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Soil Ecology and Nutrients' Cycling in Crops and Fruits
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Soil Ecology and Nutrients' Cycling in Crops and Fruits

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 April 2025 | Viewed by 4205

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Hirzel Juan

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Instituto de Investigaciones Agropecuarias, INIA Quilamapu, Av. Vicente Méndez 515, Chillán 3780000, Chile
Interests: soil fertility; soil science; nitrogen; nutrient; fertilizers
Dr. Maurizio Badiani

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Dipartimento di Agraria, Università Mediterranea di Reggio Calabria, Loc. Feo di Vito, I-89129 Reggio Calabria, Italy
Interests: abiotic stress in plants; biological aspects of environmental change, including climate changes; applied plant sciences and soil biology; ecotoxicology, biohazards and biosafety; industrial biosciences
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Soil ecology and nutrient cycling are important for plant stability maintenance and sustainable ecology. This Special Issue focuses on the actual transport of soil nutrients and agronomic responses of crops. At present, soil fertility management and nutrient cycling are complex. Many factors affect the availability of soil nutrients to plants, including fertilization rates, different yield scenarios, nutrient dosages of soil types (alluvial, colluvial, volcanic, granite) and soil chemical properties, yield potential, and climate, among the others. Whether or not nutrients are recycled back into the soil will also have a significant impact on the soil fertility status, as well as on soil environmental quality, more in general. In crops and fruits, some aspects of nutrient cycling are still poorly understood. Techniques to improve the efficiency of nutrient-efficient cultivation show considerable promise. With a better understanding of soil ecology and how nutrients cycle through plants, it is possible to increase in a sustainable manner both yields and crops’ quality, while preserving the ecosystem services provided by agricultural soils.

The innovations in this Special Issue are the recycling of agricultural and plant by-products or wastes, the recycling of energy and nutrients, and the improvement of soil properties through the use of these by-products. Finally, it is worth highlighting the focus given to allowing the farmer to optimize their yields with minimal use of nutritional inputs and care for the environment.

Dr. Hirzel Juan
Dr. Maurizio Badiani
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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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

  • plant nutrition
  • manures
  • soil ecology
  • fertilizer
  • orchards
  • vineyards
  • crops
  • fruits

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Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

