The Ecology of Tropical Food Crops

This updated edition considers the response of tropical food crops to environmental factors such as climate, soil and farming system.

M. J. T. Norman (Author), C. J. Pearson (Author), P. G. E. Searle (Author)

9780521410625, Cambridge University Press

Hardback, published 18 May 1995

444 pages
23.4 x 15.7 x 3.2 cm, 0.837 kg

"I found the book to be well organized and easy to follow with a tremendous range of sources of materials in the references from journals, books, international center publications, proceedings of symposia, etc..." Ingvar Ohlsson, Field Crops Research

In tropical developing countries farmers tend to grow a wide range of crops in a small area for subsistence or sale. To make full use of often limited resources a good understanding of how environmental conditions affect the characteristics and performance of these crops is essential. This book considers the response of tropical food crops to environmental factors such as climate, soil and farming system. Three types of crop are considered; cereals, legumes and non-cereal energy crops, with individual chapters on the four most important crops in each group. This material is set in context by introductory chapters on tropical farming systems, tropical climates and tropical soils. This updated edition retains the successful formula of the first edition, and will serve the needs of advanced students of tropical agriculture, as well as professionals engaged in research and extension work in tropical crop production.

Preface
Part I. General: 1. Tropical cropping systems
2. Tropical crop/climate relations
3. Tropical crop/soil relations
Part II. Cereals: 4. Cereals in tropical agriculture
5. Rice (Oryza sativa and O. glaberrima)
6. Maize (Zea mays)
7. Sorghum (Sorghum bicolor)
8. Pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum)
Part III. Legumes: 9. Crop legumes in tropical agriculture
10. Groundnut (Arachis hypogaea)
11. Common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris)
12. Soybean (Glycine max)
13. Chick pea (Cicer arietinum)
Part IV. Non-Cereal Energy Crops: 14. Non-cereal energy crops in tropical agriculture
15. Cassava (Manihot esculenta)
16. Sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas)
17. Yams (Dioscorea species)
18. Bananas (Musa species)
References
Index.

Subject Areas: Tropical agriculture: practice & techniques [TVQ]