Skip to main content
  • Book
  • © 2020

Ecological and Practical Applications for Sustainable Agriculture

  • Presents ecologically sound tools for sustainable agriculture
  • Discusses applications of environmentally efficient fertilizers and other sustainable practices
  • Brings forth an inclusive approach to enhance agricultural yield along with improved soil health and other ecosystem services

Buy it now

Buying options

eBook USD 219.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book USD 279.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book USD 279.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Other ways to access

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check for access.

Table of contents (21 chapters)

  1. Front Matter

    Pages i-xiv
  2. Ecologically Sound and Practical Applications for Sustainable Agriculture

    • Anna Christine Taylor, John Korstad
    Pages 25-51
  3. Impacts of Synthetic Pesticides on Soil Health and Non-targeted Flora and Fauna

    • Ankit, Lala Saha, Vimal Kishor, Kuldeep Bauddh
    Pages 65-88
  4. Ecological Consequences of Genetically Modified Crops on Soil Biodiversity

    • Aditya Kumar Jha, Sukalyan Chakraborty, Khushbu Kumari, Kuldeep Bauddh
    Pages 89-106
  5. Application of Biochar in Agriculture: A Sustainable Approach for Enhanced Plant Growth, Productivity and Soil Health

    • Shahrukh Nawaj Alam, Zaira Khalid, Sweta, Bhaskar Singh, Abhishek Guldhe, D. K. Shahi et al.
    Pages 107-130
  6. Role of Starch Polymer-Coated Urea in the Mitigation of Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Rice and Wheat Ecosystems

    • Khushboo Gupta, Nirmali Bordoloi, Kushal Kumar Baruah, Dipti Gorh
    Pages 131-148
  7. Suitability of Coupling Application of Organic and Inorganic Fertilizers for Crop Cultivation

    • Susmita Karmakar, Arijita Bhattacharyya, Bappa Ghosh, Rajeshwari Roy, Sanjeev Kumar, Biswajit Kar et al.
    Pages 149-177
  8. Composting: An Eco-friendly Technology for Sustainable Agriculture

    • Chukwudi O. Onwosi, Johnson K. Ndukwe, Godwin O. Aliyu, Kenechi O. Chukwu, Flora N. Ezugworie, Victor C. Igbokwe
    Pages 179-206
  9. Nanoagroparticles: An Emerging Trend in Modern Agriculture System

    • Ritu Singh, Avimanu Sharma, Nisha Kumari, Monalisha Behera, Sanjeev Kumar, Arif Jamal Siddiqui
    Pages 207-227
  10. Suitability of Fly Ash Amendment in Soil for Productivity of Agricultural Crops

    • Tanushree Bhattacharya, Shikha Kumari Pandey
    Pages 251-260
  11. Trichoderma: A Multifaceted Fungus for Sustainable Agriculture

    • Swati Sachdev, Rana Pratap Singh
    Pages 261-304
  12. Biochar Amendment in Agricultural Soil for Mitigation of Abiotic Stress

    • Khushbu Kumari, Zaira Khalid, Shahrukh Nawaj Alam, Sweta, Bhaskar Singh, Abhishek Guldhe et al.
    Pages 305-344
  13. Mitigation of Salinity Stress by Using the Vermicompost and Vermiwash

    • N. Ruiz-Lau, M. A. Oliva-Llaven, J. A. Montes-Molina, F. A. Gutiérrez-Miceli
    Pages 345-356
  14. Case Studies on Cultural Eutrophication on Watersheds Around Lakes that Contribute to Toxic Blue-Green Algal Blooms

    • Mary Claire Cooperrider, Lydia Davenport, Sydney Goodwin, Landon Ryden, Nathan Way, John Korstad
    Pages 357-372
  15. Agricultural Practices Contributing to Aquatic Dead Zones

    • Anna Bailey, Lauren Meyer, Neilson Pettingell, Madeline Macie, John Korstad
    Pages 373-393

About this book

Rampant industrialization, urbanization, and population growth have resulted in increased global environmental contamination. The productivity of agricultural soil is drastically deteriorated and requires a high dose of fertilizers to cultivate crops. To ensure food security, farmers are compelled to apply excess chemical fertilizers and insecticides that contaminate soil, air, and water. Heavy loads of chemical fertilizers not only degrade the quality of agricultural land but also pollute water and air. Use of chemical fertilizers also accelerate the release of greenhouse gases like nitrous oxide and methane along with nutrient runoff from the watershed in to lower elevation rivers and lakes, resulting in cultural eutrophication.

