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Advances in Novel Biomaterials-Based Fertilizing Products and Bio-Fertilizers for Sustainable...
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Advances in Novel Biomaterials-Based Fertilizing Products and Bio-Fertilizers for Sustainable Agricultural Production

A special issue of Life (ISSN 2075-1729). This special issue belongs to the section "Plant Science".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 January 2025 | Viewed by 18536

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Hiba Shaghaleh

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
College of Environment, Hohai University, Nanjing 210098, China
Interests: soil and water remediation; soil pollution; biopolymers; nanomaterials; hydrogel applications in agriculture and food; fertilizers; crop and food quality; environmental safety
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Yousef Alhaj Hamoud

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
College of Hydrology and Water Resources, Hohai University, Nanjing 210098, China
Interests: soil; plant and water relations; plant abiotic stress; plant physiology; crop yield and quality; irrigation and water use; heavy metals; chemigation; fertigation and salinization of soil
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Tingting Chang

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
College of Agricultural Science and Engineering, Hohai University, Nanjing 210098, China
Interests: soil health and quality; soil remediation; land cover crops; manure/organic fertilizer/poultry litter; soil and water conservation; irrigation; drainage; soil amendment; crop production
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Chao Ma

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei 230036, China
Interests: soil ecoloy and health; soil fertility; soil microbial community assembly; straw returning; compost; agricultural resource utilization; microbial fertilizer, co-culture of rice and aquatic animals, crop yield and quality

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Soil protection, food security, and environmental sustainability are currently among the main critical issues faced by agriculture, which is adversely affected by the excessive and inefficient enlargement of fertilizer inputs. Further increases in chemical fertilizer consumption during agriculture production practices to increase crop yields has led to hazardous effects on the soil quality, environment, and subsequently, on human health. More than half of conventionally applied fertilizers, especially nitrogen and phosphorous fertilizers, are lost into the environment through atmospheric conversion, soil erosion, denitrification, and leaching, leading to severe environmental pollution and low fertilizer use efficiency. The best fertilizer formulations for sustainable agricultural production should allow for good soil health, sustaining productivity of food crops and natural resources, and efficient fertilizer delivery that precisely synchronizes with plant nutrient demands in proper quantity and optimal time. Therefore, the evolution of new environmentally friendly green technologies for fertility improvement becomes critically important.

Various fertilizer production technologies have been introduced to reduce fertilizers' application rate and increase agricultural productivity by immobilising, coating, or encapsulating into slow, controlled, sustained, and stimuli-responsive release fertilizer systems based on different novel natural/synthetic polymeric materials. Numerous novel fertilizing composite polymeric products, such as hydrogels, have proven positive effects that improve fertilizer use efficiency, minimise water/fertilizers inputs, and reduce environmental risk. However, many of these materials are complex, expensive, not fully degradable, and applied without considering the side effects.

Alternatively, sustainable fertilizer products based on degradable biomaterials for slow, controlled, and stimuli-responsive release of fertilizers offer cheaper, greener, and renewable options. They have been reviewed extensively for their efficiency in enhancing plant development and the sustainability of crop production. These materials can be functionalized in specific ways to improve their working quality and properties through various processes. For example, due to ample availability worldwide, biomasses are converted into the generated, micro-, or nano- derivative products of cellulose and lignin, an intensely researched resource for biomaterials.

 On the other hand, intensive accomplishments in bio-fertiliser production technologies have been widely presented to sustain agricultural production. These formulations are various types of viable biological substances containing living microbes with environmentally friendly nature that assist the plants in accessing the nutrients in the rhizosphere when applied to seed, plant surfaces, or soil, promoting plant growth by several mechanisms.

Despite proving their potential benefits, biomaterials-based fertilizers and biofertilizers still have very limited application in the actual situation. Therefore, it is necessary to promote and expand their application among farmers to obtain higher agricultural sustainability. This can be achieved by emphasising quality assurance for long-time potency intact, biodegradation property control, and commercial availability during their production process.

