Agriculture and the Environment

Agriculture in the United States is in the midst of a major transition motivated by economic and environmental factors. This book looks at the relationship between agricultural chemical use and the environment, and the relationship between soil and water quality degradation associated with agricultural production and the environment.

Severe soil degradation from erosion, compaction, or salinisation can destroy the productive capacity of the soil. It can also impair water quality from sediment and agricultural chemicals. This important new book looks at both of these significant issues - the relationship between agricultural chemical use and the environment and the relationship between soil and water quality degradation associated with agricultural production and the environment.

Preface
Introduction and Overview
Agricultural Chemical Use
The Economic and Environmental Implications of Alternative Production Practices
The Influence of Government Policy on the Choice of Production Practices and Chemical Use
Government Policy and the Development and Use of Biopesticides
The Changing Pattern of Soil Erosion in the United States
Perceptions Versus Reality: The Case of No Till Farming
The Use of Conservation Practices in Agriculture in the United States
The Impact of Energy on the Adoption of Conservation Tillage in the United States
The Environmental Consequences of the Conservation Tillage Adoption Decision in Agriculture in the United States
Index.