Farming practices globally in developed, developing, and under-developing countries should utilize and promote sustainable methods through viable combined environmental, social, and economic means that improve rather than harm future generations. This can include use of non-synthetic fertilizers like compost, vermicompost, slow-release fertilizers, farmyard manures, crop rotations that include nitrogen-fixing legumes. Organic fertilizers like compost and vermicompost improve soil properties like texture, porosity, water-holding capacity, organic matter, as well as nutrient availability.

The purpose of this book is to document the available alternatives of synthetic fertilizers, their mode of action, efficiency, preparation methodology, practical suggestions for sustainable practices, and needed research focus. The book will cover major disciplines like plant science, environmental science, agricultural science, agricultural biotechnology and microbiology, horticulture, soil science, atmospheric science, agro-forestry, agronomy, and ecology. This book is helpful for farmers, scientists, industrialists, research scholars, masters and graduate students, non-governmental organizations, financial advisers, and policymakers.


Editors and Affiliations

  • Department of Environmental Science, Central University of Jharkhand, Ranchi, India

    Kuldeep Bauddh, Sanjeev Kumar

  • Department of Environmental Science, Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar University, Lucknow, India

    Rana Pratap Singh

  • Department of Biology and Renewable Energy, Oral Roberts University, Tulsa, USA

    John Korstad

About the editors

Dr. Kuldeep Bauddh is currently an Assistant Professor at the Department of Environmental Sciences, Central University of Jharkhand, Ranchi, India. He received his Ph.D. in Environmental Science from the BB Ambedkar University, Lucknow, India. Dr. Bauddh is currently teaching thrust areas of environmental sciences like Environmental Pollution and Management and Environmental Toxicology. His main research areas are phytoremediation and sustainable agriculture. He has published three Books (Edited), one with Elsevier on ‘Phytomanagement of Polluted Sites’, and two with Springer on ‘Phytoremediation Potential of Bioenergy Plants’ and ‘Algae and Environmental Sustainability’. He has published 32 research papers in national and international journals. 

Dr. Sanjeev Kumar is an Assistant Professor, Department of Environmental Sciences, Central University of Jharkhand, Ranchi, India. He obtained MSc. and PhD in Environmental Sciences from Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar University, Lucknow, India. He has worked in the field of eco-friendly farming practices, nutrient leaching, and gaseous emissions from agricultural fields. He has published 21 research articles, 15 book chapters, 2 edited books with Springer and presented research in many national and International conferences and seminars. He was awarded ‘Fellow of Society of Plant Research’ and received the recognition award of ‘Significant contribution in academic activities’ by Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar University.

Professor Rana Pratap Singh is Dean Academic Affairs and Professor of Environmental Science at Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar University, Lucknow, India. He has made significant contribution in understanding of N metabolism, ecological nutrition and heavy metal toxicity in plants under non stress and environmental stress. His group have developed carrier based climate resilient microbial consortia for sustainable agriculture. Published over 150 papers,17 books,about 3900 citations with H-index 35 and i10-79, he has 33 years of PG teaching,38 years of Research and 14 years of administrative experience,8 awards and 4 fellowships and President of two academic societies. He is Chief Editor of PMBP (www. springer.com/journals/12298).

John Korstad is Professor of Biology Oral Roberts Univ., Tulsa, Oklahoma.  His educational background includes a MS in Environmental Science from Cal. State Hayward and a MS and Ph.D. in Zoology from the Univ. Michigan.  John teaches courses in Zoology, Ecology, Limnology, Marine Ecology, Research, Environmental Science, and Sustainability. He has vast experience in aquaculture, including research at SINTEF in Trondheim, Norway supported by a Fulbright Fellowship. His current research focuses on lake management, algal biofuels, phytoremediation, and sustainable development. John is on the editorial board of 5 journals, has over 40 professional publications, and is co-editor of 3books.


Bibliographic Information

Buy it now

Buying options

eBook USD 219.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book USD 279.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book USD 279.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Other ways to access