers and institutes, and served as chair of the U.S. National Academy of Sciences (NAS) Committee for Soil Sciences and other NAS Committees.

• Use of Synchrotron-based Techniques to Elucidate Metal Uptake and Metabolism in PlantsG. Sarret, E. A .H. Pilon Smits, H. Castillo Michel, M. P Isaure, F. J Zhao and R. TapperoAdvances in Understanding Organic Nitrogen Chemistry in Soils Using State-of-the-Art Analytical TechniquesPeter Leinweber, Jens Kruse, Christel Baum, Melissa Arcand, J. Diane Knight, Richard Farrell, Kai-Uwe Eckhardt, Kristian Kiersch and Gerald Jandl The Role of Nitrate in Human HealthNathan S. Bryan and Hans van GrinsvenCadmium Contamination and its Risk Management in Rice EcosystemsNanthi S. Bolan, Tomoyuki Makino, Anitha Kunhikrishnan, Pil-Joo Kim, Satoru Ishikawa, Masaharu Murakami, Ravi Naidu and Mary Beth KirkhamTransport and Retention of Heavy Metal in Soils: Competitive SorptionH. M. SelimClean Coal Technology Combustion Products: Properties, Agricultural and Environmental Applications, and Risk ManagementBalaji Seshadri, Nanthi S. Bolan, Ravi Naidu, Hailong Wang and Kenneth SajwanAn Assessment of the Variation of Manure Nitrogen Efficiency throughout Europe and an Appraisal of Means to Increase Manure N Efficiency J. Webb, Peter Sørensen, Gerard Velthof, Barbara Amon, Miriam Pinto, Lena Rodhe, Eva Salomon, Nicholas Hutchings, Piotr Burczyk and Joanne Reid