Advances in Agronomy

by Donald L. Sparks (Editor)

Overview

Contributors to this special 100th volume of Advances in Agronomy were carefully selected by the editor for their perspectives on not only the current state of their topic but also where their fields are going and what future opportunities exist to advance scientific frontiers. Originating in 1949, Advances in Agronomy is a venerable serial featuring state-of-the-art reviews on crop and soil sciences over the years, and is highly regarded around the world. Volume 100 continues this long tradition of excellence, with cutting-edge and visionary reviews from distinguished scientists at the top of their respective fields.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780128033234
Publisher:	Elsevier Science
Publication date:	09/23/2015
Series:	Advances in Agronomy , #134
Pages:	262
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x (d)

About the Author

Donald L. Sparks is the S. Hallock du Pont Chair in Soil and Environmental Chemistry, Francis Alison Professor and Director of the Delaware Environmental Institute at the University of Delaware. He is internationally recognized for his landmark research on the kinetics and mechanisms of metal/oxyanion/nutrient reactions at biogeochemical interfaces. His pioneering studies on kinetic processes in soils and minerals include the development of widely used and novel kinetic methods, elucidation of rate-limiting steps and mechanisms over a range of spatial and temporal scales, and coupling of real-time kinetic studies with in-situ molecular scale investigations. His discoveries on the speciation, formation rates and stability mechanisms of metal hydroxide surface precipitates, and their role in the retention and bioavailability of toxic metals in the terrestrial environment, have received worldwide attention. This research has led to more effective soil remediation strategies and predictive models.

He is the author or coauthor of 286 publications. These include: 11 edited books, 53 book chapters, and 219 refereed papers. He is the author of two widely adopted textbooks, Kinetics of Soil Chemical Processes and Environmental Soil Chemistry (two editions) published by Academic Press. Dr. Sparks is an ISI Highly Cited Researcher; his research has been cited more than 8380 times and his h-index is 53 (Web of Science). Dr. Sparks has served as editor of Advances in Agronomy since 1991, having edited 77 volumes. He has given over 200 invited presentations at scientific conferences throughout the world, and been a lecturer at 98 universities and institutes in North America, Europe, Asia, and Australia.

He has received numerous honors and awards including Fellow of five scientific societies, national and international research awards, distinguished fellowships and lectureships, and teaching and mentoring awards. He has advised 90 graduate students and postdoctoral researchers and been the recipient of more than $50 million in research funding. He served as President of both the Soil Science Society of America and the International Union of Soil Sciences.

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Second Highest Impact Factor in Agriculture

Table of Contents

Contributors vii

Preface ix

1 Dr. Norman E. Borlaug: Twentieth Century Lessons for the Twenty-First Century World Kenneth M. Quinn 1

1 Introduction 2

2 Iowa Roots 3

3 Minnesota and a Focus on Plant Pathology and Wheat 4

4 Confronting Poverty in Mexico 5

5 India, Pakistan, and the Green Revolution 6

6 The Impact in Asia 7

7 The Nobel Peace Prize 8

8 Bringing the Green Revolution to Africa 9

9 The World Food Prize 9

10 Inspiring the Leaders of Tomorrow 10

11 A Lasting Global Legacy 12

12 Extraordinary Recognition for a Humble Man 13

2 Contaminants as Tracers for Studying Dynamics of Soil Formation: Mining an Ocean of Opportunities Jonatan Klaminder Kyungsoo Yoo 15

1 Introduction 16

2 Outlining the Quest for New Tracers of Soil Formation 20

3 Atmospherically Derived Lead and SCPs: Tracers of What? 21

4 Constraining Mass Fluxes Involved in Geochemical Evolution of Soils 34

5 Lead and SCP as a Tracer of Organic Matter Dynamics 45

6 Conclusions 47

Acknowledgments 50

References 50

3 Epigenetics: The Second Genetic Code Nathan M. Springer Shawn M. Kaeppler 59

1 Introduction 60

2 Molecular Mechanisms of Epigenetic Inheritance 60

3 Epigenetic Phenomena in Plants 65

4 Epigenetic Inheritance and Crop Improvement 71

References 73

4 Microbial Distribution in Soils: Physics and Scaling I. M. Young J. W. Crawford N. Nunan W. Otten A. Spiers 81

1 Soil as a Habitat 82

2 What Characteristics of Structure Matter and Why? 84

3 Spatial and Temporal Distribution of Microbes 90

4 Habitat-Biofilm Interactions 99

5 Habitat-Microbe Interactions 105

6 Future 112

References 112

5 Nanoscale Particles and Processes: ANew Dimension in Soil Science Patricia A. Maurice Michael F. Hochella 123

1 Nanoscience as a Key Element of Soil Science 124

2 Nanoparticles and Nanominerals 125

3 Nanoparticles in Soils 127

4 Some Nano-scale Techniques for Soils Applications 131

5 The Unique World of the Nanoparticle 135

6 Why Nanoparticles Behave Differently 139

7 Nanoparticle Stability: Size and More than Size Matter 140

8 Nanoparticle Mobility in Soils and Sediments 144

9 Nanoparticle Effects on Pollutant Transport and Bioavailability 146

10 Nanoparticle Toxicity in Soil Environments 147

11 The Special Role of the Soil Sciences in Environmental Nanoscience 148

Acknowledgments 149

References 149

6 Combining Biomarker with Stable Isotope Analyses for Assessing the Transformation and Turnover Soil Organic Matter W. Amelung S. Brodowski A. Sandhage-Hofmann R. Bol 155

1 Introduction 156

2 Major Biomarkers 159

3 Using Carbon Isotopes in SOM Studies 180

4 Biomarker Specific Stable Isotope Analyses 188

5 Conclusions and Perspectives 220

Acknowledgments 222

References 226

Index 251

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From the Publisher

Highly cited serial review that includes cutting-edge information on the crop and soil sciences and the latest agronomy research

Editorial Reviews

Comprises five contributions on improvement of tropical maize, pearl millet, nickel in soils, characterizing soil chemical properties, and cotton resistance to insects. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

Booknews

Sparks: ADVANCES IN AGRONOMY, Vol. 78, 2003 ($124.00 [USD] / # 82.95 [GBP], ISBN: 0-12-000796-7)
Sparks: ADVANCES IN AGRONOMY, Vol. 77, 2002 ($119.95 [USD] / # 82.95 [GBP], ISBN: 0-12-000795-9)
Sparks: ADVANCES IN AGRONOMY, Vol. 76, 2002 ($119.95 [USD] / # 82.95 [GBP], ISBN: 0-12-000794-0)

From the Publisher