In light of the abovementioned context, this Special Issue aims to present articles on advances in fertilizer technology related to innovative fertilizer formulations based on biomaterials and biofertilizers, their production, characterization, properties, and activation mechanisms. Additionally, this Special Issue is expected to understand the beneficial function of these innovative fertilizer formulation treatments to improve the physical and chemical properties of the soil, plant morpho-physiological traits, metabolism, nutrients uptake, crop productivity and qualitative attributes. The results will enable new insights into synthesis processes and biomolecular interactions and help develop important applications for different food crops using environmentally friendly green technologies.

We invite experts and researchers to contribute with original research, reviews, and opinion pieces covering all topics related novel biomaterials-based fertilizing products and bio-fertilizers for sustainable agricultural systems. Authors are welcome to submit articles and reviews on the most important aspects of these biomaterials-based fertilizing products and bio-fertilizers aiming at sustaining agricultural productivity and improving soil quality under the challenge of food security and environmental sustainability.

Dr. Hiba Shaghaleh
Dr. Yousef Alhaj Hamoud
Dr. Tingting Chang
Dr. Chao Ma
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. Life 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

  • biomaterials and bio-nanomaterials
  • bio-based hydrogels and polymers
  • lignocellulosic biomass and its derivatives
  • sustainable agriculture
  • biodegradability
  • stimuli-responsive fertilizer delivery
  • controlled-release fertilizers
  • bio-synthesis processes and characterization
  • control/sustained fertilizer release mechanisms
  • biofertilizers
  • plant growth-promoting microbes
  • fertilizers’ use efficiency
  • plant physiology, productivity, and quality

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Published Papers (8 papers)

