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Advances in Soil Fertility Management for Sustainable Crop Production

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A special issue of Plants (ISSN 2223-7747). This special issue belongs to the section "Plant–Soil Interactions".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 November 2024 | Viewed by 10224

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Dr. Mohamed Ait-El-Mokhtar

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Guest Editor

Faculté des Sciences et Techniques de Mohammedia, Mohammedia, Morocco
Interests: plant stress; arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi; organic fertilizer; plant physiology
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Dr. Abdelilah Meddich

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Guest Editor

Department of Biology, University of Cadi Ayyad, Marrakech 40000, Morocco
Interests: plants; AMF; PGPR; abiotic and biotic stress

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

As our agricultural systems face mounting challenges due to climate change, soil degradation, and limited resources, it is crucial that we deepen our understanding of the intricate relationships between soil health, nutrient management, and crop productivity.

This Special Issue aims to showcase the latest research and reviews that delve into innovative strategies, technologies, and practices for optimizing soil fertility to ensure sustainable crop production. Contributors are invited to submit review articles or original research papers focusing on a wide range of topics, including but not limited to soil health assessment, nutrient management, soil amendments, cover cropping, precision agriculture, organic farming practices, and the impact of climate change on soil fertility.

Join us in shaping the future of sustainable crop production through innovative soil fertility management strategies. Together, we will pave the way toward a more resilient and productive agricultural future.

Dr. Mohamed Ait-El-Mokhtar
Dr. Abdelilah Meddich
Guest Editors

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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. Plants is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly 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 2700 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

soil fertility/health
crop production
sustainable agriculture
nutrient management
organic amendment
microbial amendment
soil remediation/restoration
soil fertilization

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Published Papers (9 papers)

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Research

Jump to: Review

19 pages, 2442 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Rice Under Dry Cultivation–Maize Intercropping Improves Soil Environment and Increases Total Yield by Regulating Belowground Root Growth

by Zhihai Wu, Bei Xue, Shiwen Wang, Xu Xing, Min Nuo, Xin Meng, Meikang Wu, Hao Jiang, Huimin Ma, Meiying Yang, Xiaoshuang Wei, Guangxin Zhao and Ping Tian

Plants 2024, 13(21), 2957; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants13212957 - 23 Oct 2024

Viewed by 741

Abstract

Under the one-season-a-year cropping pattern in Northeast China, continuous cropping is one of the main factors contributing to the degradation of black soil. Previous studies (on maize–soybean, maize–peanut, and maize–wheat intercropping) have shown that intercropping can alleviate this problem. However, it is not known whether intercropping is feasible for maize and rice under dry cultivation, and its effects on yield and soil fertility are unknown. A three-year field-orientation experiment was conducted at Jilin Agricultural University in Changchun city, Jilin Province, China, consisting of three cropping regimes, namely rice under dry cultivation–maize intercropping (IRM), sole rice under dry cultivation (SR), and sole maize (SM). All straw was fully returned to the field after mechanical harvesting. Rice under dry cultivation–maize intercropping with a land-equivalent ratio of 1.05 (the average of three years values) increased the total yield by 8.63% compared to the monoculture system. The aggressivity (A), relative crowding coefficient (K), time–area-equivalent ratio (ATER), and competition ratio (CR) value were positive or ≥1, also indicating that the rice under dry cultivation–maize intercropping had a yield advantage of the overall intercropping system. This is because the intercropped maize root length density (RLD) increased by 33.94–102.84% in the 0–40 cm soil layer, which contributed to an increase in the soil porosity (SP) of 5.58–10.10% in the 0–30 cm soil layer, an increase in the mean weight diameter of soil aggregates (MWD) of 3.00–15.69%, an increase in the geometric mean diameter of soil aggregates (GMD) of 8.16–26.42%, a decrease in the soil bulk density (SBD) of 4.02–7.35%, and an increase in the soil organic matter content (SOM) of 0.60–4.35%. This increased the water permeability and aeration of the soil and facilitated the absorption of nutrients and water by the root system and their transportation above ground, and the plant nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium accumulation in the intercropping system were significantly higher than that in monoculture treatment, further promoting the total yield of intercropping. This suggests that rice under a dry cultivation–maize intercropping system is feasible in Northeast China, mainly because it promotes belowground root growth, improves the soil environment, and increases the total yield of intercropping. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Soil Fertility Management for Sustainable Crop Production)

