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The second edition of Agriculture's Ethical Horizon is a carefully considered application of philosophical concepts, such as utilitarianism and positivism, to the practice of agricultural science. Author Robert Zimdahl argues for an approach to agriculture guided by foundational values, and addresses the questions: What are the goals of agricultural and weed science? What should their goals be? How do and how should the practitioners of agriculture address complex ethical questions? This book engages students, researchers, and professionals across disciplines including horticulture, soil and plant science, entomology, and more, all without requiring a background in philosophy. It examines to...
Fundamentals of Weed Science provides an introduction to the basic principles of weed science for undergraduate courses. It discusses several aspects of weed biology and control, and traces the history of herbicide development. The book begins with an introduction to weeds, covering their definition, characteristics, harmful aspects, and the cost of weed control. This is followed chapters on weed classification, the uses of weeds, weed biology, weed ecology, allelopathy, the significance of plant competition, weed management and control methods, and biological weed control. Later chapters deal with herbicidesthe most important weed control tools and the ones with the greatest potential for untoward effects. Students of weed science must understand herbicides and the factors governing their use as well as the potential for misuse. These chapters discuss chemical weed control, the properties and uses of herbicides, factors affecting herbicide performance, herbicide application, herbicide formulation, ecological impact of herbicides, pesticide registration and legislation, weed management systems, and the future of weed science.
This book addresses herbicides and their use as an important aspect of modern weed management and strives to place them in an ecological framework. Many weed scientists believe agriculture is a continuing struggle with weeds--without good weed control, good and profitable agriculture is impossible. Each agricultural discipline sees itself as central to agriculture's success and continued progress, and weed science is no exception. While not denying the importance of weed management to successful agriculture, this book places it in a larger ecological context. The roles of culture, economics, and politics in weed management are also discussed, enabling scientists and students to understand th...
It is important that scientists think about and know their history - where they came from, what they have accomplished, and how these may affect the future. Weed scientists, similar to scientists in many technological disciplines, have not sought historical reflection. The technological world asks for results and for progress. Achievement is important not, in general, the road that leads to achievement. What was new yesterday is routine today, and what is described as revolutionary today may be considered antiquated tomorrow. Weed science has been strongly influenced by technology developed by supporting industries, subsequently employed in research and, ultimately, used by farmers and crop ...
1. The Horizon of Agricultural Ethics -- 2. The Conduct of Agricultural Science -- 3. When Things Go Wrong: Balancing Technology's Safety and Risk -- 4. A Brief Introduction to Moral Philosophy and Ethical Theories -- 5. Moral Confidence in Agriculture -- 6. The Relevance of Ethics to Agriculture and Weed Science -- 7. Agricultural Sustainability -- 8. Biotechnology -- 9. Alternative/Organic Agricultural Systems -- 10. Animal Agriculture -- 11. A Glimpse Ahead.
For the past 20 years, the first edition of this text has been widely cited as authoritative academic reference. The latest edition continues the tradition set by the original book, and covers weed science research that has been published since 1980. This book aims to reduce the instance of research duplication—saving scientists and supporting institutions time and money. Not only does the second edition of Weed Crop Competition review, summarize, and combine current research; it critiques the research as well. This text has the potential to accelerate advancements in weed crop competition, which remains an important factor that affects crop yields. Scientists in foreign countries where ac...
Six Chemicals That Changed Agriculture is a scientific look at how the chemicals used in today's food production were developed, evaluated, and came to be in wide-spread use. From fertilizers to pest management, antibiotics to DNA, chemicals have transformed the way our food is grown, protected, and processed. Agriculture is the world's most important environment interaction, the essential human activity, and an increasingly controversial activity because of its use and presumed misuse of chemistry. The major characteristics of US agriculture for at least the last six decades have been rising productivity, declining number of mid-size farms, increasing farm size, an increasing percentage of ...
I write because I am concerned that I and my agricultural colleagues have avoided addressing the moral dimension of the environmental and social problems we have contributed to. I hope for an exchange of ideas about agriculture's moral dilemmas. I encourage my readers to engage in a collective conversation about the dilemmas and avoid remaining in what Merton calls "the collective arrogance and despair of his own herd." If those engaged in agriculture continue to ignore and fail to realize our common difficulties they will be addressed and resolved by societal pressure and political action, which may not yield the resolution we favor. The book's goal is not to resolve the moral dilemmas rais...
In this second edition of The Spirit of the Soil: Agriculture and Environmental Ethics, Paul B. Thompson reviews four worldviews that shape competing visions for agriculture. Productionists have sought increasing yields—to make two seeds grow where only one grew before—while traditional visions of good farming have stressed stewardship. These traditional visions have been challenged by two more worldviews: a call for a total cost accounting for farming and an advocacy for a holistic perspective. Thompson argues that an environmentally defensible systems approach must draw upon all four worldviews, recognizing their flaws and synthesizing their strengths in a new vision of sustainable agriculture. This classic 1995 study has been thoroughly revised and significantly expanded in its second edition with up-to-date examples of agriculture’s impact on the environment. These include extensive discussions of new pesticides and the effects of animal agriculture on climate and other areas of the environment. In addition, a new final chapter discusses sustainability, which has become a dominant idea within environmental studies and agrarian political philosophy.