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Research

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16 pages, 2223 KiB  
Article
Devitalization of Bacteria in Composted Cattle Manure with Natural Additives and Risk for Environment
by Ingrid Mindžáková, Gabriela Gregová, Tatiana Szabóová, Naďa Sasáková and Ján Venglovský
Life 2024, 14(4), 490; https://doi.org/10.3390/life14040490 - 10 Apr 2024
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 978
Abstract
Nowadays, there is an effort to improve the effectiveness of the composting process, supported by the addition of various supplements to reduce soil nutrition losses and increase soil remediation. The aim of this study was to examine the devitalization effect of natural additives [...] Read more.
Nowadays, there is an effort to improve the effectiveness of the composting process, supported by the addition of various supplements to reduce soil nutrition losses and increase soil remediation. The aim of this study was to examine the devitalization effect of natural additives like zeolite-clinoptilolite and its combination with hydrated lime in composted cattle manure on indicator and pathogen bacteria. The composting process was running in three static piles of cattle manure mixed with wheat straw (control, zeolite–lime, and zeolite) for 126 days. Composted manure substrates were determined for physicochemical (temperature, pH, nitrogen and phosphorus content, C/N, organic matter, and moisture) and microbiological analyses (Salmonella spp., indicator bacteria). The effects of additives were reflected in changes in physicochemical factors, e.g., an increase in temperature (<53 °C) or pH (<9.3). According to Pearson correlation, these changes (pH, Nt, Pt) resulted in a significant decrease (p < 0.001) of indicator bacteria (two or three orders) in zeolite pile or zeolite–lime pile. Die-off of Salmonella spp. in the zeolite–lime pile was indicated within 41 days; in other piles, this occurred on day 63. Our results can aid in further optimizing the composting of cattle manure in order to lower environmental pollution and the risk of human infection. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Novel Biomaterials-Based Fertilizing Products and Bio-Fertilizers for Sustainable Agricultural Production)
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10 pages, 1836 KiB  
Communication
Biochar Enhances Soil Resource Availability and Suppresses Microbial Metabolism Genes in the Rhizosphere of Wheat
by Xin Gong, Sixian Li, Zelu Wu, Yousef Alhaj Hamoud, Hiba Shaghaleh, Yusef Kianpoor Kalkhajeh, Chenxiao Si, Lin Zhu and Chao Ma
Life 2023, 13(9), 1843; https://doi.org/10.3390/life13091843 - 31 Aug 2023
Viewed by 1514
Abstract
Despite the well-documented role of biochar in promoting soil quality and crop productivity, the underlying biological mechanisms remain poorly understood. Here, we explored the effects of straw biochar on soil microbiome in the rhizosphere from wheat using metagenomic sequencing. Our results showed that [...] Read more.
Despite the well-documented role of biochar in promoting soil quality and crop productivity, the underlying biological mechanisms remain poorly understood. Here, we explored the effects of straw biochar on soil microbiome in the rhizosphere from wheat using metagenomic sequencing. Our results showed that straw return decreased the yields of wheat, while the straw biochar return increased the wheat yields. Further, both the richness and community composition confirmed different effects of the straw return and straw biochar return. The straw biochar return also resulted in greater rhizosphere effects from wheat, represented by resource availability, including soil organic carbon, soil total nitrogen, available phosphorus, and available potassium. The rhizosphere effects from wheat, represented by microbial metabolism genes involved in carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium cycling, however, were decreased by straw biochar returning. In addition, the rhizosphere effects from nitrogen content and the nitrogen cycling genes showed negative relationships with wheat yields. Together, these results revealed that straw biochar enhanced soil resource availability but suppressed microbial metabolism genes in the rhizosphere from wheat, supporting the idea that straw biochar serves as a nutrient pool for crops. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Novel Biomaterials-Based Fertilizing Products and Bio-Fertilizers for Sustainable Agricultural Production)
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19 pages, 3855 KiB  
Article
Isolation of Phosphate-Solubilizing Microorganisms and the Formulation of Biofertilizer for Sustainable Processing of Phosphate Rock
by Nipuni Mayadunna, Samantha C. Karunarathna, Suhail Asad, Steven L. Stephenson, Abdallah M. Elgorban, Salim Al-Rejaie, Jaturong Kumla, Neelamanie Yapa and Nakarin Suwannarach
Life 2023, 13(3), 782; https://doi.org/10.3390/life13030782 - 14 Mar 2023
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 3955
Abstract
As phosphorus (P) bioavailability is limited in arable lands, chemical fertilizers are being used by farmers to increase crop production. Phosphate-solubilizing microorganisms (PSMs) increase the bioavailability of sparingly soluble inorganic and organic soil phosphorus. Therefore, the current study was an effort to evaluate [...] Read more.
As phosphorus (P) bioavailability is limited in arable lands, chemical fertilizers are being used by farmers to increase crop production. Phosphate-solubilizing microorganisms (PSMs) increase the bioavailability of sparingly soluble inorganic and organic soil phosphorus. Therefore, the current study was an effort to evaluate the phosphate-solubilizing efficiency of PSMs using tricalcium phosphate (TCP) and Eppawala rock phosphate (ERP). The efficiency of phosphate solubilization by a series of identified isolates was compared using TCP (5 g L−1) and ERP (5 g L−1) as a P source in Pikovskava’s broth. Twelve microbial isolates that showed a higher efficiency in phosphate solubilization were selected for the production of the biofertilizer. The isolate F10 in ERP broth was characterized by the highest significant level of available phosphorus (896.98 ± 10.41) mg L−1, followed by F5 (Aspergillus sp.) in TCP broth 991.43 ± 1.37 mg L−1. A pot trial was carried out by using Capsicum annuum L. as the test plant in two soil conditions: sterilized soil and non-sterilized soil with six treatments and four replicates. The significantly highest plant height, leaf length, and width were shown by chili plants treated with the formulated biofertilizer. Therefore, the application of native PSMs appeared to be an efficient method of solubilizing sparingly soluble P compounds into plant-available forms. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Novel Biomaterials-Based Fertilizing Products and Bio-Fertilizers for Sustainable Agricultural Production)
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20 pages, 3997 KiB  
Article
Biogas Residues Improved Microbial Diversity and Disease Suppression Function under Extent Indigenous Soil Microbial Biomass
by Yubin Zhao, Kai Hu, Jiadong Yu, Md. Tariful Alam Khan, Yafan Cai, Xiaoling Zhao, Zehui Zheng, Yuegao Hu, Zongjun Cui and Xiaofen Wang
Life 2023, 13(3), 774; https://doi.org/10.3390/life13030774 - 13 Mar 2023
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1642
Abstract
