The chief purpose of preparing this book was to condense all the information available on the subject of molybdenum (Mo) as it relates to soils, crops, and livestock. Because the problems related to the requirements for Mo in soil and in crop production differ considerably from one part of the world to another, I attempted to solicit the assistance of experts from the different regions of the world who were best suited to write about the topics of the various chapters. These contributions by authors from different geographical areas have helped to provide a broader viewpoint of the subject matter than would have been the case if only a single author had prepared the book in its entirety.

Molybdenum deficiencies in field-grown plants were first recorded in Australia more than 55 years ago. This book contains a chapter authored by two Australian scientists, Drs. Chris Johansen and Peter Kerridge, who have advanced our understanding of the responses of agricultural plants to Mo in Australia and elsewhere, particularly in tropical regions. Currently, they are senior research managers at international agricultural research institutes: ICRISAT in India and CIAT in Colombia, respectively.

This book reviews our current knowledge of the following topics: