The Scientific Basis of Modern Agriculture

This book is the result of a review of the fundamental aspects of the sciences vital to crop and animal industries.

Members of the faculty of Agriculture at the University of Sydney have taken a broad approach to explaining the principles underlying their subjects, but have deliberately chosen relevant Australian examples to illustrate them.

The result is a unique survey which reflects the contemporary state of the rural sciences.

Among the subjects covered, are microclimate, soils, crop and pasture production, genetic improvement, plant and animal protection, the animal sciences, agricultural microbiology, and the economics of agricultural production and marketing. The authors include recent research advances which have led to a greater understanding of the biological and economic processes that influence crop and animal production.

Knowledge of such developments enables farmers to achieve greater control and efficiency in their production activities in a complex and highly unstable environment.