Nitrogen Cycle in Farming Systems—2nd Edition

Dear Colleagues,

The human impact on the N cycle is a result of numerous activities, as a rule interacting with each other. The basis of agriculture production, irrespective of the geographical and climatic differences, is the cropping sequence, which affects N supply to plants. N is the main driver of biomass production and its partitioning between plant parts during growth. The low efficiency of N applied in fertilizers is due to a lack of synchrony during the growing season between requirements for N and the capacity of plants to effectively transform into yield.

The content of available N to currently grown plants, regardless of the type and amount of applied N fertilizers, is only partly controlled by a farmer. The first step in the sound management of N on a particular field, and on the farm, is to recognize the weakest point of the N transformation chain. This is the basis for developing a set of measures for the existing N gap amelioration.

The main aim of the Special Issue entitled “Nitrogen Cycle in Farming Systems” is to present the newest solutions in nitrogen management in diverse farming systems, subsequently leading to fulfilling twin objectives of the sustainable intensification of agriculture, i.e., food production, using efficiently non-renewable resources, without disturbance of the environment.

Scope of the Special Issue:

1) Nitrogen budgeting and cycle in farming systems in different climatic zones:

1. tropic, b. humid, c. dry.

2) Nitrogen budgeting and cycle in diverse farming systems:

1. crop farming systems;
2. mixed crop–livestock systems;
3. extensive farming systems;
4. industrialized farming—plantation.

3) Effect of organic and mineral N carriers on:

1. activity of soil microorganisms;
2. structure and transformation pathways of soil N compounds;
3. soil N compounds as indicators of N availability to crop plants.

4) In-season nitrogen balance in fields with diverse cropping composition.

5) Critical stages of the crop plant’s requirements for nitrogen.

6) A comparison of bio-fertilizers (recycled organic nitrogen fertilizers) with mineral N carriers.

7) Effect of a synchrony of the simultaneous application of organic fertilizers with mineral N fertilizers on N efficiency.

Prof. Dr. Witold Grzebisz
Prof. Dr. Alicja Niewiadomska
Guest Editors

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• farm
• field
• crop plants
• cropping sequence
• N requirements
• N sources
• N uptake
• N balance
• N recycling
• N losses