Foreword -- Preface -- Acknowledgement -- Contents -- List of Tables -- List of Figures -- List of Graphs -- 1. Introduction to OrganicAgricultural Practices -- 1.1 FACTORS -- 1.2 THE IDEAL OF PHILOSOPHERS IN ORGANIC AGRICULTURE INPUTS -- 1.3 ORGANIC MOTIVATION -- 1.4 NECESSITY IN ORGANIC FARMING -- 1.5 CERTIFICATION REQUIREMENTS -- 1.6 TRADE IN ORGANIC FOOD -- 1.7 MARKETING -- 2. Basic Concepts for Sustainable Agriculture and Rural Development -- 2.1 KEY CHALLENGES TO AGRICULTURAL SYSTEMS -- 2.1.1 Eradicating Poverty and Hunger -- 2.1.2 Promoting Gender Equality and Women Empowerment -- 2.1.3 Achieving Environmental Sustainability -- 2.1.4 Promoting Human Health and Education -- 2.1.5 Water -- 2.1.6 Forestry -- 2.2 AGRICULTURAL ADVANCEMENT -- 2.3 ENHANCING FOOD SECURITY -- 2.4 AGRICULTURAL SUSTAINABILITY -- 2.4.1 Future Pace of Agricultural Production -- 2.4.2 Assessing Agricultural Sustainability -- 2.4.3 Sustainability of Food -- 2.4.4 Can Undernourishment be Strengthened in Africa? -- 2.5 SUGGESTIONS ON HOW TO PROMOTE AGRICULTURAL DEVELOPMENT -- 2.6 FACTORS AFFECTING FARMERS -- 2.6.1 Globalization of Markets -- 2.6.2 Technological Challenges -- 2.6.3 Measures to Accelerate Agricultural Development -- 2.6.4 Recommendations for National and International Actions -- 3. Land -- 3.1 LAND TENURE -- 3.2 LAND USE -- 3.2.1 Types of Land Tenure Systems -- 3.2.2 Land Rights -- 3.2.3 Factors Affecting Land Availability -- 3.3 ROCK FORMATION PROCESSES -- 3.4 SOIL AND ITS FORMATION -- 3.4.1 Factors Affecting Soil Formation -- 3.5 SOIL COMPOSITION .AND PROPERTY -- 3.6 SOIL ORGANIC MATTER IN SUSTAINING SOIL FERTILITY -- 3.7 SOIL MANAGEMENT PRINCIPLES -- 3.7.1 Nutrient Enhancement -- 3.7.2 Tillage -- 3.7.3 Cover Crop Practices/Soil Structure Enhancement -- 3.7.4 Effects of Cover Crops in Rotation Scheme -- 3.7.5 Environmental Impacts of Cover Crops.

3.7.6 Benefits of Cover Crops and Green Manures -- 3.7.7 Soil and Water Conservation -- 3.7.8 Soil Amendments -- 3.8 SOIL QUALITY IN ORGANIC SYSTEMS -- 3.9 ORGANIC MATTER CONTENT -- 3.10 SOIL BIOLOGICAL ACTIVITIES/MICROORGANISMS -- 3.11 SOIL pH -- 3.12 AVAILABILITY OF NITROGEN TO PLANTS -- 3.12.1 Materials and Methods -- 3.12.2 Soil Sampling Technique -- 3.12.3 General Soil Properties -- 3.12.4 Soil Microbial Properties -- 3.12.5 Aerobic N-mineralization -- 3.12.6 Statistical Analysis -- 3.12.7 Results -- 3.12.8 Discussion -- 3.12.9 Conclusion -- 3.1 3 FACTORS AFFECTING SOIL FERTILITY -- 3.14 CARBON SEQUESTRATION IN FARMING SYSTEM -- 3.15 ORGANIC AGRICULTURE/MICROCLIMATES -- 3.16 GROUND AND SURFACE WATER -- 4. Effects and Consequences of Agricultural Chemicals on Soil -- 4.1 CONSEQUENCES OF CHEMICAL USAGE -- 4.2 EFFECTS OF CHEMICALS ON SOIL -- 4.3 DEVELOPING AND MAINTAINING FERTILE SOILS -- 4.4 PREVENTING OUTBREAKS OF PESTS AND DISEASES -- 4.5 IMPLEMENTING CHANGES IN CHEMICAL APPLICATIONS -- 4.6 ECOLOGICAL STRATEGIES FOR PEST CONTROL -- 5. Pests and Diseases -- 5.1 INSECT PEST CONTROL -- 5.2 CONTROL OF PESTS IN COTTON FIELDS USING ALFALFA PLANTS -- 5.3 INDUCED PLANT DISEASE RESISTANCE -- 5.3.1 Forms of Induced Resistance -- 5.3.2 Mechanisms of Induced Resistance -- 5.4 CHARACTERISTECS OF INDUCED RESISTANCE -- 5.4.1 Multiple Mechanisms -- 5.4.2 Lack of Specificity -- 5.4.3 Multiple Pathways -- 5.4.4 Interaction between Pathways -- 5.4.5 Mechanisms of Induced Resistance -- 5.4.6 Chemical Elicitors -- 5.4.7 GM Approaches to Plant Disease Resistance -- 5.4.8 Biological Elicitor -- 5.5 DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION -- 6. Weed Management -- 6.1 BENEFICIAL ASPECTS OF WEEDS -- Weed Classifications -- 6.2 ORGANIC WEED CONTROL -- 7. Plant Nutrients and Nutrient Utilization -- 7.1 MAJOR ELEMENTS -- 7.2 MICRONUTRIENTS -- 7.3 CAUSES OF NUTRIENT LOSS AND SOLUTIONS.

