Introduction to Agronomy: Food, Crops, and Environment - Tapa dura

Introduction to Agronomy: Food, Crops and Environment, provides an introductory look at agronomy and crop science written for a broad audience including traditional agricultural students as well as students with nonagricultural backgrounds. Principles of crop science, sustainable agriculture, and the relevance of agriculture to important current societal issues are covered. Agriculture is discussed from an historical, economic, food, and resource basis. Topics relevant to our overall society such as food, fiber, and energy, ecology, and environmental quality are discussed. The impact of climate and soils on agricultural practices and agriculture's impact on environmental quality and the description and uses of important crops are included. Approaches to improving plants and crop production efficiency thorough crop breeding, biotechnology, crop management are also covered. Illustrations throughout enhance learning and appeal to more visual learners.

Kristine M. Moncada is an assistant scientist in the Department of Agronomy and Plant Genetics at the University of Minnesota, St. Paul, where she assists with research in organic agriculture and has helped develop a risk management guide for organic farmers. Kristine has a B.S. in ecology and an M.S. in applied plant sciences, both from the University of Minnesota. Her previous research has included characterizing the genetic diversity of native plants in Minnesota including purple prairie clover, spotted joe-pye weed, and prairie cord grass. She has also assisted in teaching undergraduate plant identification courses. She has co-authored two interactive computer-based learning modules--Forage Legume Identification" and "Forage Legume Morphology"--for the Crop Advisor Institute at Iowa State University." Craig C. Sheaffer received his B.S. at Delaware Valley College, Doylestown, PA; and M.S. and Ph.D. degrees at the University of Maryland, College Park before becoming a professor in the Department of Agronomy and Plant Genetics at the University of Minnesota, St. Paul, where he received the College of Food and Natural Resources distinguished teaching award in 2006. He has studied sustainable cropping systems for more than 30 years, focusing on the topics of forage production, pasture improvement, organic crop production, and bioenergy crops. He is particularly interested in using legumes such as alfalfa, kura clover, and Illinois bundleflower for livestock nutrition and soil conservation and to supply biologically fixed nitrogen for other crops. He is a fellow in the American Society of Agronomy and the Crop Science Society.