Dear Colleagues,

Modern horticulture depends heavily on the external supply of mineral nutrients in the form of synthetic fertilizers, derived from extracted resources. The massive use of synthetic fertilizers has for several years been associated with a vision of agricultural modernization aimed at drastically increasing food production to alleviate hunger globally. The attempt to "industrialize" agricultural systems, in particular horticultural production, has entailed a very high cost for the environment, and human health, as well as a degradation of planetary conditions. In this non-reassuring scenario, both solid and liquid organic fertilizers can act as a transition element toward sustainable low-input agriculture. On the one hand, they improve the chemical-physical and biological properties of the soil ensuring better horticultural productions. On the other hand, they require microbial degradation processes to mineralize the nutritional content and are therefore characterized as slow-release fertilizers. However, organic fertilizers can also be a potential source of environmental pollution. There is growing evidence that organic fertilizers can have high concentrations of trace metals such as Cr, Ni, Cu, Zn, As, Cd and Pb, contaminants of emerging concern or microplastics. Furthermore, the use of organic fertilizers in open fields or greenhouses could be integrated with new precision farming practices to ensure a stable and economically sufficient yield. The Special Issue is open to manuscripts that aim to share any knowledge on the use of organic fertilizers in horticulture to improve food production and environmental sustainability.

Dr. Francesco De Mastro
Dr. Gennaro Brunetti
Dr. Karam Farrag
Dr. Huadong Zang
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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• organic farming
• sustainable horticulture
• greenhouse horticulture
• precision farming
• compost
• biochar
• soil pollutions
• contaminants of emerging concern
• microplastics
• heavy metals
• waste management
• soil quality