Indigenous soil microbial biomass (ISMB) plays a key role in maintaining essential functions and biodiversity of soil health. One of the critical unknowns is how the indigenous microorganisms respond to different fertilizers which is directly related to agricultural production. Therefore, we used Mi-Seq [...] Read more.
Indigenous soil microbial biomass (ISMB) plays a key role in maintaining essential functions and biodiversity of soil health. One of the critical unknowns is how the indigenous microorganisms respond to different fertilizers which is directly related to agricultural production. Therefore, we used Mi-Seq sequencing and network analyses to compare the response of ISMB to biogas residue and chemical fertilizers. The results showed that crop production was profoundly influenced by levels of ISMB present and is further dependent on the strategy of fertilizer application. Higher ISMB primarily manifests through retention of richer microbial abundance, a balanced community structure, and tightened co-occurrence within a certain proportion of Nitrospirae, Rhizophlyctidaceae, and Gemmatimonadetes. Compared to chemical fertilizer, biogas residue resulted in higher production with more strongly linked nodes such as Actinobacteria, Chloroflexi and Gemmatimonadetes. Under the same level of ISMB, the microbial diversity was richer and co-occurrence was tighter when biogas residues were applied compared with chemical fertilizer. In addition, the higher level of ISMB with biogas residue applied had a lower abundance of potential fungal pathogens in both bulk and rhizosphere soil compared with chemical fertilizer. This study provides critical data to understand the influence of ISMB and biogas residue on soil ecological system. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Novel Biomaterials-Based Fertilizing Products and Bio-Fertilizers for Sustainable Agricultural Production)
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13 pages, 441 KiB  
Article
Effects of Partial Replacement of Nitrogen Fertilizer with Organic Fertilizer on Rice Growth, Nitrogen Utilization Efficiency and Soil Properties in the Yangtze River Basin
by Jiabao Wang, Xiangming Zhang, Manman Yuan, Gang Wu and Yixiang Sun
Life 2023, 13(3), 624; https://doi.org/10.3390/life13030624 - 23 Feb 2023
Cited by 12 | Viewed by 2411
Abstract
Cake fertilizer and dairy manure were used as experimental materials to carry out a 9-year (2012–2020) field experiment in the main rice production areas in the Yangtze River basin. Different fertilization modes were used (no fertilization, CK; chemical fertilizer application alone, HY; reduced [...] Read more.
Cake fertilizer and dairy manure were used as experimental materials to carry out a 9-year (2012–2020) field experiment in the main rice production areas in the Yangtze River basin. Different fertilization modes were used (no fertilization, CK; chemical fertilizer application alone, HY; reduced fertilization with chemical fertilizer application, RF; cake fertilizer replacement of nitrogen fertilizer, CFR; and dairy manure replacement of nitrogen fertilizer, DMR). Changes in the total rice yield, yield components, absorption of nitrogen, soil pH, organic matter, total nitrogen, and soil bulk density under different fertilization treatments were analyzed. The results show that organic fertilizer replacement leads to a stable and high rice yield. The 9-year average rice yields of the CFR and DMR treatments were 60.0% and 61.5% higher than that of CK. The nitrogen uptake of the CFR and DMR treatments was also higher than that of the other treatments. The nitrogen recovery efficiency in the current season could be increased by 16.37–22.89%, and after 9 years of testing, the soil total nitrogen contents of CFR and DMR increased by 0.23–0.85 g·kg−1 compared to the other treatments. The available P and K contents of DMR increased by 30.17 mg·kg−1 and 22.02 mg·kg−1 compared with HY, respectively. The soil bulk density was reduced by 0.08 g·cm−3. Generally, the effects of dairy manure replacement were better than those of cake fertilizer. This is an important method that can be used to fertilize the soil and foster sustainable soil utilization in the rice-growing area of the Yangtze River Basin, as a long-term partial replacement for chemical nitrogen fertilizer. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Novel Biomaterials-Based Fertilizing Products and Bio-Fertilizers for Sustainable Agricultural Production)
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17 pages, 1032 KiB  
Article
Effect of Inorganic and Organic Nitrogen Sources and Biofertilizer on Murcott Mandarin Fruit Quality
by Ahmed M. Fikry, Khadija S. Radhi, Mohammed A. S. Abourehab, Talaat A. M. Abou Sayed-Ahmed, Mohamed M. Ibrahim, Farid S. Mohsen, Nour A. Abdou, Ahmad A. Omar, Ibrahim Eid Elesawi and Mohamed T. El-Saadony
Life 2022, 12(12), 2120; https://doi.org/10.3390/life12122120 - 15 Dec 2022
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2958
Abstract
Mandarin ‘Murcott’ (Citrus reticulata Blanco) trees aged five years that were grafted onto lemon ‘Volkamer’ (Citrus volkameriana) rootstock and grown in sandy soil under a drip irrigation system were used in this study during the growing seasons of 2018 and [...] Read more.
Mandarin ‘Murcott’ (Citrus reticulata Blanco) trees aged five years that were grafted onto lemon ‘Volkamer’ (Citrus volkameriana) rootstock and grown in sandy soil under a drip irrigation system were used in this study during the growing seasons of 2018 and 2019. Ten different fertilization treatments combining inorganic, organic, and biofertilization in a completely randomized block were performed. The results revealed that fertilizing ‘Murcott’ mandarin trees with 75% of the recommended dose (RD) of nitrogen as inorganic nitrogen (33.5% N) in the form of NH4NO3 + 25% of RD as organic nitrogen in the form of chicken manure (3% N) per tree per year without or with a biofertilizer (Effective Microorganisms, EM1) at 150 mL/tree increased the weight, size, pulp, and peels of mandarin fruit, as well as the fruit juice volume, juice volume/fruit, and vitamin C, but reduced the total acidity in both seasons. However, fertilizing ‘Murcott’ mandarin trees with 100% of RD as inorganic nitrogen increased the pulp/fruit ratio, and fertilizing with 25% of RD as inorganic nitrogen + 75% of RD as organic nitrogen + biofertilizer EM1 increased the peel/fruit ratio, peel thickness, and fruit firmness. Fertilizing ‘Murcott’ mandarin trees with 100% organic nitrogen + biofertilizer EM1 increased total soluble solids (TSS) and total sugar contents while producing the lowest nitrate (NO3) percentage in ‘Murcott’ mandarin fruit compared with trees fertilized with inorganic nitrogen only. The fruit produced by ‘Murcott’ mandarin trees fertilized with 100% of RD as organic nitrogen with or without biofertilizer EM1 contained higher TSS, total carbohydrates, and sugars and lower nitrate percentages than those fertilized with inorganic nitrogen and biofertilizer EM1. This study contributes to reducing the use of inorganic fertilizers by adding a percentage of an organic fertilizer to obtain a healthy product that contains a lower percentage of NO3, which affects the health of the consumer, and is of high quality and suitable for export. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Novel Biomaterials-Based Fertilizing Products and Bio-Fertilizers for Sustainable Agricultural Production)
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Review

