Ebook: Soil Quality, Sustainable Agriculture and Environmental Security in Central and Eastern Europe

Agriculture is a crucial component of the economies of many of the countries in transition from a centrally-planned to a market economy and the sector is by no means immune to the environmental and socioeconomic problems confronting the countries as a whole. The concept of sustainable development provides a convenient framework for the formulation of government environmental policy for such countries, especially those of them that aspire to join the EU and would thus be expected to meet EU environmental standards. For agriculture, this inevitably involves appropriate strategies for balancing crop and animal production while protecting the quality of the national soil and water resources. There is thus an urgent need to compile, exchange and evaluate current information on the quality of soils in these countries, and to assess the potential impact of new management practices on the soil and on the wider environment.

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Agriculture is a crucial component of the economies of many of the countries in transition from a centrally-planned to a market economy and the sector is by no means immune to the environmental and socioeconomic problems confronting the countries as a whole. The concept of sustainable development provides a convenient framework for the formulation of government environmental policy for such countries, especially those of them that aspire to join the EU and would thus be expected to meet EU environmental standards. For agriculture, this inevitably involves appropriate strategies for balancing crop and animal production while protecting the quality of the national soil and water resources. There is thus an urgent need to compile, exchange and evaluate current information on the quality of soils in these countries, and to assess the potential impact of new management practices on the soil and on the wider environment.

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Agriculture is a crucial component of the economies of many of the countries in transition from a centrally-planned to a market economy and the sector is by no means immune to the environmental and socioeconomic problems confronting the countries as a whole. The concept of sustainable development provides a convenient framework for the formulation of government environmental policy for such countries, especially those of them that aspire to join the EU and would thus be expected to meet EU environmental standards. For agriculture, this inevitably involves appropriate strategies for balancing crop and animal production while protecting the quality of the national soil and water resources. There is thus an urgent need to compile, exchange and evaluate current information on the quality of soils in these countries, and to assess the potential impact of new management practices on the soil and on the wider environment.
Content:
Front Matter....Pages i-xv
Front Matter....Pages 1-2
Soil, Sustainability and Security....Pages 3-16
Soil Quality in Relation to the Concepts of Multifunctionality and Sustainable Development....Pages 17-33
Front Matter....Pages 35-36
The Heavy Metals and Sulphur Status of Agricultural Soils in Poland....Pages 37-47
Organic Contaminants in Agricultural Soils in Central and East European Countries as Compared to West European Countries; Example of PAHs....Pages 49-60
Quality and Contamination of Agricultural Soils in Hungary as Indicated by Environmental Monitoring and Risk Assessment....Pages 61-77
Contamination and Degradation of Soils in the Czech Republic - Contemporary and Future State....Pages 79-86
The Present Status of the Soil Environment in Russia....Pages 87-95
Front Matter....Pages 97-100
Agro-Environmental Aspects of Land Disposal of Industrial Wastes....Pages 101-113
Long-Term Field Experiments and Implications for Soil Quality Assessment with Respect to Organic Contaminants....Pages 115-124
Organic Farming on Large Farms With Special Reference to Eastern Germany....Pages 125-138
Minimum Tillage Technology as an Alternative to Traditional Systems: Environmental Implications and Their Relevance to Poland and Other CEES....Pages 139-151
Soil Physical Quality and the Effects of Management....Pages 153-165
Herbicide Management to Maintain Environmental Quality....Pages 167-176
Controlling Animal Waste Management in Denmark as Related to Soil and Water Quality....Pages 177-187
The Use of Soil Data to Predict Environmental Sensitivity to Pollution....Pages 189-206
Front Matter....Pages 207-210
Impact of Management Practices on Soil Quality in Cee Countries with Particular Reference to Poland....Pages 211-226
Application of Sludges for Remediation of Contaminated Soil Environment....Pages 227-242
Past, Present and Future Status of N-Fertilization Policies in Hungary....Pages 243-252
Soil Tillage Systems Applied in Russia to Prevent Soil Erosion and Degradation....Pages 253-257
A Mechanism for the Self-Regulation of Fertility in Ukrainian Chernozems....Pages 259-266
Front Matter....Pages 207-210
Conservation Non-Plough Systems of Crop Production in Ukraine with Increased Reproduction of Soil Fertility....Pages 267-276
An Erosion Control System for Sustainable Land Use in a Lithuanian Catchment....Pages 277-283
Rehabilitation of Acid Soils in Lithuania by Liming and Long Term Manurial Treatment....Pages 285-291
Interacting Effects of Liming, Fertilization and Plant Breeding in Some Lithuanian Soils in Relation to Environmental Protection....Pages 293-299
Front Matter....Pages 301-302
Appropriate Agricultural Policies to Sustain Agriculture in the Central and Eastern European Countries....Pages 303-316
Future of Polish Agriculture: Possibilities and Problems....Pages 317-324
Opportunities for Sustainable Agriculture in the CEECs with Particular Emphasis on Poland....Pages 325-333
Assessments of Environmental Policy Measures: A Farm Approach....Pages 335-346
Front Matter....Pages 347-349
Conclusions and Recommendations....Pages 347-349
Back Matter....Pages 351-375