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.

• Advances in Using Soft X-Ray Spectroscopy for Measurement of Soil Biogeochemical Processes Adam W. Gillespie, Courtney L. Phillips, James J. Dynes, David Chevrier, Thomas Z. Regier and Derek PeakClimate Change Effects on the Suitability of an Agricultural Area to Maize Cultivation: Application of a New Hybrid Land Evaluation SystemAntonello Bonfante, Eugenia Monaco, Silvia M. Alfieri, Francesca De Lorenzi, Piero Manna, Angelo Basile and Johan BoumaAdvances in Structured Light Sensors Applications in Precision Agriculture and Livestock FarmingJoan R. Rosell-Polo, Fernando Auat Cheein, Eduard Gregorio, Dionisio Andújar, Lluís Puigdomènech, Joan Masip and Alexandre EscolàPotential and Challenges of Rainfed Farming in IndiaCherukumalli Srinivasa Rao, Rattan Lal, Jasti V.N.S. Prasad, Kodigal A. Gopinath, Rajbir Singh, Vijay S. Jakkula, Kanwar L. Sahrawat, Bandi Venkateswarlu, Alok K. Sikka and Surinder M. VirmaniDriver-Pressure-State-Impact-Response (DPSIR) Analysis and Risk Assessment for Soil Compaction – A European PerspectivePer Schjønning, Jan J.H. van den Akker,Thomas Keller, Mogens H. Greve, Mathieu Lamande, Asko Simojoki, Matthias Stettler, Johan Arvidsson and Henrik Breuning-Madsen