ASCOT Library Zabali Campus

Section I introduction and basic principles –
Chapter 1 introduction –
1.1 Management requirements –
1.2 Productivity factors –
1.3 Climatic factors –
1.4 Moving up the yield scale –
1.5 Product quality –
Chapter 2 soil fertility principles –
2.1 Fertile soil defined –
2.2 Making and keeping a soil fertile –
2.3 Biological factors –
2.4 An ideal soil –
2.5 Soil fertility management concepts –
2.6 Multiple factor yield influence –
2.7 Soil condition related to deficiency in a major element and micronutrient –
2.7.1 Major elements –
2.7.2 Micronutrients –
2.8 Elemental content of the soil and soil solution –
Chapter 3 Plant nutrition principles –
3.1 Photosynthesis –
3.2 The function of plants –
3.3 Determination of essentiality –
3.4 Essential element content in plants –
3.5 Classification of the thirteen essential mineral elements –
3.6 Role of the essential plant nutrient elements –
3.7 Plant nutrient element sources –
3.8 Element absorption and translocation –
3.9 Elemental accumulation –
3.10 Element absorption and plant genetics –
3.11 Plant nitrogen fixation –
3.12 Diagnostic plant symptoms of essential plant nutrient element insufficiencies –
Chapter 4 the plant root –
4.1 Introduction –
4.2 Root function –
4.3 Root hairs –
4.4 Lateral roots –
4.5 The rhizosphere –
4.6 Root ion absorption –
4.7 Root crops –
Chapter 5 How to be a diagnostician –
5.1 The diagnostic approach –
5.2 Being a diagnostician –
5.3 Diagnostic factors –
5.4 Evaluating diagnostic procedures –
5.5 Scouting –
5.6 Weather conditions –
5.7 Factors affecting essential nutrient element concentrations in plants –
5.8 Plant (crop) wilting –
5.9 Summary –
5.10 Certified crop advisor programs –
Section II physical and physiochemical characteristics of soil –
Chapter 6 soil taxonomy, horizontal characteristics, and clay minerals –
6.1 Soil orders (U.S. system of soil taxonomy) –
6.2 Designations for soil horizons and layers –
Chapter 7 Physical properties of soil –
7.1 Textural classification –
7.2 Soil separates or primary soil separates –
7.3 Soil separate properties –
7.4 Soil texture characterization definitions –
7.5 Soil structure –
7.6 Tillage practices –
7.7 Water-holding capacity –
Chapter 8 physiochemical properties of soil –
8.1 Soil separate properties –
8.2 Major phyllosilicate minerals in soil –
8.3 Cation Exchange Capacity (CEC) of a soil based on texture –
8.4 Cation Exchange Capacity (CEC) determination of a soil –
8.5 Anion exchange capacity –
Chapter 9 Soil pH: its determination and interpretation –
9.1 Definitions –
9.2 Causes of soil acidity –
9.3 Water pH determination of mineral soil, organic soil, and organic soilless rooting media –
9.4 pH determination using a calibrated pH meter –
9.5 Another soil pH determination procedure –
9.6 Salt pH determination for a mineral soil –
9.7 pH interpretation: mineral soil –
9.8 pH interpretation: organic soils –
9.9 pH interpretation: organic soilless medium –
9.10 Soil pH constancy –
9.11 Plant root function –
9.12 Soil acidity and NPK fertilizer efficiency –
9.13 Soil pH effect on elemental availability and/or soil solution composition –
9.14 Soil buffer –
9.15 pH determination of water –
Chapter 10 Soil organic matter –
10.1 Definitions of soil organic matter and its components –
10.1.1 Definitions –
10.2 Humus –
10.3 Soil organic matter characteristics –
10.3.1 Physical characteristics –
10.3.2 Physicochemical characteristics –
10.3.3 Biological characteristics –
10.3.4 Sources of soil organic matter –
10.3.5 Content –
10.4 Methods of soil organic matter determination –
10.5 Management requirements for high organic matter content soils –
10.6 Adverse effects of organic matter additions –
Section III Plant elemental requirements and associated elements –
Chapter 11 major essential plant elements –
11.1 Terminology –
11.2 Methods of expression –
11.3 Established date for essentiality/researchers –
11.4 carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen –
11.5 Major essential element properties –
11.5.1 Nitrogen (N) –
11.5.2 Phosphorus (P) –
11.5.3 Potassium (K) –
