Natural and Non-conventional Sources of Nitrogen for Plants

Dear Colleagues,

We invite you to send original scientific papers and review manuscripts containing research on the possibility of supplying plants with nitrogen from natural and unconventional sources. Nitrogen is a nutrient for plants that significantly affects the quantity and quality of harvested biomass. Agricultural systems based mainly on the supply of nitrogen from chemical fertilizers are highly productive but may significantly affect environmental pollution. The negative impact on the environment begins at the stage of production of these fertilizers. The rational use of chemical fertilizers combined with the use of natural and unconventional nitrogen sources can reduce this negative impact. We would like to pay particular attention to research on the possibility of the greater use of the process of molecular nitrogen fixation by symbiotic and free-living microorganisms, as well as on the use of nitrogen resources found in various organic or mineral-organic fertilizers and wastes. Moreover, improving the availability of nitrogen and limiting its dispersion in the environment can be achieved by using soil conditioners as innovative products used in the cultivation of horticultural, ornamental, nursery, and agricultural plants on arable land and grasslands.

This Special Issue of Agronomy endeavors to collect new achievements by researchers in the following areas:

• The fixation of molecular nitrogen by symbiotic microorganisms and the availability of this nitrogen pool for legumes;
• The fixation of molecular nitrogen by symbiotic microorganisms in intercropping system legumes and non-legume plants, as well as determining the availability of nitrogen from this source for both plants;
• The availability of nitrogen biologically fixed in symbiotic systems and remaining in the soil in the form of crop residues or green manures for subsequent plants;
• Increasing soil abundance and nitrogen availability for plants as a result of increasing the efficiency of the N₂ fixation process by free-living microorganisms;
• The use of organic and mineral–organic fertilizers and waste materials as sources of nitrogen for plants, as well as improving the NUE value;

Improving the availability of nutrients for plants and increasing tolerance to biotic and abiotic stresses as a result of the application of soil conditioners. 

Prof. Dr. Beata Wiśniewska-Kadżajan
Prof. Dr. Andrzej Wysokiński
Dr. Christos Noulas
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. Agronomy 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.

• nitrogen
• nitrogen fixation
• symbiotic microorganisms
• free-leaving microorganisms
• organic fertilizers
• organic wastes
• soil conditioners
• nitrogen use efficiency
• legumes
• grasses
• horticultural plants