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Green and Sustainable Agricultural Practices in Times of Climate Change

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A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Air, Climate Change and Sustainability".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (1 September 2023) | Viewed by 15115

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Special Issue Editors

Dr. Yousef Alhaj Hamoud

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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
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Dr. Hiba Shaghaleh

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Guest Editor

College of Environment, Hohai University, Nanjing 210098, China
Interests: biopolymers; nanomaterials; hydrogel applications in agriculture; soil pollution and remediation; heavy metals; smart, chemical, and bio-fertilizers; plant biochemistry; crop quality; soil amendment; ecotoxicology; environmental safety
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Dr. Tingting Chang

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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
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Agriculture faces challenges of food security and environmental sustainability. Meanwhile, water resources used for irrigation are becoming increasingly scarce due to the recurring problems of climate change and environmental pollution, which severely affect the productivity, quality, and sustainability of agricultural systems. Therefore, irrigation water use efficiency should be improved to cope with the shortage of freshwater, and the gap between the supply and demand of freshwater resources should be alleviated to warrant sufficient food for the rapidly growing population. Thus, the introduction of agricultural water management and water-efficient irrigation strategies is of utmost interest. However, the increasing water shortage has the potential to further increase under varying climatic conditions, especially in the coming years. Hence, agricultural production systems with water-saving tactics and high resource use eﬃciencies need to be introduced, with emphasis on the responses of agricultural systems to climatic variations.

Soil is a heterogeneous multiphasic porous system and the leading factor determining the success of any agricultural production system. Recent research has been conducted applying techniques that improve soil quality. For instance, cellulosic and biopolymeric materials are the subject of much research, as these materials are cheap, non-toxic, and biodegradable, and they enhance soil properties and quality. Additionally, the application of nanomaterials, nanoparticles, biochar-based materials, and polymer composites materials to soils has a great potential for soil, wastewater, and groundwater remediation. Moreover, the application of biofertilizers, organic matter, and agricultural residues to soils has been suggested as a viable soil management option. For example, burying a straw layer in the subsoil and straw mulching cultivation are considered new strategies for sustainable agricultural production systems and will become commonly adopted in the near future with the help of tillage machines.

In conclusion, modern agricultural systems should include green, sustainable, and precise soil and water management tactics. Therefore, it is necessary to improve water productivity in agricultural systems with the use of appropriate water control, with emphasis on irrigation practices that decrease water use without a significant reduction in yield. It is also essential to enhance soil quality in agricultural systems with the use of proper soil management, with emphasis on the responses of agricultural systems to climatic variations.

In this regard, this Special Issue will deal with the "Green and Sustainable Agricultural Practices in Times of Climate Change". We invite experts and researchers to contribute with original research, reviews, and opinion pieces covering all topics related to green and sustainable agricultural systems. Authors are welcome to submit articles and reviews on the most important aspects of these systems including the agro-ecological strategies aiming at sustaining agricultural production systems and improving soil quality and water productivity under the recurring problem of climate change.

Dr. Yousef Alhaj Hamoud
Dr. Hiba Shaghaleh
Dr. Tingting Chang
Guest Editors

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Keywords

sustainable agricultural management
climate change
irrigation and water use
soil amendment
biopolymers
nanomaterials
agricultural residues
plant physiology, productivity, and quality
environmental remediation

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Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

14 pages, 4167 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Effects of Subsurface Pipe Drainage Spacing on Soil Salinity Movement in Jiangsu Coastal Reclamation Area

by Danni Han, Chao Chen, Fan Wang, Wenping Li, Hao Peng, Qiu Jin, Bo Bi, Hiba Shaghaleh and Yousef Alhaj Hamoud

Sustainability 2023, 15(18), 13932; https://doi.org/10.3390/su151813932 - 19 Sep 2023

