B. rALANCE is a fundamental part of nature's law. But man's activities have a way of upsetting nature's balance and usually.it takes a serious unbalance to make us see the situation and try to correct it. Our increased concern over our own diets exemplifies an unbalance. The variety of foods that comprise the average normal diet should provide enough of the essential minerals and vitamins to me...

Collembolans play an important role in the formation of microstructure and maintaining the agricultural ecosystem which is enriched by plant litter decomposition. Collembolans are also host of many parasitic Protozoans, Nematodes and pathogenic bacteria. Soil organisms are subjected to a variety of edaphic factors in the soil such as soil moisture, temperature, pH, amount of organic carbon and ...

There is need for proper understanding of plant nutrients status in the soil and their requirements by various crops under different farming system. Farmers must be encouraged to make compost from residues, house refuse and other decomposable wastes available with them. If crop residues have been incorporated into the soil, care must be taken that it must be incorporated well in advance (about ...

One of the important and necessary practices for improving nutrients availability in sustainable agriculture is using microorganisms. Beside the negative effects of chemical fertilizers on the soil and human health, plant growth promoting rhizobacteria are known as an alternative to supply the organic nutrients of plants during the past two decades. Enriching soil fertility by eco-friendly meth...

Determination of a pyrite contaminated soil texture, content of heavy metals in the soil and soil pH, was the aim in the investigation. Acidification of damaged soil was corrected by calcium carbonate. Mineral nutrients and organic matter (NPK, dung, earthworm cast, straw and coal dust) were added to damaged soil. Afterwards, the soil was used for oat production. Determination of total heavy me...

—We conducted a pot experiment examining the effects of simulated leaf herbivory and supplemental soil nutrients on extrafloral nectary (EFN) glands of Sapium sebiferum seedlings derived from native Chinese and invasive Texas seed stock. We predicted that simulated herbivory and increased soil nutrients would increase EFN activity. We also predicted that Chinese genotypes would have greater EFN...

B et te r C ro ps /V ol . 9 9 (2 01 5, N o. 1 ) Abbreviations and notes: N = nitrogen; P = phosphorus; K = potassium; S = sulfur; Cu = copper; Fe = iron; Mn = manganese; Mo = molybdenum; Zn = zinc. Sustainable crop production is essential to a healthy and adequate food supply. At fi rst glance, a healthy crop reveals only the above ground plant; the roots that support the visible plant are seld...

Farming activities practiced on many Australian soils have resulted in substantial losses of soil organic matter (SOM), nutrient loss, soil structural degradation and declines in cereal yield and quality. Field trials, consisting of a legume or fallow phase followed by three wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) crops, were established on a degraded Ferric Luvisol (Red Earth) soil in New South Wales to ...

The recycling of livestock manure in cropping systems is considered to enhance soil fertility and crop productivity. However, there have been no systematic long-term studies of the effects of manure application on soil and crop macro- and micro-nutrients, heavy metals, and crop yields in China, despite their great importance for sustainable crop production and food safety. Thus, we conducted fi...