About Book

The knowledge of physical phenomena in agricultural environment allows increasing efficiency of use of water and chemicals in agriculture and decreasing biomass losses during harvest, transport, storage, and processing”. Agrophysics is a field of science that focuses on the quality of agriculture as a whole i.e. the interaction between human and environment, especially the interaction between soil, plant, atmosphere and machine. Physics with its laws, principles and rules is a good tool for description of the interactions, as well as of the results of these interactions. Agrophysics deals with physical processes in the soil-plant-atmosphere system, taking into account various external factors (climate, impact of the machinery, pollution) and issues related to the growth, harvest, transport, storage and processing of agricultural materials. The book aims to shed light on some of the unexplored aspects of agrophysics. It discusses aquametry, research objects, agricultural soils, physical-hydrical indicators, physiological responses, seed germination, agricultural waste, physical methods, soil remediation and marine influence. It presents the complex subject of agrophysics in the most comprehensible and easy to understand language. It explores all the important aspects of the area in the present day scenario. This book is meant for students who are looking for an elaborate reference on agrophysics.

Preface............................................................................................................v

Chapter 1 Introductory Chapter: Physical Methods for Stimulating Plant Growth and Development........................................................................1

1. Introduction ..........................................................................................1

2. Importance of application of physical methods on plant

growth ....................................................................................................2

Chapter 2 Metal-Contaminated Soil Remediation: Phytoremediation, Chemical Leaching and Electrochemical Remediation......................6

Abstract ..................................................................................................6

1. Introduction............................................................................................7

2. Main sources of metals in the soil....................................................8

3. Metal bioavailability, mobility and transport in the soil ..........10

4. Remediation technologies ................................................................11

5. Comparison of the three technology .............................................23

6. Conclusion............................................................................................23

Conflict of interest .............................................................................24

Chapter 3 Physical Properties of Soils Affected by the Use of Agricultural Waste............................................................................................................33

Abstract ................................................................................................33

1. Introduction..........................................................................................33

2. Importance of the physical properties of the soil........................35

3. The use of agricultural wastes in soils .........................................40

4. Examples of the use of agricultural wastes and the effects on

some physical properties...................................................................43

5. Conclusions..........................................................................................47

Chapter 4 The Dynamics of Plant Cell Wall In Muro Modifications and its

Physiological Implications on Seed Germination............................56

Abstract ................................................................................................56

1. Introduction ........................................................................................56

2. Seed germination ...............................................................................57

3. Cell wall structure and composition...............................................60

4. Concluding remarks ..........................................................................72

Acknowledgements ...........................................................................75

Chapter 5 Sequencing of Non-model Plants for Understanding the

Physiological Responses in Plants........................................................83

Abstract ................................................................................................83

1. Introduction ........................................................................................84

2. Non model plants as model for environmental adaptation .....85

3. Non model plants as source of industrial solutions ..................88

4. Perspectives for genome sequencing and genome information

from non-model plants to plant breeding.....................................90

5. Conclusions and prospects ..............................................................91

Acknowledgements ...........................................................................92

Chapter 6 Eveluation of the Quality of the Soil From Soil Physical-Hydrical

Indicators.....................................................................................................97

1. Introduction ........................................................................................97

2. Body .....................................................................................................98

3. Conclusions .......................................................................................108

Chapter 7 Introduction to Scientific Discipline Agrophysics — History and

Research Objects.....................................................................................113

1. Introduction........................................................................................113

2. History.................................................................................................114

3. Agrophysics in other countries......................................................118

4. Agrophysical conferences................................................................119

5. Agrophysical journals......................................................................120

6. Dictionaries and books, maps........................................................120

7. Data banks (soil probe bank).........................................................121

8. Agrophysics — European centre of excellence...........................121

9. Polish Society of Agrophysics........................................................122

10. Scientific Committee of Agrophysics of Polish Academy of

Sciences...............................................................................................123

11. Foundation for Development of Agrophysical Sciences

(FRNA)................................................................................................124

12. Prototype apparatus and investigation methods........................124

Chapter 8 Soil Physical Properties and Nitrous Oxide Emission from Agricultural Soils....................................................................................127

1. Introduction ......................................................................................127

2. Materials and methods....................................................................133

3. Results and discussion ...................................................................137

4. Conclusions........................................................................................150

Acknowledgements .........................................................................151

Chapter 9 Aquametry in Agrophysics...................................................................161

1. Introduction........................................................................................161

2. Measurement methods and equipment........................................165

3. Aquametry applications in agrophysics.......................................183

4. Summary.............................................................................................189

Chapter 10 Morphology, Physical and Chemical Characteristics of Mangrove Soil under Riverine and Marine Influence: A Case Study on Subaé River Basin, Bahia, Brazil.....................................................................196

Abstract ..............................................................................................196

1. Introduction ......................................................................................197

2. Study of case: mangrove soil contamination from lead processing

industry...............................................................................................203

3. Results and discussion.....................................................................207

4. Final remarks.....................................................................................223

Acknowledgements...........................................................................224

Citation......................................................................................................233

Index...........................................................................................................235

About Author

Kayden Kartan obtained his Ph.D. in Plant Physiology from Science Research University, Montreal. He has served as a Guest Lecturer at various universities across America and Europe. He has written several articles and journals related to horticulture, plant science, biochemistry and biotechnology. He is actively engaged in the researches focused on plant physiology, plant genetics and crop rotation. He also serves on the editorial board of two renowned international journals in the field of agronomy. Kartan consistently shares his knowledge with the researcher fraternity by organizing lectures and conferences.