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Horticulturae
Special Issues
Sustainable Fertilization and Irrigation Management in Horticulture
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Sustainable Fertilization and Irrigation Management in Horticulture

A special issue of Horticulturae (ISSN 2311-7524). This special issue belongs to the section "Plant Nutrition".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (26 April 2024) | Viewed by 9362

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Tongyin Li

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Plant and Soil Sciences, Mississippi State University, Mississippi State, MS 39762, USA
Interests: edible crop production; sustainable alternatives; season extension; fertilization; irrigation management
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Guihong Bi

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Plant and Soil Sciences, Mississippi State University, Mississippi State, MS 39762, USA
Interests: water and nutrient management; sustainable practices; season extension; specialty crops
Dr. Qianwen Zhang

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Texas A&M AgriLife Research, 17360 Coit Road, Dallas, TX 75252, USA
Interests: plant science; analytical chemistry; microbiology; food science; sustainable agriculture
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Sustainable fertilization and irrigation management has always been a critical issue in intensive horticultural production. The use of sustainable alternatives or season extension tools is being investigated to reduce production input, increase productivity, and mitigate environmental impacts. Optimal fertilization and irrigation practices need to be adapted to specific production settings, including field production, container production, plasticulture, soilless culture, protected production in greenhouse, or high tunnels.

The purpose of this Special Issue titled “Sustainable Fertilization and Irrigation Management in Horticulture” is to present the latest advancements in sustainable fertilization and irrigation management in the production of horticultural crops including fruits, vegetables, medicinals, and ornamentals in various production systems.

Dr. Tongyin Li
Dr. Guihong Bi
Dr. Qianwen Zhang
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. Horticulturae 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 2200 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

  • edible crop
  • medicinal crops
  • nursery production
  • sustainable alternative
  • season extension
  • biofertilizer
  • soilless substrate
  • plasticulture
  • container production
  • irrigation management

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Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