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24 pages, 15028 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Application of Magnetized Ionized Water and Bacillus subtilis Improved Saline Soil Quality and Cotton Productivity

by Zhanbo Jiang, Quanjiu Wang, Songrui Ning, Shudong Lin, Xiaoqin Hu and Zhaoxin Song

Plants 2024, 13(17), 2458; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants13172458 - 2 Sep 2024

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1021

Abstract

Soil salinization, a significant global challenge, threatens sustainable development. This study explores the potential of magnetized ionized water irrigation and Bacillus subtilis application to mitigate this issue. The former method is hypothesized to enhance soil salt leaching, while the latter is expected to improve soil nutrient availability, thereby increasing microbial diversity. To address the unclear impact of these interventions on soil quality and cotton productivity, this study employs four different experimental methods: magnetized ionized water irrigation (M), application of 45 kg ha⁻¹ B. subtilis (B), a combination of 45 kg ha⁻¹ B. subtilis with magnetized ionized water irrigation (MB), and a control treatment with no intervention (CK). This study aims to clarify the effects of these treatments on soil bulk density (BD), field capacity (FC), salinity and alkalinity, nutrient content, microbial activity, and cotton crop yield and quality. Additionally, it aims to evaluate the efficacy of these methods in improving saline soil conditions by developing a soil quality index. The results showed that using magnetized ionized water for irrigation and applying B. subtilis, either alone or together, can effectively lower soil pH and salt levels, enhance microbial diversity and abundance, and improve the yield and quality of cotton. Notably, B. subtilis application significantly decreased BD and enhanced FC and nutrient content (p < 0.05). A correlation was found where soil nutrient content decreased as pH and salt content increased. Furthermore, a strong correlation was observed between the major soil bacteria and fungi with BD, FC, and salt content. Comparatively, M, B, and MB significantly boosted (p < 0.01) the soil quality index by 0.21, 0.52, and 0.69 units, respectively, and increased (p < 0.05) cotton yield by 5.7%, 14.8%, and 20.1% compared to CK. Therefore, this research offers eco-friendly and efficient methods to enhance cotton production capacity in saline soil. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Soil Fertility Management for Sustainable Crop Production)

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19 pages, 3488 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Sugarcane/Soybean Intercropping with Reduced Nitrogen Application Synergistically Increases Plant Carbon Fixation and Soil Organic Carbon Sequestration

by Tantan Zhang, Yali Liu and Lin Li

Plants 2024, 13(16), 2337; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants13162337 - 22 Aug 2024

Viewed by 741

Abstract

Sugarcane/soybean intercropping and reduced nitrogen (N) application as an important sustainable agricultural pattern can increase crop primary productivity and improve soil ecological functions, thereby affecting soil organic carbon (SOC) input and turnover. To explore the potential mechanism of sugarcane/soybean intercropping affecting SOC sequestration, a two-factor long-term field experiment was carried out, which included planting pattern (sugarcane monocropping (MS), sugarcane/soybean 1:1 intercropping (SB1), and sugarcane/soybean 1:2 intercropping (SB2)) and nitrogen addition levels (reduced N application (N1: 300 kg·hm⁻²) and conventional N application (N2: 525 kg·hm⁻²)). The results showed that the shoot and root C fixation in the sugarcane/soybean intercropping system were significantly higher than those in the sugarcane monocropping system during the whole growth period of sugarcane, and the N application level had no significant effect on the C fixation of plants in the intercropping system. Sugarcane/soybean intercropping also increased the contents of total organic C (TOC), labile organic C fraction [microbial biomass C (MBC) and dissolved organic C (DOC)] in the soil during the growth period of sugarcane, and this effect was more obvious at the N1 level. We further analyzed the relationship between plant C sequestration and SOC fraction content using regression equations and found that both plant shoot and root C sequestration were significantly correlated with TOC, MBC, and DOC content. This suggests that sugarcane/soybean intercropping increases the amount of C input to the soil by improving crop shoot and root C sequestration, which then promotes the content of each SOC fraction. The results of this study indicate that sugarcane/soybean intercropping and reduced N application patterns can synergistically improve plant and soil C fixation, which is of great significance for improving crop yields, increasing soil fertility, and reducing greenhouse gas emissions from agricultural fields. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Soil Fertility Management for Sustainable Crop Production)