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1523

Abstract

The agricultural development of reclaimed coastal areas in Jiangsu Province is significantly hindered by high soil salinity and an inadequate irrigation and drainage infrastructure. Optimizing the layout of subsurface drainage systems has been identified as an effective means of reducing soil salinity, with the proper designation of engineering parameters being crucial. This study applied 12 treatments (T1–T12) consisting of four different spacings of subsurface drainage pipes (6 m, 11 m, 15 m, and no subsurface drainage pipes) and three observation wells at varying distances from the drainage outlet (5 m, 25 m, and 45 m). Results showed that all three subsurface pipe spacing treatments significantly reduced soil salinity compared to natural drainage, with a smaller subsurface pipe spacing treatment leading to better salt-reducing effects. The farther the distance from the measuring point to the drain, the higher the salinity. As the burial depth of the outlet decreased and spacing between the subsurface drainage pipes decreased, the salinization rate of the 0–60 cm soil layer was higher, while the salt accumulation in the 60–80 cm soil layer was more severe. Therefore, a subsurface drainage pipe spacing of 6 m and an outlet burial depth of 40 cm are recommended as more suitable choices to effectively control salt concentration in the soil. The research aimed to provide scientific reference data and technical support for the optimized design of subsurface drainage engineering parameters while promoting efficient desalination of saline-alkali areas worldwide. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Green and Sustainable Agricultural Practices in Times of Climate Change)

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16 pages, 1863 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Effect of Planting Geometry on Growth, Water Productivity, and Fruit Quality of Tomatoes under Different Soil Moisture Regimes

by Mir Moazzam Ali Talpur, Hiba Shaghaleh, Amar Ali Adam Hamad, Tingting Chang, Muhammad Zia-ur-Rehman, Muhammad Usman and Yousef Alhaj Hamoud

Sustainability 2023, 15(12), 9526; https://doi.org/10.3390/su15129526 - 14 Jun 2023

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2468

Abstract

The present study investigated the impact of planting spacing on tomato crop growth, water productivity, and fruit quality under different water regimes. Thus, a field experiment was conducted using a randomized complete block design in a factorial arrangement of treatments. The tomato plants were grown at three planting spacing patterns: 30 cm row-to-row planting spacing, 60 cm row-to-row planting spacing, and 90 cm row-to-row planting spacing, which were marked as (G₁), (G₂), and (G₃), respectively. For each planting spacing pattern, irrigation regimes, namely (I₁), (I₂), and (I₃), were established by setting the soil moisture content to 50%, 100%, and 150% of the reference evapotranspiration. The I₃ × G₂ combination resulted in the maximum values of plant height (68.2 cm), stem diameter (12.1 mm), and yield (41,269.9 kg/hm²), providing the highest contents of protein (1.93 mg/kg), fat (0.81%), fiber (3.94%), and lycopene (4.00 mg/kg) of the fresh fruit. Conversely, the I₁ × G₁ led to the minimum values of plant height (37.3 cm), stem diameter (5.65 mm), and yield (7814.7 kg/hm²), providing the lowest contents of protein (1.15 mg/kg), fat (0.50%), fiber (2.39%), and lycopene (2.15 mg/kg) of the fresh fruit. The I₁ × G₁ had the highest water productivity (25.06 kg/m³) value, while the lowest WP (10.23 kg/m³) value was achieved by I₃ × G₃. While the I₁ × G₃ treatment minimized the uniformity coefficient and distribution uniformity, the I₃ × G₃ treatment maximized their values, indicating more uniform water distribution. Our findings indicate that the I₃ × G₂ combination can increase tomato productivity, growth, and fruit quality. However, the I₁ × G₁ performed better in terms of water productivity. The results of this study can positively contribute to improving tomato production systems’ sustainability, productivity, and quality under the increasing problem of climate change. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Green and Sustainable Agricultural Practices in Times of Climate Change)

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12 pages, 2220 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Effects of Biological Nitrification Inhibitor on Nitrous Oxide and nosZ, nirK, nirS Denitrifying Bacteria in Paddy Soils

by Xingchen Huang, Yuning Zou, Cece Qiao, Qiumeng Liu, Jingwen Liu, Rui Kang, Lantian Ren and Wenge Wu

Sustainability 2023, 15(6), 5348; https://doi.org/10.3390/su15065348 - 17 Mar 2023

