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| Preface | |
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| Soil Composition and Importance | |
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| Preview and Important Facts | |
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| What Is Soil? | |
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| Components of Soil | |
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| Historical Perspectives | |
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| Soil--A Precious Resource | |
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| Soil Quality | |
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| Questions | |
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| For Further Study | |
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| Soil Physical Properties | |
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| Preview and Important Facts | |
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| Soil Texture | |
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| Rock Fragments | |
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| Soil Structure | |
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| Bulk Density | |
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| Soil Porosity and Permeability | |
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| Soil Air | |
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| Consistence (Strength) | |
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| Soil Color | |
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| Soil Temperature | |
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| Soil Physical Properties and Engineering | |
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| Questions | |
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| For Further Study | |
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| Soil Water Properties | |
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| Preview and Important Facts | |
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| Water Chemistry | |
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| Soil Water Content | |
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| Soil Water Potential and Availability | |
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| Soils as Water Reservoirs | |
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| Methods of Determining Water Content or Potential | |
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| Water Flow into and through Soils | |
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| Water Uptake by Plants | |
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| Consumptive Use and Water Efficiency | |
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| Reducing Water Loss | |
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| Questions | |
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| For Further Study | |
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| Soil Chemical Properties | |
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| Preview and Important Facts | |
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| Soil Clays | |
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| Organic Colloids (Humus) | |
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| Cation Exchange | |
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| Anion Exchange and Adsorption | |
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| Soil pH | |
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| Equilibrium, Buffering, and Other Principles | |
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| Questions | |
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| For Further Study | |
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| Organisms and Their Residues | |
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| Preview and Important Facts | |
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| Animalia: Rodents, Worms, and Insects | |
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| Plantae: Plants | |
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| Fungi: Molds, Mushrooms, and Mycorrhizae | |
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| Protista | |
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| Monera: Bacteria | |
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| Soil Viruses and Viroids | |
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| Conditions for Microbial Activity | |
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| Composition of Organic Matter | |
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| Decomposition of Organic Matter | |
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| Effects of Soil Organic Matter | |
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| Organic Waste Materials | |
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| Low-Input Sustainable Agriculture and Organic Farming | |
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| Questions | |
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| For Further Study | |
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| Soil Formation and Morphology | |
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| Preview and Important Facts | |
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| Weathering of Soil Minerals | |
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| Soil Formation: Building a Matrix for Living Organisms | |
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| Soil-Forming Factors | |
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| Landforms and Soil Development | |
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| Morphology of Soil Horizons | |
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| Diagnostic Horizons | |
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| Degradation of Soils | |
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| Soil Individuals and Mapping Units | |
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| Geographical Information Systems | |
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| Global Positioning Systems | |
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| Questions | |
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| For Further Study | |
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| Soil Taxonomy | |
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| Preview and Important Facts | |
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| U.S. System of Soil Taxonomy | |
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| Constructing Taxonomic Names | |
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| Soil Moisture and Temperature Regimes | |
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| Additional Terminology for Family Groupings | |
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| Distribution of Soil Orders | |
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| Soil Order: Gelisols (Soils with Permafrost) | |
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| Soil Order: Histosols (Organic Soils) | |
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| Soil Order: Entisols (Soils with Little or no Horizon Development) | |
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| Soil Order: Inceptisols (Soils with Weak Horizon Development) | |
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| Soil Order: Andisols (Young Volcanic Soils) | |
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| Soil Order: Aridisols (Desert Soils) | |
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| Soil Order: Mollisols (Prairie Soils) | |
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| Soil Order: Vertisols (Shrink-Swell Clays) | |
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| Soil Order: Alfisols (Fertile Soils with Subsoil Clay) | |
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| Soil Order: Spodosols (Soils with Humus under Sand) | |
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| Soil Order: Ultisols (Highly Leached Soils with Subsoil Clay) | |
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| Soil Order: Oxisols (Highly Oxidized Soils) | |
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| Other Soil Classification Systems | |
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| Questions | |
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| For Further Study | |
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| Acidic Soils | |
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| Preview and Important Facts | |
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| Why Some Soils Are Acidic | |
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| Ecological Relation of Soil Acidity | |
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| Composition of Lime | |
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| Reactions of Lime Added to Acidic Soils | |
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| Crops, Lime, and Soil | |
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| Acidifying Soils | |
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| Questions | |
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| For Further Study | |
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| Salt-Affected Soils | |
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| Preview and Important Facts | |
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| Soluble Salts and Plant Growth | |
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| Saline and Sodic Soils | |
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| The Salt Problem and Salt Balance | |
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| Reclaiming Salty Soils | |
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| Managing Salty Soils | |
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| What Makes Plants Salt Tolerant? | |
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| Monitoring Salts in the Field | |
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| Questions | |
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| For Further Study | |
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| Plant Nutrients: Nitrogen, Phosphorus, and Potassium | |
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| Preview and Important Facts | |
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| Essential Elements | |
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| Mechanisms of Nutrient Uptake | |
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| Soil Nitrogen Gains and Transformations | |
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| Nitrogen Losses from the System | |
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| Nitrogen Balance | |
