This introduction provides a description of the succeeding book chapters that cover integrative concepts for understanding the overall physiology of fruit trees.

This chapter focuses on crop management as the foundation of production agriculture. It provides information needed to construct a unified model of the yield production process that applies to all grain crops.

This chapter discusses cover crops, green manures and herbal leys. Cover crops comprise a range of plant species, preferably a mix that includes legumes, brassicas and grasses. Green manures have an emphasis on adding organic matter and nitrogen to the soil, especially where there are no animals to ...

This chapter describes soil and water conservation measures for climate-resilient agriculture. It presents three interventions that can be used separately or in combination, depending on the context of the region: (1) integrating strips of forage grasses and legumes; (2) rainwater harvesting...

This chapter describes how cropping systems can be used to supplement feeds to increase dairy and poultry yields. It completes the concept of on-farm integration of crop, livestock and natural resources technologies necessary for sustainable intensification on smallholder farms. The different...

The African Union Malabo Declaration outlines goals to achieve sustainable production practices for economic growth in the agriculture sector by 2025. Conservation Agriculture (CA) practices represent a climate smart and resource friendly sustainable production system, and these need to be adopted...

Over the past 15 years the adoption rate of Conservation Agriculture (CA) in southern South Africa has increased at a fast rate, although the adoption of the three pillars of CA was to varying degrees. The adoption of CA happened in the absence of any policy support framework directed to CA. The...

A project under the Farmer Innovation Programme (FIP) that aimed to adapt Conservation Agriculture (CA) among grain farmers in South Africa was implemented in a commercial farming area of the North West Province. The following on-farm, collaborative-managed trials produced key findings concerning:...

This chapter focuses on ideotype breeding for improving the yield and related traits, abiotic stress resistance, and quality of grain and forage sorghum. Ideotype breeding involves defining and breeding for the target traits to reach the objectives and differs from classical plant breeding which...

Crop establishment is a fundamental process in greenhouse and hydroponic production. Seed and seedling delivery systems vary considerably between different types of crops and growing situations and with level of mechanization available. This chapter focuses on propagation and transplant production. ...