11.5.4 Calcium (Ca) –
11.5.5 Magnesium (Mg) –
11.5.6 Sulfur (S) –
Chapter 12 micronutrients considered essential to plants –
12.1 Terminology –
12.2 Established date for essentiality/researchers –
12.3 Content and function –
12.4 Soil and plant species –
12.5 Micronutrient characteristics –
12.6 Micronutrient properties –
12.6.1 Boron (B) –
12.6.2 Chlorine (Cl) –
12.6.3 Copper (Cu) –
12.6.4 Iron (Fe) –
12.6.5 Manganese (Mn) –
12.6.6 Molybdenum (Mo) –
12.6.7 Zinc (Zn) –
12.7 Possible additional essential micronutrients –
12.7.1 Nickel (Ni) –
12.7.2 Silicon (Si) –
Chapter 13 elements considered beneficial to plants –
13.1 The A to Z nutrient solution –
13.2 Elements essential for animals –
13.3 Basis for essentiality for beneficial elements –
13.4 Potential essential elements –
13.4.1 Cobalt (Co) –
13.4.2 Silicon (Si) –
13.4.3 Nickel (NI) –
13.5 New beneficial elements –
13.6 Element substitution –
13.7 Form of response –
13.8 Summary –
Chapter 14 elements considered toxic to plants –
14.1 Introduction –
14.2 The nature of elemental toxicity –
14.3 Aluminum and copper toxicity –
14.4 Other elements –
14.5 Plant species factor –
14.6 The heavy metals –
Chapter 15 trace elements found in plants –
15.1 Definition –
15.2 Elements categorized as trace elements –
15.3 High soil content elements –
15.4 Availability factors –
15.5 Accumulator plants and elements –
15.6 Symbiotic element –
Section IV methods of soil fertility and plant nutrition assessment –
Chapter 16 soil testing –
16.1 Purposes –
16.2 Field sampling –
16.2.1 Best time to soil sample –
16.2.2 Subsoil sampling –
16.2.3 Soil preparation for laboratory submission –
16.3 Soil laboratory selection –
16.4 Laboratory soil testing procedures –
16.5 Interpretation of a soil test result –
16.5.1 Word designation –
16.5.2 Critical values –
16.5.3 Ratio concept of soil interpretation –
16.6 Soil test result tracking (monitoring) –
16.7 Liming and fertilizer use strategies –
Chapter 17 plant analysis and tissue testing –
17.1 Plant analysis objectives –
17.2 Sequence of procedures –
17.3 Sampling techniques –
17.3.1 When to sample –
17.3.2 Number of samples and plants to sample –
17.3.3 Lack of homogeneity –
17.3.4 Petioles –
17.3.5 Comparative plant tissue samples –
17.3.6 What not to sample –
17.3.7 Collecting a soil sample –
17.4 Plant tissue handling, preparation, and analysis –
17.4.1 Dry weight preservation –
17.4.2 Sources of contamination –
17.4.3 Decontamination –
17.4.5 Elemental analysis procedures –
17.4.6 Elemental content –
17.4.7 Expression of analytical results –
17.5 Methods of interpretation –
17.5.1 Critical values –
17.5.2 Standard values –
17.5.3 Sufficiency range –
17.5.4 Expected elemental content range in plant tissue –
17.5.5 Excessive or toxic concentrations –
17.5.6 Diagnosis and Recommendation Integrated System (DRIS) –
17.6 Word classification of elemental concentrations –
17.7 Plant analysis as a diagnostic technique –
17.8 Experience required –
17.9 Data logging/tracking of plant analyses –
17.10 Utilization of plant analyses for nutrient element management –
17.11 Tissue testing –
17.12 Indirect evaluation procedures –
Section V Amendments for soil fertility maintenance –
Chapter 18 lime and liming materials –
18.1 Liming terms –
18.2 Liming materials –
18.3 Liming materials and their Calcium Carbonate Equivalents (CCEs) –
18.4 Mesh size –
18.5 Quality factor designation –
18.6 Lime Requirement (LR) –
18.7 Soil test ratio of Ca to Mg determines form of limestone to apply –
18.8 Liming rate determined by acidifying effect of fertilizer –
18.9 Lime shock –
18.10 Lime incorporation –
18.11 Depth of incorporation –
18.12 Subsoil pH –
Chapter 19 inorganic chemical fertilizers and their properties –
19.1 Definitions –
19.2 Fertilizer terminology –
19.3 Characteristics of the major elements as fertilizer –
19.4 Conversion factors for the major essential fertilizer elements –
19.5 Characteristics of the micronutrients as fertilizers –
19.6 The physical and chemical properties of fertilizers –
19.6.1 Inorganic –
19.6.2 Fertilizer factors –
19.6.3 Soil factors –
