ADVANCES IN AGRONOMY VOLUME 42 This Page Intentionally Left Blank ADVANCES IN AGRONOMY Prepared in Cooperation with the AMERICAN SOCIETY OF AGRONOMK VOLUME 42 Edited by N. C . BRADY Science and Technology Agency for International Development Department of State Washington, D . C . ADVISORY BOARD G. H. HEICHELR. J . KOHEL G . E. HAM E. L. KLEPPER R. H. FOLLEIT D. R. BUXTON E. S. HORNERJ . J. MORTVEDT N . L. TAYLORR. J. WAGENET R. D. HARTER ACADEMIC PRESS, INC. Harcourl Brace Jovanovich, Publishers San Diego New York Berkeley Boston London Sydney Tokyo Toronto COPYRIGHT 0 1989 BY ACADEMICPRESS, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. NO PART OF THIS PUBLICATION MAY BE REPRODUCED OR TRANSMI'ITED IN ANY FORM OR BY ANY MEANS, ELECTRONIC OR MECHANICAL, INCLUDING PHOTOCOPY, RECORDING, OR ANY INFORMATION STORAGE AND RETRIEVAL SYSTEM, WITHOUT PERMISSION IN WRITING FROM THE PUBLISHER. ACADEMIC PRESS, INC. San Diego, California 92101 United Kingdom Edirion published by ACADEMIC PRESS LIMITED 24-28 Oval Road, London NWI 7DX LIBRARYOF CONGRESS CATALOG CARD NUMBER: 50-5598 ISBN 0-12-000742-8 (alk. paper) PRINTED IN THE UNITE0 STATES OF AMERICA 8 9 9 0 9 1 9 2 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 CONTENTS CONTRIBUTORS. ...................................................... PREFACE............................................................. ix xi BIOLOGICAL EFFICIENCIES IN MULTIPLE-CROPPINGSYSTEMS Charles A. Francis I. 11. 111. IV. V. VI. Introduction .................................................... Importance of Multiple-Species Systems .......................... Efficiency of Resource Use by Multiple Species.. ................. Pest Management in Multiple-Cropping Systems. .................. Biological and Economic Stability of Cropping Systems. . . . . . . . . . . . Future Applications for Multiple-Cropping Systems ................ References ..................................................... 1 4 7 17 25 35 36 SEED COATINGS AND TREATMENTS AND THEIR EFFECTS ON PLANT ESTABLISHMENT James M. Scott I. 11. 111. Introduction ................................ The Seed-Coating Process ....................................... Coatings to Facilitate Planting. . . . . . . . . . ........................................... IV. V . Protective Coatings. ......................... VI. Nutrient Coatings ............................................... VII. Herbicide Coatings ......................... .................................... VIII. Other Coatings.. . . . IX . Treatment Processes. ............................. ......................................... X. References ..................... ............. 44 48 53 55 57 61 70 71 73 75 77 CONSERVATION TILLAGE FOR SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE: TROPICS VERSUS TEMPERATE ENVIRONMENTS Rattan La1 1. 11. Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Conservation Tillage and Sustainable Agriculture .................. 86 89 vi CONTENTS I11 . Mulch and No-Till Farming for Different Ecological Environments ........................................ IV . Pros and Cons of the No-Till System: Tropics versus Temperate Zones ................................. V . Noninversion and Minimum Tillage .............................. VI . Subsoiling as Conservation Tillage ............................... VII . Conservation Tillage for Problem Soils ........................... VIII . Why Conservation Tillage? ...................................... IX . Environmental Pollution and Conservation Tillage ................. X . Th