1. Soil Composition and Importance -- 2. Soil Formation and Morphology -- 3. Soil Physical Properties -- 4. Soil Water Properties -- 5. Soil Colloids and Chemical Properties -- 6. Organisms and Their Residues -- 7. Soil Taxonomy -- 8. Acidic Soils and Their Management -- 9. Salt-Affected Soils and Their Reclamation -- 10. Nitrogen, Phosphorus, and Potassium -- 11. Calcium, Magnesium, Sulfur, and Micronutrients -- 12. Diagnosis of Soils and Plants -- 13. Fertilizer Management and Precision Agriculture -- 14. Tillage Systems and Alternatives -- 15. Soil Erosion -- 16. Water Resources and Irrigation -- 17. Wetlands and Land Drainage -- 18. Pollution of Water, Air, and Soils -- 19. Toward Environmental Integrity -- 20. Soil Surveys, Interpretations, and Land-Use Planning -- 21. Greenhouse Soils and Soilless Culture.

"The following important features are new to the eighth edition: over 60 full-color, captioned photos highlighting soil and plant features, including world rainfall and world evapotranspiration; a new introductory chapter providing historical perspective and a discussion of the use of computers by soil scientists; expanded coverage of environmental problems as related to agriculture; discussion of the technology of Geophysical Information Systems (GIS) and Global Positioning Systems (GPS); exploration of the concepts and methods of Precision (variable rate) Agriculture; a new chapter on Greenhouse Soils and Soilless Culture; vital information concerning wetlands; listing of the AASHTO (highway) and Unified engineering soil classification systems; and tabulation and comparison of the Food and Agriculture Division of the United Nations (FAO) with the U.S. map."--BOOK JACKET.