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Agriculture
Special Issues
Nutrient–Pollutant Interactions in the Soil–Rhizosphere–Plant System
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Nutrient–Pollutant Interactions in the Soil–Rhizosphere–Plant System

A special issue of Agriculture (ISSN 2077-0472). This special issue belongs to the section "Agricultural Soils".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (20 February 2023) | Viewed by 2326

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Paula Pérez-Rodríguez

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Soil Science and Agricultural Chemistry Area, Plant Biology and Soil Science Department, University of Vigo, Ourense Campus, Science Faculty, 32004 Ourense, Spain
Interests: soil–rhizosphere–plant system; rhizosphere pollution; rhizosphere processes; pollutant transformation in situ; heavy-metal-polluted soils; phytoremediation; bioavailability
Dr. Diego Soto Gómez

E-Mail Website
Co-Guest Editor
Department of Agricultural Engineering, Technical University of Cartagena, Paseo Alfonso XIII, 48, 30203 Cartagena, Spain
Interests: soil physics; soil microbiology; pollutant transport; perennial crops; pore architecture
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

We are launching a Special Issue about the interactions among pollutants and nutrients in the soil–rhizosphere–plant system. The rhizosphere is a hot spot of interactions and transformations in the soil–plant system. Its particular conditions mean that processes occurring there are quicker and greater than in bulk soil. The occurrence of pollutants in this part of the system is very common, especially in agricultural soils or soils near non-point source pollution. Studies on pollutant occurrence, nutrient pools and their sources, pollutant effects on microorganisms, and introducing innovative techniques to reveal the functioning of the rhizosphere are still needed to decipher the soil–plant system.

Therefore, in this Special Issue we call for research manuscripts focused on:

  1. Monitoring the natural occurrence of pollutants and nutrient pools in the plant–soil system;
  2. Deciphering nutrient and pollutant sources and pathways in the rhizosphere;
  3. Introducing innovative and/or combined techniques to decipher processes in the rhizosphere;
  4. Addressing bioavailability in the soil–rhizosphere–plant system;
  5. Nutrient and pollutant interactions in the rhizosphere: effects and changes in soil microbiology.

Dr. Paula Pérez-Rodríguez
Dr. Diego Soto Gómez
Guest Editor

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. Agriculture 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

  • rhizosphere hot spot
  • nutrient–pollutant interactions
  • biogeochemical processes
  • bioavailability
  • soil microbiology
  • innovative techniques

Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

20 pages, 1409 KiB  
Article
Screening and Prioritization of Pesticide Application for Potential Human Health and Environmental Risks in Largescale Farms in Western Kenya
by Zedekiah Odira Onyando, Elizabeth Omukunda, Patrick Okoth, Sandra Khatiebi, Solomon Omwoma, Peter Otieno, Odipo Osano and Joseph Lalah
Agriculture 2023, 13(6), 1178; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture13061178 - 31 May 2023
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1473
Abstract
Pesticide application in agricultural and residential areas is a worldwide practice. However, human pesticide poisoning and environmental pollution through pesticide residues remain a challenge in the developing world. The present study investigated the intensity of pesticide application in large-scale farms in Trans-Nzoia County [...] Read more.
Pesticide application in agricultural and residential areas is a worldwide practice. However, human pesticide poisoning and environmental pollution through pesticide residues remain a challenge in the developing world. The present study investigated the intensity of pesticide application in large-scale farms in Trans-Nzoia County to screen and prioritize the pesticides for potential human health and environmental risks. A cross-sectional survey involving 348 farmers was conducted in the study area, and data was analyzed using SPSS. Environmental Exposure Potential (EEP) and Toxicity Potentials (TP) were analyzed from the Pesticide Properties Database (PPDB). Majority (99.4%) of the farms surveyed apply various pesticide classes that include: organophosphates (34.78%), neonicotinoids (15.22%), carbamates (10.87%), pyrethroids (10.87%), organochlorines (8.7%), triazoles (6.5%), copper-based (4.34%), avermectines (2.17%), triazines (2.17%), and amidines (2.17%), with the use of organic manures (26.3%). Despite the high prevalence of pesticide application, only 48.28% of farms conduct soil quality monitoring, 77.3% of whom do not have clear records and schedules for conducting periodic soil analyses. There was a strong positive correlation between the acreage of operation and the use of herbicides in weed management (r = 0.77; p ≤ 0.05). In relation to degradation in the environment, 18.42% of the pesticides applied in the study area were persistent in soil sub-systems while 31.58% are persistent in water. Of the pesticides applied, 18.42% had high chances of bioconcentration in living tissues, 10.53% and 13.16% had the potential of contaminating groundwater and surface water resources, respectively. The ranked-order human toxicity potential associated with the used pesticides were teratogenicity (31.58%), neurotoxicity (28.95%), endocrine disruption (7.9%), carcinogenicity (7.9%), and mutagenicity (2.63%). However, 10.53% of the pesticides possess multiple toxicity potentials. Some farmers (53.70%) surveyed were not aware of the negative environmental impacts of pesticides with 59.50% having prior training on the use and handling of pesticides. Despite the availability of Personal Protective Equipment (PPEs) on larger farms, 31.9% of the farm workers do not adhere to their use during pesticide application. In conclusion, there is low awareness among farmers of human health and environmental risks associated with pesticide application. The study recommends training of farm managers, farm owners, and farm workers on pesticide handling and associated health and environmental effects. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nutrient–Pollutant Interactions in the Soil–Rhizosphere–Plant System)
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