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17 pages, 2159 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Halotolerant Microorganism-Based Soil Conditioner Application Improved the Soil Properties, Yield, Quality and Starch Characteristics of Hybrid Rice under Higher Saline Conditions

by Wenyu Jin, Lin Li, Guohui Ma and Zhongwei Wei

Plants 2024, 13(16), 2325; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants13162325 - 21 Aug 2024

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 672

Abstract

Soil salinity represents a significant factor affecting agricultural productivity and crop quality. The present study was conducted to investigate the effects of soil conditioner (SC) comprising halotolerant microorganisms on the soil fertility, yield, rice quality, and the physicochemical and structural properties of starch in hybrid rice under saline conditions. The experimental treatments were composed of two high-quality hybrid rice varieties, i.e., ‘Y Liangyou 957’ (YLY957) and Jing Liangyou 534 (JLY534), and two soil amendment treatments, i.e., the application of SC at control levels and 2250 kg hm⁻², or ‘CK and SC’, respectively. The crop was subjected to a mixture of fresh and sea water (EC 11 dS/m). The results demonstrated that the application of SC significantly enhanced the rice yield under salt stress conditions owing to an increase in the number of grains per panicle. Furthermore, SC was found to be effective in improving the organic matter and soil nutrient content. Furthermore, the application of SC resulted in an improvement in antioxidant defense, higher leaf SPAD values, and greater crop biomass, as well as the translocation of photo-assimilates at the heading stage. The application of SC not only improved the milling and appearance quality but also enhanced the taste value of rice by increasing the amylose and reducing the protein content. Furthermore, the application of SC also decreased the indentations on the surfaces of starch granules and cracks on the edges of the granules. The rice varieties subjected to SC exhibited excellent pasting properties, characterized by reduced proportions of amylopectin short chains and a lower gelatinization temperature and enthalpy of gelatinization. Overall, these findings serve to reinforce the efficacy of soil conditioner as a valuable tool to improve rice productivity and sustainability with improved rice grain quality under saline conditions. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Soil Fertility Management for Sustainable Crop Production)

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18 pages, 1844 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Use of Compost and Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi and Their Combination to Improve Tomato Tolerance to Salt Stress

by Fadoua Mekkaoui, Mohamed Ait-El-Mokhtar, Nada Zaari Jabri, Ilham Amghar, Soukaina Essadssi and Abdelaziz Hmyene

Plants 2024, 13(16), 2225; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants13162225 - 11 Aug 2024

Viewed by 960

Abstract

Salinity poses a significant challenge to tomato plant development and metabolism. This study explores the use of biostimulants as eco-friendly strategies to enhance tomato plant tolerance to salinity. Conducted in a greenhouse, the research focuses on the Solanum lycopersicum L. behavior under saline conditions. Tomato seeds were treated with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF), compost, and their combination under both non-saline and saline conditions (0 and 150 mM NaCl). Plant height, number of flowers and fruits, shoot fresh weight, and root dry weight were negatively impacted by salt stress. The supplementation with compost affected the colonization of AMF, but the application of stress had no effect on this trait. However, the use of compost and AMF separately or in combination showed positive effects on the measured parameters. At the physiological level, compost played a beneficial role in increasing photosynthetic efficiency, whether or not plants were subjected to salinity. In addition, the application of these biostimulants led to an increase in nitrogen content in the plants, irrespective of the stress conditions. AMF and compost, applied alone or in combination, showed positive effects on photosynthetic pigment concentrations and protein content. Under salt stress, characterized by an increase in lipid peroxidation and H₂O₂ content, the application of these biostimulants succeeded in reducing both these parameters in affected plants through exhibiting an increase in antioxidant enzyme activity. In conclusion, incorporating compost, AMF, or their combined application emerges as a promising approach to alleviate the detrimental impacts of salt stress on both plant performances. These findings indicate optimistic possibilities for advancing sustainable and resilient agricultural practices. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Soil Fertility Management for Sustainable Crop Production)

