Agricultural Sustainability

Dr. Gurbir S. Bhullar is a farming systems expert at the Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (FiBL), Switzerland. He has first-hand experience and expertise in long-term farming systems research in relation to the contemporary challenges faced by the small holder farming communities, particularly in less-privileged parts of the world. His qualifications span across agricultural and environmental sciences, and the focus of his research includes agricultural ecology, climate change mitigation and participatory research for sustainability of rural livelihoods. He undertakes multi-disciplinary and transdisciplinary research approaches, contributing to policy-making for sustainable development.

• ForewordPrefaceSection 1: Agricultural biodiversity, organic farming and new crops1. Functional Agrobiodiversity: The Key to Sustainability?2. Organic Agriculture - Driving Innovations in Crop Research 3. Guar-an industrial crop from marginal farmsSection 2: Effective management of resources (nutrients and water) and crop modelling4. Nitrogen use as a component of sustainable crop systems5. Potential of Management Practices and Amendments for Preventing Nutrient Deficiencies in Field Crops under Organic Cropping Systems 6. Effective management of scarce water resources in the North West India7. Modelling for Agriculture Sustainability: A ReviewSection 3: Molecular, biotechnological and industrial approaches for enhancement of crop production and quality8. Biotechnological approaches for increasing rice productivity and sustainability: Progress and future outlook9. Biofortification of staple crops10. Nutrient focused processing of rice11. Virus Resistance Breeding in Cool Season Food Legumes: Integrating Traditional and Molecular ApproachesSection 4: Expert advice on policy and developmental aspects12. Talking agricultural sustainability issues - an interview with Dr Gurdev Khush13. Economics and politics of Farm Subsidies in India14. Public-Private Partnership and Policy Reforms for Effective Agricultural Research, Development and Training: A Viewpoint15. Contract Farming

"There is something here for everyone with a serious interest in agricultural sustainability; each of the 15 chapters delves deeply into its specific topic, but the next begins anew in a tangential fashion. The book is unusual in its coverage of such diverse topics and deserves to be recognized for it…Some chapters were written to inspire readers, and the authors were definitely successful in accomplishing their goal. Summing Up: Highly recommended." --CHOICE Reviews Online, January 2014"The book is highly topical given current concerns regarding food security, water security and climate change. The book provides the opportunity to develop a clear understanding of how agriculture needs to meet global food, fibre and energy demands whilst ensuring the maintenance of ecosystems and protection of biodiversity…[it] is a well-written, detailed, concise and informative book that I would recommend to students and colleagues." --Soil Use and Management, October 11, 2013"Among specific topics are whether agrobiodiversity is the key to sustainability, the effective management of scarce water resources in northwestern India, biofortifying staple crops, integrating traditional and molecular approaches in breeding virus resistance into cool season food legumes, and lessons from personal experience regarding contract farming for producing and procuring mint." --Reference and Research Book News, August 2013