The Ecology of Tropical Food Crops [Paperback]

This updated edition considers the response of tropical food crops to environmental factors such as climate, soil and farming system.Retaining the successful formula of the first edition while placing additional emphasis on tropical environmental conservation, this new updated edition considers the response of tropical food crops to environmental factors such as climate, soil and farming system.Retaining the successful formula of the first edition while placing additional emphasis on tropical environmental conservation, this new updated edition considers the response of tropical food crops to environmental factors such as climate, soil and farming system.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 new, updated edition retains the successful formula of the first edition while placing additional emphasis on tropical environmental conservation. It 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. Crlã‡