Crop Ecology

D. J. Connor is Emeritus Professor of Agriculture at the University of Melbourne. His research programs deal with land and environmental relationships of a range of irrigated and rain fed cropping systems. In 2003 he was awarded the Donald Medal for outstanding contributions by the Australian Society of Agronomy. R. S. Loomis is Emeritus Professor in the Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences at the University of California, Davis. His research interests include photosynthetic productivity, nutrient and water management, and integrated simulation models. K. G. Cassman is Professor of Agronomy at the University of Nebraska. His research focuses on nutrient cycling and crop nutrient requirements, crop yield potential and water productivity of irrigated crops. In 2006 he received the Agronomic Research Award from the American Society of Agronomy.

• Preface; Part I. Farming Systems and Their Biological Components: 1. Agricultural systems; 2. Trophic chains; 3. Community concepts; 4. Genetic resources; 5. Development; Part II. Physical and Chemical Environments: 6. Aerial environment; 7. Soil resources; Part III. Production Processes: 8. Nitrogen processes; 9. Water relations; 10. Photosynthesis; 11. Respiration and partitioning; Part IV. Resource Management: 12. Soil management; 13. Strategies and tactics for rainfed agriculture; 14. Water management in irrigated agriculture; 15. Energy and labor; Part V. Farming, Then, Now and in the Future: 16. Evolution of wheat farming systems in southern Australia; 17. Technological change in high-yield agriculture; 18. The future of agriculture; Species list; Conversions and constants useful in crop ecology; Index.

'The new edition of Crop Ecology, by Connor, Loomis, and Cassman, retains the strengths of the earlier edition, namely, insightful analysis of the key principles that explain crop resource use and growth, based on extensive use of peer-reviewed data, averaging more than one graph or table per page. Any practitioner or student of 'evidence-based agriculture' needs a copy of this book.' R. Ford Denison, University of Minnesota, and author of Darwinian Agriculture