Natural Resource Management For Accelerating Agricultural Productivity

Natural resources like land, water and biodiversity are the key to sustain agricultural productivity. Growing pressure of intensive agriculture and other non-farm enterprises on natural resources like soil and water is leading to their degradation, threatening the food security and ecosystem stability. A comprehensive understanding of the natural resources endowment of the country and its scientific management is a key to sustain agriculture and livestock productivity. This volume gives a comprehensive coverage of the status of natural resources and its efficient management, its role in food production and meeting other needs like fodder, fuel wood, fibre, etc. The book has been prepared as a treatise with extensive illustrations and basic data with a national perspective. The unique features of the volume are the comprehensive coverage of the latest information from leading ICAR research institutes and State Agricultural Universities of the country. The strategies for efficient management of soil fertility, conservation of soil and water, coping with climate on-farm water management in irrigated and rain fed production systems are covered in detail. The last chapter on integrated farming systems links the scientific utilization of natural resources to total farm productivity. The authors of the book are from leading institutes of the ICAR and are well known researchers in their field. It is hoped that this book will be useful to researchers, teachers, students, NGOs and all other readers interested to learn about natural resources management and its role in sustainable agriculture.