13 pages, 2142 KiB  
Article
Synergizing Sustainability: Integrated Nutrient Management and Intercropping for Optimal Coconut Cultivation in South India
by Arumugam Selva Rani, Sundararaj Subbulakshmi, Ramasamy Sudha, Kumaresan Kavitha, Shahul Hameed Nazreen Hassan, Murugiah Muthulakshmi, Kannan Sivagamy and Samuel Suresh
Horticulturae 2024, 10(6), 653; https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae10060653 - 19 Jun 2024
Viewed by 1247
Abstract
The study highlights the importance of integrating organic resources, such as vermicompost and biofertilizers with inorganic fertilizers to sustain coconut yields and manage costs. The experimental trial was conducted from 2016 to 2020 in a 47-year-old East Coast Tall coconut garden at Coconut [...] Read more.
The study highlights the importance of integrating organic resources, such as vermicompost and biofertilizers with inorganic fertilizers to sustain coconut yields and manage costs. The experimental trial was conducted from 2016 to 2020 in a 47-year-old East Coast Tall coconut garden at Coconut Research Station in South India. The research evaluated four nutrient management treatments viz., T1 (75% Recommended Dose of Fertilizer (RDF) + 25% N organic), T2 (50% RDF + 50% N organic), T3 (100% N organic) and a control (100% RDF). Intercrops included black pepper (Piper nigrum), banana (Musa acuminata) and cocoa (Theobroma cacao). Organic manure significantly improved soil physical properties, water retention and overall soil health. The T2 treatment achieved the highest yields for coconut, cocoa, banana and black pepper. The added soil health parameters supported to these findings, with T2 showing the highest fungal (15.27 × 103 cfu/g of soil) and bacterial populations (17.25 × 105 cfu/g of soil), along with a significant earthworm population (26/m2), indicating enhanced soil ecosystem health. Additionally, soil moisture content was highest under T3 (100% organic) across various depths, followed by T2, highlighting the critical role of organic matter in improving soil moisture conservation. The economic feasibility analysis, including a net present value (NPV), benefit/cost ratio (B/C ratio) and an internal rate of return (IRR), revealed T2 to be the most economically viable nutrient management strategy. This study highlights the economic benefits of intercropping coconuts using an integrated nutrient management (INM) approach, demonstrating its superiority over traditional monocropping practices. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Fertilization and Irrigation Management in Horticulture)
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19 pages, 1421 KiB  
Article
Macronutrient Fertilization and Cadmium Absorption in Two Cocoa Clones
by Juan J. Reyes-Pérez, Roger A. Pincay-Ganchozo, Manuel D. Carrillo-Zenteno, Víctor Reynel, Karina Peña-Salazar and Wilmer Tezara
Horticulturae 2023, 9(11), 1223; https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae9111223 - 12 Nov 2023
Viewed by 1670
Abstract
Soil Cd is absorbed by roots and accumulated in cocoa plants, which represents a problem in the commercialization of beans. In order to evaluate whether the exogenous application of macronutrients (N, N-P, N-P-K, N-P-K-S, N-P-K-S-Mg, and N-P-K-S-Mg-Ca) mitigates the absorption, translocation, and accumulation [...] Read more.
Soil Cd is absorbed by roots and accumulated in cocoa plants, which represents a problem in the commercialization of beans. In order to evaluate whether the exogenous application of macronutrients (N, N-P, N-P-K, N-P-K-S, N-P-K-S-Mg, and N-P-K-S-Mg-Ca) mitigates the absorption, translocation, and accumulation of Cd in plants, soil pH and electric conductivity, dry root and shoot biomass, leaf gas exchange, chlorophyll content, and macronutrient bioaccumulation were evaluated in two cocoa clones (CCN-51 and EET-103) grown in a greenhouse. An increase in macronutrients gradually increased the extraction capacity of Cd in both clones, with the highest Cd values being obtained with the application of N-P-K-S-Mg-Ca. Macronutrient fertilization did not affect leaf gas exchange; however, it caused significant reductions of 30, 40, and 60% in chlorophyll content, shoot, and root dry biomass, respectively. The greatest translocation of Cd from the root to the shoot was obtained with treatments that included N in clone EET-103 and Ca in clone CCN-51. Fertilization with macronutrients did not decrease the absorption and accumulation of Cd in the cocoa seedlings, because a greater removal force of Cd from the adsorption complex towards the soil solution was caused by the exogenous application of Ca and Mg and an increase in soil acidity. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Fertilization and Irrigation Management in Horticulture)
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12 pages, 991 KiB  
Article
The Effect of Potassium–Nitrogen Balance on the Yield and Quality of Strawberries Grown under Soilless Conditions
by Amal Nakro, Ahmed Bamouh, Hajar Bouslama, Alberto San Bautista and Lamiae Ghaouti
Horticulturae 2023, 9(3), 304; https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae9030304 - 23 Feb 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 3764
Abstract
This research aims to evaluate the effect of the potassium–nitrogen balance on strawberry productivity and quality parameters in soilless conditions. A trial was conducted at the Agronomic and Veterinary Hassan II Institute glasshouse in Rabat, during the 2018–2019 crop year. The pot experiment [...] Read more.
This research aims to evaluate the effect of the potassium–nitrogen balance on strawberry productivity and quality parameters in soilless conditions. A trial was conducted at the Agronomic and Veterinary Hassan II Institute glasshouse in Rabat, during the 2018–2019 crop year. The pot experiment began on November 13 using three different strawberry cultivars: Fortuna, San Andreas and Sabrina. Three nutrient solutions were tested by increasing the potassium–nitrogen balance during the growth stage and decreasing it during the fruit-production stage: S1 (1.3/2.0), S2 (2.6/1.0) and S3 (3.0/0.6). For all treatments, the total dose of fertilizing elements N, P, K, Ca and Mg was identical. The experimental design was a randomized complete block with three replications. The results show that strawberry plants receiving a nutrient solution with a high K:N balance during the growth period and a low balance during the production period present the higher growth and fruit levels. Moreover, the nutrient solution with the 2.6/1.0 balance significantly increased the chlorophyll index by 8%, yield by 30% (7.9 t ha−1), total soluble solids and dry matter content by 14% and 15%, respectively, and improved taste and fruit shelf-life by 10% and 19%, respectively. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Fertilization and Irrigation Management in Horticulture)
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13 pages, 926 KiB  
Article
Nitrogen Fertilization Improves Growth and Bioactive Compound Content for Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge
by Zhiheng Xing, Guihong Bi, Tongyin Li, Qianwen Zhang and Patricia R. Knight
Horticulturae 2023, 9(2), 254; https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae9020254 - 13 Feb 2023
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1665
Abstract
Salvia miltiorrhiza B., an herb used in traditional Chinese medicine, has been widely used to prevent and treat cardiovascular and other diseases. Currently, the majority of medicinal plants used in the US are imported from foreign countries, which involves transportation, quality control, and [...] Read more.
Salvia miltiorrhiza B., an herb used in traditional Chinese medicine, has been widely used to prevent and treat cardiovascular and other diseases. Currently, the majority of medicinal plants used in the US are imported from foreign countries, which involves transportation, quality control, and other issues. The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of nitrogen fertilization on growth and content of tanshinone I, tanshinone IIA, cryptotanshinone, and salvianolic acid B for Salvia miltiorrhiza B. in Mississippi. Plants were fertilized with one of five nitrogen (N) rates (0, 2, 4, 6, or 8 g N/plant from NH4NO3). Plants were harvested in November 2020 and 2021. Plants treated with 8 g N had higher plant growth index, leaf SPAD value, shoot and root number, shoot and root weight, maximum root length and diameter, shoot: root ratio, N concentration in root, and content of bioactive components compared to plants treated with 0, 2, 4 g N. Plants receiving 6 g N had similar shoot number, maximum root length, maximum root diameter, root weight and content of bioactive components compared to plants receiving 8 g N. However, plants receiving 6 g N had higher photosynthetic activity compared to plants receiving the higher N rate. Higher N rates increased plant growth and content of tested bioactive compounds. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Fertilization and Irrigation Management in Horticulture)
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