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21 pages, 4222 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) Cultures and the Bioactivity of Their Root Microflora Are Affected by Amended Soil

by Konstantina Mitsigiorgi, Georgia C. Ntroumpogianni, Efstathios A. Katsifas, Dimitris G. Hatzinikolaou, Konstantinos Chassapis, Elisavet Skampa, Aikaterina L. Stefi and Nikolaos S. Christodoulakis

Plants 2024, 13(13), 1872; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants13131872 - 6 Jul 2024

Viewed by 1085

Abstract

This study aimed to highlight the positive effects of various recycled organic substrates on lettuce plants (Lactuca sativa L.) and to promote sustainable waste management practices, contributing to the concept of a circular economy. Over a two-month period, the growth potential and rhizosphere microflora of lettuce plants grown in soil amended with different recycled substrates were investigated. All data were compared, and the effects of the culture substrates were evaluated. All groups containing soil improvers offered a significant increase in the number of leaves per plant and, in two cases, an increase in dry biomass as well as an increase in the concentration of all leaf pigments. Both MDA and H₂O₂ concentrations were the lowest in two groups containing soil improvers (VG 5% and PLUS 10%). At the end of the culture period, isolation and culture of bacteria from the plant rhizosphere were performed. Different bacterial strains were isolated and tested for the production of antimicrobial agents against six microbial indicators (B. subtilis, E. coli, S. aureus, S. cerevisiae, C. albicans, and P. aeruginosa). The greater percentage of the isolated strains showed an ability to inhibit the growth of the B. subtilis index. Most of the strains with antimicrobial activity were isolated from the soil samples of the plain soil group and the soil amended with the commercial fertilizer. Three of the isolated strains originating from the Ginagro 5% group are multiproducers as they inhibit the growth of three microbial indicators or more. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Soil Fertility Management for Sustainable Crop Production)

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18 pages, 2953 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Comparative Study Effect of Different Urea Fertilizers and Tomato Pomace Composts on the Performance and Quality Traits of Processing Tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.)

by Ioanna Kakabouki, Ioannis Roussis, Magdalini Krokida, Antonios Mavroeidis, Panteleimon Stavropoulos, Stella Karydogianni, Dimitrios Beslemes and Evangelia Tigka

Plants 2024, 13(13), 1852; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants13131852 - 5 Jul 2024

Viewed by 1349

Abstract

Processing tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.) is regarded amongst the most dominant horticultural crops globally. Yet, due to its elevated water and fertilization needs, its environmental footprint is significantly high. The recent efforts to reduce the footprint of agriculture have rekindled the search for optimized fertilization regimes in tomato. The aim of the present study was to assess the effect of different urea fertilizers and tomato pomace-based composts on the performance and quality traits of processing tomato. A two-year field experiment was conducted in the Larissa region, Central Greece, during 2018–2019. The experiment was set up in a randomized complete block design (RCBD), with five treatments: control, urea (Urea), urea with nitrification and urease inhibitors (Urea + NI + UI), processing tomato pomace with farmyard manure (TP + FM), and processing tomato pomace with compost from plant residues (TP + CM). Measurements included soil total nitrogen (STN), soil organic matter (SOM), root length density (RLD), arbuscular mycorrhiza fungi (AMF) colonization, dry weight per plant, fruit yield (number per plant, total yield, weight, diameter), fruit firmness, total soluble solids (TSS), titratable acidity (TA), lycopene content and yield, and fruit surface color (L*, a*, b*, CI). Overall, the best results in soil properties and quality traits were reported in the organic fertilization treatments (STN, SOM, AMF, TSS, TA, lycopene content, L*, a*, b*) and the differences among TP + FM and TP + CM were insignificant in their majority. On the contrary, fruit yield and its components were significantly improved in Urea + NI + UI. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Soil Fertility Management for Sustainable Crop Production)