8. Mechanization of Agriculture -- 8.1 AGRICULTURAL CHANGES -- 8.2 FUTURE CHALLENGES FOR MACHINE USAGE -- 8.3 PROBLEMS OF MECHANIZATION IN WEST AFRICAN COUNTRIES -- 9. Plant Propagation -- 9.1 INTRODUCTION -- 9.2 KNOWLEDGE OF PROPAGATION -- 9.3 SEED PROPAGATION -- 9.4 VEGETATIVE PROPAGATION -- 10. Vegetable Production -- 10.1 TOMATOES -- 10.2 CARROTS -- 10.2.1 Soil Conditions -- 10.2.2 Varieties -- 10.2.3 Seeding -- 10.2.4 Fertility -- 10.2.5 Irrigation -- 10.2.6 Harvesting -- 10.2.7 Storage -- 10.2.8 Problems of Production and Storage -- 10.3 CULTIVATION OF ONIONS (Aflium cepa) -- 10.3.1 Cultivars -- 10.3.2 Climatic and Soil Requirements -- 10.3.3 Planting Systems -- 10.3.4 Nutrient Management -- 10.3.5 Water Management -- 10.3.6 Weed and Disease Control -- 10.3.7 Post-planting Operations -- 10.4 GARDEN EGG PRODUCTION -- 10.4.1 Cultural Practices -- 10.4.2 Climatic and Soil Requirements -- 10.4.3 Planting -- 10.4.4 Preplanting Operations -- 10.4.5 Harvesting Aubergine -- 11. Developing Well Functioning Markets -- 11.1 TREND FOR ORGANIC MARKETS -- 11.2 FOREIGN TRADE WITH ORGANIC PRODUCTS -- 1 1.3 PRICES OF ORGANIC FRUITS AND VEGETABLES -- 11.4 SUPPLY BALANCE OF ORGANIC VEGETABLES IN 2001 -- 11.5 CONSUMER HABITS AND PRODUCT PREFERENCES -- 11.6 GENERAL DISCUSSION ON ORGANIC MARKETS -- 11.7 RECOMMENDATION -- 12. Livestock Production -- 12.1 POULTRY PRODUCTION -- 12.1.1 Practical Poultry Production -- 12.1.2 Role of Water in Chicken Development -- 12.1.3 Incubation -- 12.1.4 Relative Humidity Control -- 12.1.5 Air Movement -- 12.1.6 Brooding Hen -- 12.1.7 Temperature Control in a Poultry House -- 12.1.8 Culling Laying Hens -- 12.2 MANAGEMENT SYSTEM -- 12.2.1 Pastured Poultry (Extensive System) -- 12.2.2 Range Production -- 12.2.3 Semi-intensive System -- 12.2.4 Intensive System -- 12.2.5 Effects of Environment on Production.

12.2.6 Heat Stress in Broilers -- 12.2.7 Environmental Design and Animal Well-being -- 12.2.8 Housing Environment and Disease Prevention -- 12.2.9 Health Management -- 12.3 CATTLE PRODUCTION -- 12.3.1 Environmental Condition -- 12.3.2 Ecological Settings for Dwarf Muturu -- 12.3.3 Management and Production Systems -- References -- Index.