Out of the Scientist's Garden: A Story of Water and FoodOut of the Scientist's Garden is written for anyone who wants to understand food and water a little better--for those growing vegetables in a garden, food in a subsistence plot or crops on vast irrigated plains. It is also for anyone who has never grown anything before but has wondered how we will feed a growing population in a world of shrinking resources. Although a practicing scientist in the field of water and agriculture, the author has written, in story form accessible to a wide audience, about the drama of how the world feeds itself. The book starts in his own fruit and vegetable garden, exploring the "how and why" questions about the way things grow, before moving on to stories about soil, rivers, aquifers and irrigation. The book closes with a brief history of agriculture, how the world feeds itself today and how to think through some of the big conundrums of modern food production. Features * Gives an in-depth understanding on how plants and soil work using stories more than the language of science. * It is not a "how to" book, but a framework over which to lay your own experience, to learn and reflect. * Information for gardeners on the challenge of growing food and feeding a family in the city * Covers plants, soil and rivers and the journey from hunter-gatherer to modern agriculture * Reflects on the way scientists conduct their craft * A book for anyone interested in food, how it is grown and how the world feeds itself |
Contents
The view from our garden | 1 |
A journey through soil | 63 |
Feeding ourselves | 125 |
Reflections in the scientists garden | 187 |
Chapter notes | 189 |
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Common terms and phrases
agriculture amount animals apply Australia average become beds better birds called carried chemicals cloth clover collected comes contains crops depth detector developed diseases early energy evaporation example experience farm farmers feed fertiliser field flavour front fruit garden give grass ground water grow grown growth half hard harvest idea increased irrigation keep land leaves less litres live look means measure moving mulch never nitrogen nutrients organic oval pests pick plants plough problem produce protect rain reach requirement river roots salt scale season seed seems side soil species spring started sugar summer surface things tomatoes trees turned varieties vegetables washing weeds week whole winter yield zone