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14 pages, 2080 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Effect of Glycolipids Application Combined with Nitrogen Fertilizer Reduction on Maize Nitrogen Use Efficiency and Yield

by Xianghai Meng, Qingshan Dong, Baicheng Wang, Zheng Ni, Xingzhe Zhang, Chunguang Liu, Wenquan Yu, Jie Liu, Xinrui Shi, Dehai Xu and Yan Duan

Plants 2024, 13(9), 1222; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants13091222 - 28 Apr 2024

Viewed by 850

Abstract

Microbial-driven N turnover is important in regulating N fertilizer use efficiency through the secretion of metabolites like glycolipids. Currently, our understanding of the potential of glycolipids to partially reduce N fertilizer use and the effects of glycolipids on crop yield and N use efficiency is still limited. Here, a three-year in situ field experiment was conducted with seven treatments: no fertilization (CK); chemical N, phosphorus and potassium (NPK); NPK plus glycolipids (N+PKT); and PK plus glycolipids with 10% (0.9 N+PKT), 20% (0.8 N+PKT), 30% (0.7 N+PKT), and 100% (PKT) N reduction. Compared with NPK, glycolipids with 0–20% N reduction did not significantly reduce maize yields, and also increased N uptake by 6.26–11.07%, but no significant changes in grain or straw N uptake. The N resorption efficiency under 0.9 N+PKT was significantly greater than that under NPK, while the apparent utilization rates of N fertilizer and partial factor productivity of N under 0.9 N+PKT were significantly greater than those under NPK. Although 0.9 N+PKT led to additional labor and input costs, compared with NPK, it had a greater net economic benefit. Our study demonstrates the potential for using glycolipids in agroecosystem management and provides theoretical support for optimizing fertilization strategies. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Soil Fertility Management for Sustainable Crop Production)

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Review

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16 pages, 326 KiB

Open AccessReview

Microplastic and Nanoplastic in Crops: Possible Adverse Effects to Crop Production and Contaminant Transfer in the Food Chain

by Bhakti Jadhav and Agnieszka Medyńska-Juraszek

Plants 2024, 13(17), 2526; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants13172526 - 8 Sep 2024

Viewed by 1788

Abstract

With the increasing amounts of microplastic (MP) deposited in soil from various agricultural activities, crop plants can become an important source of MP in food products. The last three years of studies gave enough evidence showing that plastic in the form of nanoparticles (<100 nm) can be taken up by the root system and transferred to aboveground plant parts. Furthermore, the presence of microplastic in soil affects plant growth disturbing metabolic processes in plants, thus reducing yields and crop quality. Some of the adverse effects of microplastic on plants have been already described in the meta-analysis; however, this review provides a comprehensive overview of the latest findings about possible adverse effects and risks related to wide microplastic occurrence in soil on crop production safety, including topics related to changes of pesticides behavior and plant pathogen spreading under the presence MP and possibly threaten to human health. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Soil Fertility Management for Sustainable Crop Production)

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Planned Papers

The below list represents only planned manuscripts. Some of these manuscripts have not been received by the Editorial Office yet. Papers submitted to MDPI journals are subject to peer-review.

Mycorrhizae and compost supplementation to mitigate salt stress adverse effects on tomato growth, physiology and biochemistry

Fadoua MEKKAOUI, Nada ZAARI JABRI, Ilham AMGHAR, Soukaina ESSADSSI, Abdelaziz HMYENE, Mohamed AIT-EL-MOKHTAR*

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