19.7 Naturally occurring inorganic fertilizers –
19.7.1 Rock phosphate –
19.7.2 Potassium Chloride (KCI) and Potassium Sulfate (K2SO4) –
19.7.3 Limestone –
Chapter 20 Organic fertilizers and their properties –
20.1 Value –
20.2 Composted animal manures –
20.3 Animal manure major element composition –
20.4 Other organic materials –
20.5 Soil and plant factors –
Chapter 21 Fertilizer placement –
21.1 Objectives –
21.2 Methods of fertilizer placement –
21.2.1 Banding –
21.2.2 Surface strip or dribble banding –
21.2.3 Deep banding –
21.2.4 High pressure injection –
21.2.5 Point injection of fluids –
21.2.6 Point placement of solids –
21.2.7 Starter –
21.2.8 Sidedressing –
21.2.9 Fertigation –
21.2.10 Foliar fertilization –
Chapter 22 soil water, irrigation, and water quality –
22.1 Soil water terminology –
22.2 Soil factors affecting soil water-holding capacity and movement –
22.3 Drainage –
22.4 Irrigation methods –
22.5 Irrigation water quality –
22.6 Water treatment procedures –
22.7 What is water? –
Section VI methods of soilless plant production –
Chapter 23 Hydroponics –
23.1 Hydroponics defined –
23.2 Historical events –
23.3 Hydroponic techniques –
23.4 Hydroponic growing system –
23.4.1 Systems without the use of a rooting medium –
23.4.2 Systems with the use of a rooting medium –
23.5 Rooting media –
23.6 Water quality –
23.7 The nutrient solution –
23.7.1 Elemental content –
23.7.2 Elemental forms –
23.7.3 Concentration ranges and ratios –
23.7.4 Nitrate and ammonium –
23.7.5 Beneficial elements –
23.7.6 Chelates –
23.7.7 Nutrient solution/water temperature –
23.7.8 pH and Electrical Conductivity (EC) –
23.7.9 Other factors –
23.7.10 Nutrient solution elemental content determination and monitoring –
23.7.11 Use factors –
23.8 Reagents and nutrient solution formulations –
23.9 Concentration ranges and ratios –
23.10 pH interpretation-hydroponic nutrient solution –
23.11 Reconstitution of the nutrient solution –
23.12 Accumulation of nutrient elements and precipitates –
Chapter 24 Soilless rooting growing media –
24.1 Soilless media ingredients –
24.2 Soilless media formulations –
24.3 Physical properties –
24.4 Physiochemical properties –
24.5 Control of pH –
24.6 Use formulations –
24.7 Bag culture systems –
24.8 Fertility determination procedure for an organic soilless mix –
Section VII miscellaneous –
Chapter 25 organic farming/gardening –
25.1 Chemicalization of crop production –
25.2 "Organically grown" defined –
25.3 Suitable inorganic fertilizers –
25.4 Suitable organic fertilizer –
25.5 Organic soil fertility management –
25.6 Soil physical properties –
25.7 Food safety and quality issues –
Chapter 26 weather and climatic conditions –
26.1 Definitions –
26.2 Climatic factors –
26.2.1 Air temperature –
26.2.2 Rainfall –
26.2.3 Wind –
26.2.4 Solar radiation intensity and duration –
26.2.5 Carbon Dioxide (CO2) –
26.3 Weather as a diagnostic factor –
Chapter 27 Best Management Practices (BMPs) –
27.1 Origin –
27.2 Best management practice application broadened –
27.3 Best practice –
27.4 Important protocol considerations –
27.5 Precision farming.

"Soil fertility and plant nutrition principles are the two primary subjects discussed in this book, presenting the reader with what would have been learned in basic as well as advanced soil fertility and plant nutrition college courses. The topics discussed are presented in such a manner that the reader can, with minimum basic background knowledge, feel confident applying the principles presented to his own soil/crop pro- duction system. The information in this book can be used as a means for searching particular topics by subject matter. In addition, this book contains sufficient funda- mental information so that there is no need to search other sources unless there are specific issues associated with a particular soil-plant system that is not covered in this book, or more detailed factual information is desired.
The book is divided into two sections:
- Chapters that discuss the fundamental principles of soil and crop fertility management.
- Subject matter sections that deal with specific topical subjects."