This Encyclopedia of Agrophysics will provide up-to-date information on the physical properties and processes affecting the quality of the environment and plant production. It will be a "first-up" volume which will nicely complement the recently published Encyclopedia of Soil Science, (November 2007) which was published in the same series.
In a single authoritative volume a collection of about 250 informative articles and ca 400 glossary terms covering all aspects of agrophysics will be presented. The authors will be renowned specialists in various aspects in agrophysics from a wide variety of countries.
Agrophysics is important both for research and practical use not only in agriculture, but also in areas like environmental science, land reclamation, food processing etc.
Agrophysics is a relatively new interdisciplinary field closely related to Agrochemistry, Agrobiology, Agroclimatology and Agroecology. Nowadays it has been fully accepted as an agricultural and environmental discipline. As such this Encyclopedia volume will be an indispensable working tool for scientists and practitioners from different disciplines, like agriculture, soil science, geosciences, environmental science, geography, and engineering.
About the Author: Em. Prof. Jan Glinski, soil scientist, is a full member of the Polish Academy of Sciences. He was Director of the Institute of Agrophysics in Lublin from 1982 to 2003. He was one of the initiators and an active promoter of scientific cooperation between many universities and institutes in Poland and abroad, and organized many international conferences on agrophysics. He has been a member of the ISSS since 1961 and was vice-chairman of the Commission I (Soil Physics) of the ISSS in the period1986-1990. He is the author or co-author of numerous papers, books, monographs, patents and multilingual dictionaries in the field of agrophysics. He participated actively in eight World ISSS Congresses (1960, 1964, 1974, 1978, 1986, 1990, 1994, and 1998). He serves as the Editor-in-Chief of the journal International Agrophysics (since 1992).
Jozef Horabik is Director of the Institute of Agrophysics, Polish Academy of Sciences, in Lublin, Poland. He holds a M.Sc. degree in physics, a Ph.D. in agricultural engineering, and is a professor of agronomy. He is the Editor-in-Chief of Acta Agrophysica, an Associate Editor of International Agrophysics, and a member of the Editorial Board of the Polish Journal of Soil Science. He works together with over 20 scientific institutions in Poland and abroad. Over 260 scientific publications have been published to which he has contributed. His scientific interests are: applied physics, agrophysics, physical properties of agromaterials, modelling of mechanics of granular solids and food powders.
Jerzy Lipiec is a Professor of Soil Science and Plant Relations at the Institute of Agrophysics of the Polish Academy of Sciences in Lublin, Poland. He received his M.Sc. (1969), Ph.D. (1977) and D.Sc. (1983) in Soil Science from the Agricultural University of Lublin. He contributed widely in research activities in various European countries, Japan, US and international projects. He serves on the advisory boards of several scientific journals and has published over 250 scientific papers. He is author or co-author of several chapters in books, including works as Soil Physical Conditions and Plant Roots (CRC Press).
