Rainwater harvesting, solar water heating and organic vegetable production were used to improve efficiency in a suburban home in George, in South Africa's Southern Cape. In a year, treated municipal water consumption decreased from 17 kL/month to 8 kL/month, and 60 kL of rainwater was used for...

Metallic iron (Fe⁰) has been suggested as an affordable, readily available and efficient material for environmental remediation. Mixed into soil or filled in reactive barriers, Fe0 is a feasible pathway to control contamination in seepage waters. Available information in the literature, however,...

Livestock farming uses resources such as land, labour, capital and animals to produce goods and services with a use value to people. Simultaneously, it also produces goods and services that have non-use values to humans. Profit maximization is a fundamental goal in farm-level economic analysis of...

Current consumption patterns in Costa Rica and in other countries are driven by misinformation and lack of knowledge concerning the nutritional value and sustainability of food products. Unhealthy diets are a major reason for health problems, environmental degradation and food biodiversity loss. To ...

This chapter discusses the multitude of nanotechnology applications that could lead to increased productivity in agriculture. It touches upon the use of the technology for early detection of pests, diseases, nutrient deficiencies, delivery of nanoagricultural inputs, seed treatments, as well as...

This chapter discusses the role that nanotechnology derived fertilizers (especially encapsulated nanosystems) could play in enhancing the efficiency of transport, delivery, and plant uptake of the nutrients, which would enable their optimal use. It also proposes a new model of compartmentalized...

This chapter proposes several strategic actions to accelerate agricultural growth in India, including: increased capital investment in agriculture; supply of growth-oriented inputs at farmers' doorsteps; improvement of field crop productivity; emphasis on rainfed agriculture and a new era approach; ...

This chapter discusses the rationale behind India's goal to double farmers' income, the trends in farmers' income, and the initiatives by the government to increase farmers' income. A three-pronged strategy for faster agricultural growth to double farmers' income is then suggested. This strategy...

This chapter provides detailed information about irrigation methods commonly used on small farms, including: irrigation decisions, water application methods, and irrigation efficiency.

This book provides an updated assessment of trends in the adaptation and adoption of conservation agriculture (CA) in different countries of Africa. It provides information on the contribution of CA systems to building resilience in a changing climate while increasing productivity, profitability...