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Agriculture
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Feature Review in Agricultural Soils—Intensification of Soil Health
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Feature Review in Agricultural Soils—Intensification of Soil Health

A special issue of Agriculture (ISSN 2077-0472). This special issue belongs to the section "Agricultural Soils".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 October 2024 | Viewed by 3696

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Ryusuke Hatano

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Research Faculty of Agriculture, Hokkaido University, Sapporo 060-8589, Japan
Interests: organic matter management to enable soil carbon storage and improved crop productivity; appropriate land use management of peatlands
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Rosa Francaviglia

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Council for Agricultural Research and Economics, Research Centre for Agriculture and Environment, 00184 Rome, Italy
Interests: soil organic carbon content; soil fertility; soil biodiversity; land-use/land-cover change; SOC simulation models
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The section of Agricultural Soils was established in 2019. To date, this section has published 399 peer-reviewed papers. Currently, agricultural soils hold an important role not only for food production but also for environmental conservation. In the 21st century, farmland area and crop productivity have increased significantly, mainly due to agricultural expansion in Africa and South America. However, half of the new cropland replaced by natural vegetation and trees is inconsistent with the sustainability goal of protecting terrestrial ecosystems. Especially important, drained organic soils are recognized as a significant source of greenhouse gas emissions. The intensification of soil health in farmland, which ensures increased crop productivity, enhanced ecosystem resilience, and reduced environmental load, is key to obtain balanced agricultural and natural ecosystems. Therefore, this Special Issue, “Feature Review in Agricultural Soils—Intensification of Soil Health” has been set up with the aim of exploring the aforementioned topics. Comprehensive reviews about agricultural management practices that contribute to maintaining the health of regional agricultural soils will be published. Contributions to this Special Issue are only accepted from the editorial board and scientists invited by the editorial board.

Prof. Dr. Ryusuke Hatano
Dr. Rosa Francaviglia
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Agriculture is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • carbon cycle
  • climate smart agriculture
  • ecosystem services
  • greenhouse gas emissions
  • land use change
  • nitrogen cycle
  • regenerative agriculture
  • soil erosion
  • soil carbon sequestration
  • soil health
  • water pollution

Published Papers (2 papers)

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25 pages, 1240 KiB  
Review
Challenges in Sustainable Agriculture—The Role of Organic Amendments
by Manuel Matisic, Ivan Dugan and Igor Bogunovic
Agriculture 2024, 14(4), 643; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture14040643 - 22 Apr 2024
Viewed by 395
Abstract
Soil degradation threatens global food security and environmental sustainability, necessitating effective soil management strategies. This review comprehensively examines the impact of organic soil amendments on soil quality and productivity across various soil types and climatic conditions. A review of significant research related to [...] Read more.
Soil degradation threatens global food security and environmental sustainability, necessitating effective soil management strategies. This review comprehensively examines the impact of organic soil amendments on soil quality and productivity across various soil types and climatic conditions. A review of significant research related to organic amendments was performed using encompassed data from online search engines for studies published up until 31 December 2023. Despite their heterogeneity and use of varying methodologies, the data were narratively synthesized, providing a comprehensive understanding of amendment-induced changes in the chemical and physical properties of soil and the effectiveness of restoration on soil degradation. Organic amendments, including compost, vermicompost, biochar, and pomace, are pivotal in enhancing soil quality by increasing soil organic matter content, fostering aggregate formation, and improving soil structure in the short term. They positively influence water retention capacity, pH levels, nutrient availability, and carbon sequestration. In several studies, amendment-induced changes were absent, indicating that the effects of amendments vary depending on soil texture, application rates, and cropping systems, which emphasizes the need for tailored, sustainable soil management practices. This study concludes that organic amendments are a promising option for structure improvement and organic matter accumulation. It further suggests that an approach that integrates various methods is essential in order to meet desirable soil quality and retain agricultural productivity and offers valuable insights and recommendations for policymakers, practitioners, and researchers. Organic amendments can improve soil ecosystem services and contribute to climate change adaptation. In the future, more attention should be directed to tillage management and soil amendment interaction, as well as their effectiveness over specific periods of time. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Feature Review in Agricultural Soils—Intensification of Soil Health)
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28 pages, 4471 KiB  
Review
Relationship among Soil Biophysicochemical Properties, Agricultural Practices and Climate Factors Influencing Soil Phosphatase Activity in Agricultural Land
by Patrícia Campdelacreu Rocabruna, Xavier Domene, Catherine Preece and Josep Peñuelas
Agriculture 2024, 14(2), 288; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture14020288 - 10 Feb 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1556
Abstract
Phosphorus (P) is a vital macronutrient crucial for crop productivity. Plants absorb P salts, mainly orthophosphate, from the soil, yet the primary P source resides in organic materials. Acid and alkaline phosphatases (the predominant forms of soil phosphomonoesterases (APases)) are crucial for alleviating [...] Read more.
Phosphorus (P) is a vital macronutrient crucial for crop productivity. Plants absorb P salts, mainly orthophosphate, from the soil, yet the primary P source resides in organic materials. Acid and alkaline phosphatases (the predominant forms of soil phosphomonoesterases (APases)) are crucial for alleviating P deficiency in plants and play a vital role in releasing P from organic materials via hydrolysis. Our aim was to summarize the direction of the relationship between a variety of influential factors on acid and alkaline phosphatase activity in agricultural lands and identify gaps in knowledge. Our findings indicate a strong linkage between both APases and soil pH, positively influenced by clay content, organic matter, microbial biomass carbon, and nitrogen. Adopting healthy soil practices like balanced organic fertilizer usage, optimal soil water levels, reduced tillage, crop rotation, and using beneficial plant microbes help boost both APase activity. However, the connection between APases and crop productivity remains uncertain due to insufficient research in this area. We identified gaps in knowledge in relation to meso-macrofauna, alongside essential plant nutrients such as potassium, nutrient ratios, and the synergistic effects of various factors on APase response. Understanding the rapid, efficient assimilation of P through APases in the plant-soil and/or plant-microbiota ecosystem it can be crucial for crop productivity and yields. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Feature Review in Agricultural Soils—Intensification of Soil Health)
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