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 2128

Abstract

This study aimed to investigate the effects of a biological nitrification inhibitor on nitrous oxide emission and rice yield quality in paddy soils and its effects on denitrifying the bacteria of nosZ, nirK, and nirS types. Two treatments were performed: (1) using a local conventional fertilizer as the control CK; (2) using the partial application of a conventional fertilizer + biological nitrification inhibitor as SW. N₂O emission was measured using gas chromatography; qPCR amplification was performed using primers for the targeted functional genes, nosZ, nirS, and nirK, and denitrifying functional gene abundance and denitrifying microbial community structure were analyzed using fluorescence quantification and high–throughput sequencing, respectively. The results reveal that the biological nitrification inhibitor resulted in a 41.83% reduction in N₂O, relative to the normal fertilizer treatment. Meanwhile, rice yield increased by 15.45% and related quality indexes were also improved. This can promote the reproduction of bacteria with the nosZ gene while inhibiting the growth of bacteria with nirS and nirK genes. The core bacteria, Nitrosospira, Rhodanobacter, Bradyrhizobium, Tardiphaga, Rhodopseudomonas, and Paracoccus, positively correlated with N₂O emissions, while core bacteria Azospirillum, Burkholderia, and Mesorhizobium negatively correlated with N₂O emissions. Therefore, the application of a biological nitrification inhibitor could be an effective measure to promote rice yield and quality, reduce N₂O emissions, and affect key denitrifying bacteria. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Green and Sustainable Agricultural Practices in Times of Climate Change)

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16 pages, 4574 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Effect of Carbon Content in Wheat Straw Biochar on N₂O and CO₂ Emissions and Pakchoi Productivity Under Different Soil Moisture Conditions

by Amar Ali Adam Hamad, Lixiao Ni, Hiba Shaghaleh, Elsayed Elsadek and Yousef Alhaj Hamoud

Sustainability 2023, 15(6), 5100; https://doi.org/10.3390/su15065100 - 14 Mar 2023

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2300

Abstract

Agricultural soils are a primary source of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Biochar is commonly used as a soil amendment to prevent climate change by reducing GHG production, increasing soil carbon storage, improving soil moisture retention, and enhancing crop productivity. However, the impact of biochar’s carbon content under subsurface drip irrigation (SDI) has not been well studied. Here, we investigated the effect of different carbon (C) contents in wheat biochar under different SDI depths on soil nitrous oxide (N₂O), carbon dioxide (CO₂), soil moisture distribution, and Pakchoi productivity. A pot experiment was conducted using three SDI depths, emitters buried at 0.05, 0.10, and 0.15 m below the soil’s surface, and three levels of C content named zero biochar (CK), 50% C (low (L)), and 95% C (high (H)) in greenhouse cultivation. The findings showed biochar significantly decreased N₂O and CO₂ emissions. Compared to CK, the L and H treatments decreased N₂O by (18.20, 28.14%), (16.65, 17.51%), and 11.05, 18.65%) under SDI₅, SDI₁₀, and SDI₁₅, respectively. Similarly, the L and H treatments decreased CO₂ by (8.05, 31.46%), (6.96, 28.88%), and (2.97, 7.89%) under SDI₅, SDI₁₀, and SDI_15, respectively. Compared to CK, L and H increased soil moisture content. All plant growth parameters and yield traits were enhanced under SDI₅. In summary, biochar addition significantly decreased soil N₂O and CO₂ emissions compared to CK, and increased growth performance and yield, and maintained soil moisture content. The H treatment significantly reduced N₂O and CO₂ emissions, increased plant growth and yield, and maintained soil moisture content compared to the L treatment. Soil moisture was reduced vertically and horizontally with increased radial distance from the emitter. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Green and Sustainable Agricultural Practices in Times of Climate Change)

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15 pages, 3134 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Rice Straw Composting Improves the Microbial Diversity of Paddy Soils to Stimulate the Growth, Yield, and Grain Quality of Rice

by Xingchen Huang, Hong Wang, Yuning Zou, Cece Qiao, Bing Hao, Qingqin Shao, Wenge Wu, Hua Wu, Jianrong Zhao and Lantian Ren