17 pages, 3626 KiB  
Article
Synergistic and Antagonistic Effects of Mixed-Leaf Litter Decomposition on Nutrient Cycling
by Vestine Mukamparirwa, Salim M. S. Maliondo and Canisius Patrick Mugunga
Plants 2024, 13(22), 3204; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants13223204 - 15 Nov 2024
Viewed by 443
Abstract
Understanding decomposition patterns of mixed-leaf litter from agroforestry species is crucial, as leaf litter in ecosystems naturally occurs as mixtures rather than as separate individual species. We hypothesized that litter mixtures with larger trait divergence would lead to faster mass loss and more [...] Read more.
Understanding decomposition patterns of mixed-leaf litter from agroforestry species is crucial, as leaf litter in ecosystems naturally occurs as mixtures rather than as separate individual species. We hypothesized that litter mixtures with larger trait divergence would lead to faster mass loss and more balanced nutrient release compared to single-species litter. Specifically, we expected mixtures containing nutrient-rich species to exhibit synergistic effects, resulting in faster decay rates and sustained nutrient release, while mixtures with nutrient-poor species would demonstrate antagonistic effects, slowing decomposition. We conducted a mesocosm experiment using a custom wooden setup filled with soil, and the litterbag method was used to test various leaf litter mixtures. The study involved leaf litter from six agroforestry tree species: three species from humid highland regions and three from semi-arid regions. Treatments included three single-species leaf litter mixtures, three two-species mixtures, and one three-species mixture, based on the sampling region. Species included Calliandra calothyrsus (Ca), Croton megalocarpus (Cr), Grevillea robusta (G), Alnus acuminata (A), Markhamia lutea (M), and Eucalyptus globulus (E). Decay rate constants (k) were estimated using non-linear least-squares regression and observed mass loss was compared to predicted values for mixed-species litter treatments to assess synergistic and antagonistic effects. A two-way linear mixed-effects model was employed to explain variation in mass loss. Results indicate positive non-additive effects for leaf litter mixtures including nutrient-rich species and negative non-additive effects for mixtures including nutrient-poor species. The mixture of Ca + Cr + G had positive non-additive or synergistic effects as it decomposed faster than its corresponding single-species litter. Leaf litters with higher lignin content, such as A + M + E and Ca + Cr + G, exhibited less lignin release compared to what would be expected based on individual litter types, demonstrating antagonistic effects. These findings highlight that both litter nutrient constituents and litter diversity play an important role in decomposition processes and therefore in the restoration of the degraded and nutrient-depleted soils of Rwanda. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Soil Ecology and Nutrients' Cycling in Crops and Fruits)
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23 pages, 7035 KiB  
Article
Characteristics of Rhizosphere Microbiome, Soil Chemical Properties, and Plant Biomass and Nutrients in Citrus reticulata cv. Shatangju Exposed to Increasing Soil Cu Levels
by Xiaorong Mo, Qichun Huang, Chuanwu Chen, Hao Xia, Muhammad Riaz, Xiaomin Liang, Jinye Li, Yilin Chen, Qiling Tan, Songwei Wu and Chengxiao Hu
Plants 2024, 13(17), 2344; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants13172344 - 23 Aug 2024
Viewed by 768
Abstract
The prolonged utilization of copper (Cu)-containing fungicides results in Cu accumulation and affects soil ecological health. Thus, a pot experiment was conducted using Citrus reticulata cv. Shatangju with five Cu levels (38, 108, 178, 318, and 388 mg kg−1) to evaluate [...] Read more.
The prolonged utilization of copper (Cu)-containing fungicides results in Cu accumulation and affects soil ecological health. Thus, a pot experiment was conducted using Citrus reticulata cv. Shatangju with five Cu levels (38, 108, 178, 318, and 388 mg kg−1) to evaluate the impacts of the soil microbial processes, chemistry properties, and citrus growth. These results revealed that, with the soil Cu levels increased, the soil total Cu (TCu), available Cu (ACu), organic matter (SOM), available potassium (AK), and pH increased while the soil available phosphorus (AP) and alkali-hydrolyzable nitrogen (AN) decreased. Moreover, the soil extracellular enzyme activities related to C and P metabolism decreased while the enzymes related to N metabolism increased, and the expression of soil genes involved in C, N, and P cycling was regulated. Moreover, it was observed that tolerant microorganisms (e.g., p_Proteobacteria, p_Actinobacteria, g_Lysobacter, g_Sphingobium, f_Aspergillaceae, and g_Penicillium) were enriched but sensitive taxa (p_Myxococcota) were suppressed in the citrus rhizosphere. The citrus biomass was mainly positively correlated with soil AN and AP; plant N and P were mainly positively correlated with soil AP, AN, and acid phosphatase (ACP); and plant K was mainly negatively related with soil β−glucosidase (βG) and positively related with the soil fungal Shannon index. The dominant bacterial taxa p_Actinobacteriota presented positively correlated with the plant biomass and plant N, P, and K and was negatively correlated with plant Cu. The dominant fungal taxa p_Ascomycota was positively related to plant Cu but negatively with the plant biomass and plant N, P, and K. Notably, arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (p_Glomeromycota) were positively related with plant P below soil Cu 108 mg kg−1, and pathogenic fungi (p_Mortierellomycota) was negatively correlated with plant K above soil Cu 178 mg kg−1. These findings provided a new perspective on soil microbes and chemistry properties and the healthy development of the citrus industry at increasing soil Cu levels. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Soil Ecology and Nutrients' Cycling in Crops and Fruits)
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15 pages, 307 KiB  
Article
Can the Firmness, Weight, and Size of Blueberry Fruit Be Enhanced through the Application of Low Amounts of Calcium to the Soil?
by Juan Hirzel
Plants 2024, 13(1), 1; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants13010001 - 19 Dec 2023
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1397
Abstract
Background: The firmness, weight, and size of blueberries are vital for commercial success of this crop. Fertilization is a key agronomic management practice that affects fruit quality, where calcium (Ca) plays a critical role. This study aimed to assess the impact of low [...] Read more.
Background: The firmness, weight, and size of blueberries are vital for commercial success of this crop. Fertilization is a key agronomic management practice that affects fruit quality, where calcium (Ca) plays a critical role. This study aimed to assess the impact of low levels of soil-dosed Ca in carboxylic acid form on fruit size, weight, firmness, and residual soil fertility. Methods: The study focused on two varieties of blueberries, Duke and Legacy, over two consecutive growing seasons on three commercial farms located in south-central Chile. This study consisted of five treatments, ranging from 0 to 4.0 kg Ca per hectare. Results: The highest firmness values observed for Duke were between 164 and 186 g mm−1, with size values ranging from 15.7 to 16.9 mm, and weight observations ranging from 1.60 to 1.76 g. On the other hand, Legacy showed firmness values between 163 and 173 g mm−1, with size values ranging from 16.2 to 17.2 mm, and weight observations ranging from 2.01 to 2.40 g. Conclusion: The application of low Ca rates to the soil did not impact the size, weight, or firmness of ‘Duke’ and ‘Legacy’ blueberries. There was a positive correlation between the Ca soil application and the concentration of exchangeable Ca. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Soil Ecology and Nutrients' Cycling in Crops and Fruits)
10 pages, 498 KiB  
Article
Three Biannual Rotations Cycles with Residue Incorporation Affect Wheat Production and Chemical Soil Properties
by Juan Hirzel, Pablo Undurraga, Carola Vera, Iván Matus and Pascal Michelow
Plants 2023, 12(24), 4194; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants12244194 - 18 Dec 2023
Viewed by 1115
Abstract
Background: There are few reports of crop rotations with high residue incorporation in terms of their effects on indicator crop yields and soil properties, so this study evaluated the effect of two medium-term biannual rotations on wheat yield development and soil chemical properties [...] Read more.
Background: There are few reports of crop rotations with high residue incorporation in terms of their effects on indicator crop yields and soil properties, so this study evaluated the effect of two medium-term biannual rotations on wheat yield development and soil chemical properties after six years of rotation. Methods: The experiment was conducted with two biannual rotations (canola–wheat and bean–wheat) and four residue incorporation levels (0%, 50%, 100%, and 200%) in an Andisol in south central Chile. Wheat grain yield and residue production were evaluated during each biannual cycle during three cycles of crop rotation, and soil chemical properties were evaluated at final evaluation. Results: The use of beans as a wheat preculture partially improved grain yield in 7.3%. The chemical properties of the soil showed an increase in pH (0.08 units), organic matter content (15 g kg−1), and concentrations of P (2.8 mg kg−1), S (7.4 mg kg−1), and Al (0.03 cmol+ kg−1) after canola cultivation, while after bean cultivation there was an increase in the available N concentration (3.7 mg kg−1). The use of increasing doses of residue allowed for an increase in the soil pH and decrease in the exchangeable Al concentration. Conclusion: The continuous incorporation of the residues produced within the biannual rotations evaluated in this volcanic soil did contribute to improving some chemical properties of the soil without affecting wheat crop yield. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Soil Ecology and Nutrients' Cycling in Crops and Fruits)
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