Building Soils for Better Crops
By taking advantage of the strengths built into natural systems, farmers, ranchers and gardeners can improve their soil fertility, boost their production, reduce pest problems, and minimize their use of pesticides. But it isn’t always obvious how to achieve these results, and, to help clear things up, the Sustainable Agriculture Network is proud to offer a new, expanded edition of Fred Magdoff and Harold van Es’s Building Soils for Better Crops.
With practical information presented in an engaging, easy-to-read style, Building Soils for Better Crops lays out how to treat soil to produce healthy crops. It makes a convincing argument that enhancing soil health is the key to reducing use of pesticides as well as water pollution from agricultural nutrients and soil sediments. The book talks about managing soil tilth, using appropriate tillage, and nutrient management. There are also chapters on using animal manures, making and using composts, cover crops, how to develop better rotations, methods to avoid and decrease soil compaction, reduced tillage, and techniques for reducing erosion.John Hart, a soil fertility specialist at Oregon State University, writes that he is "excited to find in print the practical approaches I attempt to use in my extension program"; Fred Kirschenmann, a grain and livestock farmer, says, "This is the most practical guide I have read about how whole soil systems work. Written in clear, illustrative language, it makes the world of soils accessible to farmers and beginning students as well as soil science professionals."The book is specifically directed to the needs of farmers, gardeners, students, and agriculture professionals who work with farmers, and the emphasis is on offering clear and practical information that will lead to an understanding of soil dynamics. Ray R. Weil, professor of soil science at the University of Maryland and the co-author of The Nature and Properties of Soils, says, "I would recommend this book to people who enjoy getting their hands dirty and want to know how to build better soil."
Building Soils for Better Crops runs 240 pages and is available for $19.95. Add $5.95 for first book plus $2 for each additional book shipped within the
U.S.A. Please allow 3-4 weeks for delivery.
Sustainable Agriculture Publications
PO Box 753
Waldorf, MD 20604-0753
Telephone: (301) 374-9696
Fax: (301) 843-0159
Email:
sanpubs@sare.org
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