General Principles of Agronomy

Agronomy concerns devising means of increasing crop production in order to reduce the gap between supply and demand for food and feeds by the human and livestock population. This book covers general principles involved in cultivation of annual crops that provide the bulk of food. Topics include climate, edaphic and socio-econonomic factors that influence where annual crops are grown; seedbed preparation including tillage operations, conventional and consevation tillage systems; propagation of annual crops including characteristics of good seed stocks, seed deterioration, multiplication and storage, seed rate, germination and seed supply systems; planting operations, plant arrangement, narrow rows and response to plant population and time of planting; weed control in annual crops including noxious weeds, herbicide use, integrated pest management in annual crops production; organic and inorganic fertiliser use in annual crops cultivation, types of fertilisers and other methods of replenishing soil fertility; indicators of crop maturity and harvesting. The book is suitable for teaching agronomy in universities and colleges and to all agriculturalists