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15 pages, 1170 KiB  
Review
Exploring the Potential of Macroalgae for Sustainable Crop Production in Agriculture
by Domenico Prisa, Roberto Fresco, Aftab Jamal, Muhammad Farhan Saeed and Damiano Spagnuolo
Life 2024, 14(10), 1263; https://doi.org/10.3390/life14101263 - 3 Oct 2024
Viewed by 2007
Abstract
Marine macroalgae, which typically colonize coastal areas, are simple plant organisms. They live on rocks in coastal regions and are classified into red, brown, and green macroalgae. These algae are an important natural resource in agriculture due to their ability to enhance the [...] Read more.
Marine macroalgae, which typically colonize coastal areas, are simple plant organisms. They live on rocks in coastal regions and are classified into red, brown, and green macroalgae. These algae are an important natural resource in agriculture due to their ability to enhance the structural, chemical, and biological properties of soil. Marine macroalgae can be used to produce various biocidal molecules that are effective in controlling plant pathogens. Much of the literature on marine macroalgae and their derivatives focuses primarily on the pharmaceutical field, while their use in agriculture is still considered secondary. However, various studies and experiments have demonstrated their potential to play a significant role in crop protection and enhancement. This review aims to highlight the various applications of macroalgae in plant production. It also emphasizes the biotechnological importance of marine macroalgae derivatives as biofertilizers, molecules for controlling insects and microorganisms, and as plant growth conditioners. Compounds from macroalgae, such as fatty acids, carotenoids, polyphenols, and carbohydrates, are being investigated for their fungicidal, antimicrobial, and antiviral effects against various plant pathogens. Beyond enhancing crop production, macroalgae can also be considered multifunctional bioinoculants suitable for use in organic farming. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Novel Biomaterials-Based Fertilizing Products and Bio-Fertilizers for Sustainable Agricultural Production)
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Other

