Modern Agronomy

The science and technology of the production and use of plants for food, fiber, fuel and land reclamation may be termed as agronomy. The field encompasses the areas of plant physiology, plant genetics, soil science and meteorology. Some of the issues dealt under agronomy are the management of the environmental impact of agriculture, creation of healthier food and generation of energy from plants. Plant breeding, soil fertility, weed control, irrigation and drainage, pest control, etc. are important focus areas of agronomic studies. Modern agronomy is concerned with the production of the crops with improved nutritional value and increased crop yields under diverse environmental conditions. This is possible through selective breeding of crops. In addition, the quality of the soil needs to be preserved and the effects of erosion controlled. The field of agronomy addresses all these vital issues. The various sub-fields of agronomy along with technological progress that have future implications are glanced at in this book. It includes some of the vital pieces of work being conducted across the world, on various topics related to agronomy. For someone with an interest and eye for detail, this book covers the most significant topics in this field.