This book is published jointly by the International Potash Institute (IPI) and the International Fertilizer Industry Association (IFA). It discusses the possibilities and constraints to food production on the many different soil types found in tropical and subtropical countries. By indicating ways in which crop nutrition and hence crop production can be increased on these soils in developing co...

Rice (Oryza sativa) is India's pre-eminent crop, it is the most widely consumed staple food for a large part of the world's human population, especially in Asia. Moreover, the country has the biggest area under rice cultivation, as it is one of the principal food crops. India is one of the leading producers of this crop, with a production, productivity of 105.48 million tons and 2391 kg per hec...

Global climate change is likely to severely impact human food production. This comes at a time when predicted demand for primary foodstuffs by a growing human population and changing global diets is already outpacing a stagnating annual rate of increase in crop productivity. Additionally, the time required by crop breeding and bioengineering to release improved varieties to farmers is substanti...

Radiations and radioisotopes are used in agricultural research to induce genetic variability in crop plants to develop improved varieties, to manage insect pests, monitor fate and persistence of pesticides, to study fertilizer use efficiency and plant micronutrient uptake and also to preserve agricultural produce. Use of radiation and radioisotopes in agriculture is one of the most important fi...

Genetically engineered (GE) crops, multi-ingredient foods derived from one or more GE ingredients, and GE agricultural inputs are regulated in the United States under a "Coordinated Framework" that was literally cobbled together in the early 1990s. Via this Framework, responsibility is spread across three federal agencies for the assessment and management of potential risks arising from the pla...

Combining climate change, crop growth and crop disease models to predict impacts of climate change on crop diseases can guide planning of climate change adaptation strategies to ensure future food security. This review summarises recent developments in modelling climate change impacts on crop diseases, emphasises some major challenges and highlights recent trends. The use of multi-model ensembl...

For the current generation of genetically modified (GM) crops the improvement of agronomic traits (e.g. herbicide tolerance, insect resistance) has been a major objective. The lack of obvious and direct benefits for the consumer has been a main point of criticism. Future trends will increasingly encompass the modification of quality traits, such as the improvement of sensory and especially nutr...

Rice (Oryza sative L.) is the main food crop in Asia and the staple food of the majority of the population in many regions of the world. The population pressure in rice-consuming countries demands that more attention be directed towards new approaches to sustainable rice produc‐ tion. Improvement of both crop quality and yield is an urgent task [1]. Optimally, rice yield improvement must be sou...