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| Materials Supplying Nitrogen | |
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| Soil Phosphorus | |
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| The Phosphorus Problem | |
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| Managing Soil Phosphorus | |
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| Materials Supplying Phosphorus | |
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| Soil Potassium | |
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| Questions | |
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| For Further Study | |
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| Calcium, Magnesium, Sulfur, and Micronutrients | |
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| Preview and Important Facts | |
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| Soil Calcium | |
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| Soil Magnesium | |
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| Soil Sulfur | |
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| Soil Micronutrients | |
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| Soil Boron | |
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| Soil Iron | |
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| Soil Zinc | |
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| Soil Manganese | |
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| Soil Copper | |
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| Soil Molybdenum | |
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| Soil Chloride | |
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| Beneficial Elements | |
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| Questions | |
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| For Further Study | |
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| Soil Fertility Management | |
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| Preview and Important Facts | |
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| Goals and Concerns in Fertility Management | |
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| Soil Sampling | |
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| Soil Tests and Recommendations | |
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| Analysis of Plants | |
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| Fertilizer Recommendations | |
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| Fertilizer Guarantee (Grade) | |
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| Fertilizer Calculations | |
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| Techniques of Fertilizer Application | |
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| Fertilizer Efficiency | |
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| Livestock Manure as Fertilizer | |
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| Precision Agriculture | |
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| Questions | |
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| For Further Study | |
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| Tillage Systems and Alternatives | |
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| Preview and Important Facts | |
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| Purposes for Tillage | |
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| Tillage Terminology | |
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| Understanding Tillage Alternatives | |
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| Tillage and Environmental Sustainability | |
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| Which Tillage System Is Best? | |
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| Questions | |
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| For Further Study | |
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| Soil Erosion | |
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| Preview and Important Facts | |
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| The Soil Erosion Problem | |
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| Nature of Water Erosion | |
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| Factors Affecting Erosion by Water | |
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| Erosion Tolerance | |
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| Water Erosion Control | |
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| Nature of Wind Erosion | |
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| Factors Affecting Erosion by Wind | |
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| Wind-Erosion Control | |
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| Questions | |
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| For Further Study | |
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| Water Resources and Irrigation | |
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| Preview and Important Facts | |
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| Water Resources for Irrigation | |
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| Irrigation Water Quality | |
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| Meeting Water Needs of Plants | |
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| Methods of Applying Water | |
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| Special Irrigation Techniques | |
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| Irrigating Efficiently | |
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| Increasing Water Supplies | |
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| Questions | |
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| For Further Study | |
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| Wetlands and Land Drainage | |
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| Preview and Important Facts | |
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| Wetlands Trends and Laws | |
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| Wetlands Characteristics | |
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| Functions of Wetlands | |
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| Drainage to Improve Soil Conditions | |
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| Drainage Pros and Cons | |
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| Drainage System Selection | |
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| Surface Drainage Systems | |
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| Subsurface Drainage Systems | |
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| Questions | |
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| For Further Study | |
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| Pollution of Soil, Water, and Air | |
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| Preview and Important Facts | |
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| Threats to the Environment | |
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| Pollution Terminology | |
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| Plant Nutrients | |
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| Organic Wastes | |
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| Pesticides | |
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| Heavy Metals | |
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| Natural Toxins | |
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| Particulates and Gases | |
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| Radionuclides | |
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| Soluble Salts | |
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| Soil Sediments as Pollutants | |
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| Questions | |
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| For Further Study | |
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| Toward Environmental Integrity | |
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| Preview and Important Facts | |
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| Environmental Laws | |
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| Best Management Practices | |
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| Managing Organic Wastes | |
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| Reducing Pesticide Contamination | |
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| Improving Air and Water Quality | |
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| Improving Soil Quality | |
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| Remediation of Contaminated Soil | |
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| Questions | |
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| For Further Study | |
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| Soil Surveys and Land-Use Planning | |
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| Preview and Important Facts | |
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| Conducting a Soil Survey | |
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| Soil Survey Reports | |
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| Electronic Databases for Soils | |
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| Special Soil Designations | |
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| Land Evaluation | |
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| Data Interpretations for Soil Uses | |
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| Controls in Land-Use Planning | |
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| Questions | |
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| For Further Study | |
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| Greenhouse Soils and Soilless Culture | |
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| Preview and Important Facts | |
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| Root Media | |
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| Root Media Mixes | |
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| Pasteurization of Media | |
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| Watering | |
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| Fertilization | |
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| Soil and Tissue Testing | |
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| Hydroponics: Solution Culture | |
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| Questions | |
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| For Further Study | |
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| Appendix A | |
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| Appendix B | |
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| Glossary | |
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| Index | |