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11 pages, 1379 KiB  
Technical Note
The Potential of Microgranular Fertilizers to Reduce Nutrient Surpluses When Growing Maize (Zea mays) in Regions with High Livestock Farming Intensity
by Frank Eulenstein, Julian Ahlborn and Matthias Thielicke
Life 2024, 14(1), 81; https://doi.org/10.3390/life14010081 - 3 Jan 2024
Viewed by 1161
Abstract
This contribution provides the first agroeconomic account of the application of a mineral microgranular fertilizer and an organomineral microgranular fertilizer directly beneath the corn in comparison to a common mineral band fertilizer in temperate climate regions. The focus of the study is on [...] Read more.
This contribution provides the first agroeconomic account of the application of a mineral microgranular fertilizer and an organomineral microgranular fertilizer directly beneath the corn in comparison to a common mineral band fertilizer in temperate climate regions. The focus of the study is on the reduction in phosphorus inputs while maintaining the yield of maize plants (Zea mays). The study used a three-year field trial to tabulate dry matter yields using the two phosphorus-reduced microgranular fertilizers, as well as a standard diammonium phosphate (DAP) fertilization method. The application of the organomineral microgranular fertilizer resulted in dry matter yields that were 15% higher (2.8 Mg per hectare) than the DAP variant, while higher yields using the mineral microgranular fertilizer only occurred in a single year. The higher yield of the organomineral microgranular fertilizer and the lower phosphorus amounts as a result of using that product resulted in a moderate phosphorus excess of 2.7 kg P ha−1, while DAP fertilization resulted in a surplus of 25.5 kg per hectare. The phosphorus balance on the plots fertilized with the mineral microgranular fertilizer followed a pattern similar to that of the organomineral microgranular fertilizer. We conclude that both microgranular fertilizers, applied directly beneath the corn, provide an adequate alternative to widespread DAP fertilization as a fertilizer band in maize cultivation on fertile soils. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Novel Biomaterials-Based Fertilizing Products and Bio-Fertilizers for Sustainable Agricultural Production)
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