Sustainability 2023, 15(2), 932; https://doi.org/10.3390/su15020932 - 4 Jan 2023

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 3428

Abstract

This study aimed to explore the effects of straw compost with different proportions as replacement to chemical fertilizer on soil microorganisms as well as rice growth yield and quality. The rice variety Quan9you 063 in Fengyang, Anhui province was employed as the research subject. Four experimental treatments were set: local conventional fertilization as a control (CK) and compost substituting chemical fertilizer at 10% (T1), 20% (T2), and 30% (T3) to investigate the effects of straw composting. Our findings revealed that T1 treatment had the best rice yield-increasing effect (p < 0.05). Compared with CK, the rice yield, grain number per panicle, and rice polishing rate increased by 6.43%, 21.60%, and 0.47%, respectively; the chalkiness and chalky grain rate decreased by 25.77% and 55.76%, respectively. The T1 treatment achieved significantly higher relative abundance of β-Proteobacteria, Sideroxydans, Methanoregula, and Candidatus Nitrosocosmicus, indicating that the compost replacing 10% chemical fertilizer notably increased the microbial diversity. Hence, the replacement of 10% of chemical fertilizers with compost can enhance the rice yield. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Green and Sustainable Agricultural Practices in Times of Climate Change)

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18 pages, 1484 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Wheat Straw Burial Enhances the Root Physiology, Productivity, and Water Utilization Efficiency of Rice under Alternative Wetting and Drying Irrigation

by Willy Franz Gouertoumbo, Yousef Alhaj Hamoud, Xiangping Guo, Hiba Shaghaleh, Amar Ali Adam Hamad and Elsayed Elsadek

Sustainability 2022, 14(24), 16394; https://doi.org/10.3390/su142416394 - 7 Dec 2022

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 1924

Abstract

This study evaluated whether the straw burial and alternative wetting and drying (AWD) irrigation could improve the root activity, yield, and water utilization efficiency (WUE) of rice. Accordingly, we conducted a field experiment with three straw burial levels, i.e., with no straw burial (NSB), low straw burial 300 kg.ha⁻¹ (LSB), and dense straw burial 800 kg.ha⁻¹ (DSB), and three irrigation regimes, i.e., alternate wetting/moderate drying (AWMD), alternate wetting/severe drying (AWSD), and alternate wetting/critical drying (AWCD). Results showed that straw burial improved the root activity, rice yield, and WUE under AWD regimes. The combination AWMD×DSB resulted in the greatest values of total dry mass (1764.7 g/m²) and water use (853.1 mm). Conversely, the treatment AWCD × NSB led to the lowest values of total biomass (583.3 g/m²) and water use (321.8 mm). Root dry weight density (1.11 g cm⁻³) and root active absorption area (31.6 m² plant⁻¹) were higher in the treatment AWMD × DSB than root dry weight density (0.41 g cm⁻³) and root active absorption area (21.2 m² plant⁻¹) were in the treatment AWCD×NSB. The former combined treatment increased root oxidation ability (55.5 mg g⁻¹ FWh⁻¹), the root surface phosphatase activity (1.67 mg g⁻¹ FWh⁻¹) and nitrate reductase activity of root (14.4 μg g⁻¹ h⁻¹) while the latter considerably reduced the values of root oxidation ability (21.4 mg g⁻¹ FWh⁻¹), the root surface phosphatase activity (0.87 mg g⁻¹ FWh⁻¹) and nitrate reductase activity of root (5.8 μg g⁻¹ h⁻¹). The following conclusions can be drawn with regard to water use and biomass yield. (i) The reduction in water consumption was greater than the reduction in yield in the case of AWSD. (ii) The decline in water consumption was less than the decline in biomass yield in the case of AWCD. (iii) The increase in in water consumption was greater than the increase in biomass yield in the case of AWMD. Therefore, the indicators of WUE were recorded in the following order: AWSD > AWMD > AWCD. This study recommends AWD irrigation to improve the root growth traits that contribute to the greater biomass yield of rice. It also suggests that farmers should implement AWD irrigation after leaving wheat straw residues in the field, and followed by deep tillage, to mitigate the negative effect of drought stress caused by AWD irrigation, preserving plant growth without large biomass losses, and thus, addressing the constrains of straw residues and sustaining rice production under limited freshwater resources. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Green and Sustainable Agricultural Practices in Times of Climate Change)

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