Plant Nutrients in Desert Environments: (Adaptations of Desert Organisms)

Plant nutrients are found in a relatively thin layer of soil materials which cover all of the continents. These nutrients provide the necessary food, clothing and shelter for human existence. As the population of the world increases, the plant nutrients in desert environments become more and more important for the survival of mankind. This study identifies the common plant nutrients present in deserts, and describes how to effectively utilize them in commercial agriculture, home gardening, home landscaping, and for land reclamation and recreational purposes.

Table of Contents:
1 Introduction.- 2 Plant Nutrients.- 2.1 Essential Plant Nutrient Elements.- 2.1.1 Major Elements.- 2.1.2 Minor Elements.- 2.2 Effects of Plant Nutrient Elements on Plants.- 2.2.1 Nitrogen.- 2.2.2 Phosphorus.- 2.2.3 Potassium.- 2.2.4 Minor Elements.- 3 Soil Materials.- 4 Organic Soil Materials.- 4.1 Functions.- 4.2 Composition.- 4.3 Sources.- 4.4 Management.- 4.5 Maintenance.- 5 Soil Moisture.- 5.1 Field Capacity.- 5.2 Permanent-Wilting Percentage.- 5.3 Movement of Water.- 5.3.1 Gravitational Water.- 5.3.2 Capillary Water.- 5.3.3 Water Vapor.- 6 Soil Aeration.- 6.1 Composition of Soil Air.- 6.2 Soil Aeration and Plant Growth.- 7 Exchangeable Bases.- 7.1 Exchangeable Bases and Plant Nutrition.- 8 Soil Acidity.- 9 Soil Alkalinity.- 10 Nitrogen as a Plant Nutrient.- 10.1 Nitrogen in Soils.- 10.2 Nitrogen in Plants.- 10.3 Forms of Nitrogen Utilized by Plants.- 11 Phosphorus as a Plant Nutrient.- 11.1 Phosphorus in Soils.- 11.2 Phosphorus in Plants.- 11.3 Forms of Phosphorus Utilized by Plants.- 12 Potassium as a Plant Nutrient.- 12.1 Potassium in Soils.- 12.2 Potassium in Plants.- 13 Plant Nutrients in Desert Soils.- 13.1 Soils in the Yuma Subdesert.- 13.2 Man's Invasion.- 13.3 How Desert Soils Differ.- 13.4 Minerals in Soils.- 14 Soil Moisture in Desert Environments.- 14.1 Soil Moisture Quantity.- 14.2 Soil Moisture Quality.- 15 Plant Nutrients Required for Growth.- 15.1 Plant Nutrients.- 15.2 Essential Elements in Plant Nutrition.- 16 Plant Nutrients in Municipal Wastewater.- 16.1 Municipal Wastewater Treatment.- 16.2 Irrigation with Municipal Wastewater.- 16.2.1 Small Grains Pasture Forage.- 16.2.2 Hay from Small Grains.- 16.2.3 Grain from Small Grains.- 16.2.4 Hay from Alfalfa.- 16.2.5 Cotton.- 16.2.6 Bermuda Grass.- 16.2.7 Fertilizer Value of Municipal Wastewater.- 16.3 Future Prospects.- 17 Plant Nutrients in Sewage Sludge.- 17.1 Sewage Sludge Treatment.- 17.2 Plant Growth Factors in Sewage Sludge.- 17.3 Fertilization with Dry Sewage Sludge.- 17.3.1 Grass and Turf.- 17.3.2 Wheat.- 17.3.3 Differences in Wheat Cultivars.- 17.4 Fertilization with Liquid Sewage Sludge.- 17.4.1 Wheat.- 17.4.2 Response of Barley to Liquid Sewage Sludge Loading Rates.- 17.4.3 Cotton.- 17.4.4 Forest Land.- 17.4.5 Fertilizer Value.- 17.5 Future Prospects.- 18 Plant Growth in Desert Environments.- 18.1 The Dry Regions of the World.- 18.2 Climatic Factors Affect Plant Growth.- 18.3 Soil Fertility and Its Maintenance.- 18.4 Fertilizer Use in Dry Regions.- 18.5 Crop Introduction and Improvement.- 19 Urban Utilization of Plant Nutrients.- 19.1 Plants in the Living Environment to Lift the Spirits of Man.- 19.2 Home Gardens Reduce Food Costs, Landscape Homesteads, and Improve Neighborliness.- 19.3 City Parks, Golf Courses, and Recreation Areas.- 20 Plant Nutrients for Disturbed Land Reclamation.- 20.1 Classification of Disturbed Lands.- 20.2 Reclamation Purposes and Alternatives.- 20.3 Spoil Replacement and Revegetation Techniques.- 20.4 Coal Mine Reclamation in Desert Areas.- 20.5 Vegetation Adaptability.- 21 Desert Environments Offer an Outstanding Future Potential.- 21.1 Technology Unlocks Cropland Productivity.- 21.2 Future Agricultural Research.- 21.3 Gardening for Food and Fun.- 21.4 Living on a Few Acres.- 21.5 Desert Environments Attract People.- Glossary of Agronomic Terms.- References.- Figure Index.- Fig. 1. Commercial agriculture in the desert area in Colorado, USA.- Fig. 2. Mixed vegetables grown in a small farm garden.- Fig. 3. A sand dune complex at the foot of mountains in Sangre de Christo, Colorado, USA.- Fig. 4. Plowing under sorghum stubble with a seven- bottom moldboard plow.- Fig. 5. Furrow irrigation in Texas, USA.- Fig. 6. An earthworm and earthworm castings in a fertile organic soil.- Fig. 7. Orange trees in Florida, USA growing in a fertile sandy loam soil.- Fig. 8. Planting corn and applying commercial fertilizers and soil amendments in the USA.- Fig. 9. Alkaline soil deposits in a desert area in California, USA.- Fig. 10. A stunted ear of corn caused by an extreme soil nitrogen deficiency.- Fig. 11. Surface application of inorganic fertilizer in Arizona, USA.- Fig. 12. Potassium-deficient corn in the USA.- Fig. 13. Native vegetation in a desert area in Arizona, USA.- Fig. 14. The Rio Grande River in Texas, USA.- Fig. 15. Side-dressing corn with anhydrous ammonia nitrogen fertilizer in the USA.- Fig. 16. Beef cattle grazing on an irrigated pasture in a desert area in Colorado, USA.- Fig. 17. Injection of liquid municipal sewage sludge into agricultural soil in the USA.- Fig. 18. Young citrus trees growing in a desert area in Arizona, USA.- Fig. 19. An outstanding home in a desert area in California, USA.- Fig. 20. Copper mine tailings that have been contoured to prevent wind erosion in Arizona, USA.- Fig. 21. A irrigated family farm in a desert area in the southwestern USA.- Fig. 22. A modern city established in a desert environment in the southwestern USA.