27 February 2026
Agriculture | Issue Cover Collection Published in 2024
The articles listed below have been selected as the cover articles for Issues 1–12 of Volume 14 by the Editorial Office of Agriculture (ISSN: 2077-0472). These articles represent the latest research advancements in fields within the journal's scope, and we hope they will serve as a source of new research ideas for scholars and authors in these fields. For full access to Volume 14, please visit https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0472/14.
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1. “Cold Climate Factors in Nitrogen Management for Maize” Cover Story: Climate plays a role in N management through changes in crop calendars, soil properties, agronomic practices, and yield effects. Multiple data sources indicate (but do not prove) that colder climates are generally associated with higher levels of SOM-associated N stocks, but this may not result in greater crop N availability. Also, colder climates are, on average, associated with lower EONRs, which are mostly explained by lower yield expectations. But seasonal weather is an important superimposing factor impacting the EONR in all climates. Progress in N management, therefore, requires a dynamic approach that accounts for the effects of climate and weather with interacting agronomic factors for a specific growing environment. |
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2. “Relationship among Soil Biophysicochemical Properties, Agricultural Practices and Climate Factors Influencing Soil Phosphatase Activity in Agricultural Land” by Patrícia Campdelacreu Rocabruna, Xavier Domene, Catherine Preece and Josep Peñuelas Agriculture 2024, 14(2), 288; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture14020288 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0472/14/2/288 Cover Story: Understanding the assimilation of P through APases in the plant–soil/plant–microbiota ecosystem can be crucial for crop productivity and yields. This review qualitatively underscores the significance of APases in P uptake in agroecosystems and their role in the global P cycle. Observable changes in APase activity can be attributed to soil biophysicochemical properties, agricultural management practices, pollutants, and climate change. Although the selected studies cannot produce a meaningful summary estimate of the effect of more than two factors, the information obtained will enable us to manage agricultural systems to promote the capabilities of plants and associated microorganisms to assimilate nutrients and understand microbial-mediated processes and the dynamics of soil health. |
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3. “Traditional and Emerging Approaches for Disease Management of Plasmopara viticola, Causal Agent of Downy Mildew of Grape” by Jessica I. Clippinger, Emily P. Dobry, Ivy Laffan, Nyla Zorbas, Bryan Hed and Michael A. Campbell Agriculture 2024, 14(3), 406; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture14030406 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0472/14/3/406 Cover Story: Plasmopara viticola is one of the most destructive pathogens affecting grape production today. However, traditional chemical management practices have begun to fall out of favor due to increased fungicide resistance and environmental concerns. A better understanding of the pathogen, its genetics, and integrated disease management programs that optimize all available treatment options will help reduce its negative impacts on growers. From targeted breeding to biological control agents, potential solutions are continually being investigated and adapted to limit the damage caused by downy mildew. This review summarizes the current knowledge of the pathogen and the methods of its control and explores potential avenues for future research focused on hypovirulence and biological control agents. |
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4. “Food Authentication: The Detection of Arbutus unedo and Olea europaea Leaves as an Admixture of Oregano Using LAMP- and Duplex LAMP-Based Test Systems with Lateral-Flow Assays” by Nathalie Holz, Nils Wax, Boris A. Illarionov, Margarita Iskhakova and Markus Fischer Agriculture 2024, 14(4), 597; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture14040597 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0472/14/4/597 Cover Story: If adulteration of a food product is suspected, this suspicion must be dispelled or confirmed as quickly as possible to avoid harm to the industry or the consumer. A reliable and specific rapid test system is therefore required for use in routine analysis. Due to its ever-increasing popularity, oregano is often the target of adulteration with morphologically similar material. LAMP assays (loop-mediated isothermal amplification) were developed and optimized to detect the frequently found contaminants, strawberry tree and olive leaves, in oregano, including DNA isolation, within 30 minutes. The result can be read out directly using a user-friendly lateral flow assay. |
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5. “Oil Quality Prediction in Olive Oil by Near-Infrared Spectroscopy: Applications in Olive Breeding” by Hande Yılmaz-Düzyaman, Raúl de la Rosa, Leonardo Velasco, Nieves Núñez-Sánchez and Lorenzo León Agriculture 2024, 14(5), 721; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture14050721 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0472/14/5/721 Cover Story: The oxidative stability index and fatty acid composition of extra virgin olive oils are crucial parameters in the characterization of novel olive varieties in breeding programs. However, due to the extensive and time-consuming nature of the traditional methods employed to determine their characteristics, rapid and cost-effective analytical procedures must be developed. In this study, we evaluate the potential application of near-infrared spectroscopy in analyzing these traits with different instruments and demonstrate that accurate models could be developed. Additionally, reliable heritability values and genotype rankings were obtained from near-infrared estimations; this underlines the practicality of this technique for the evaluation and selection of genotypes in olive breeding programs. |
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6. “Pisum sativum L. ‘Eso’: Metabolic Profiling of Yellow Seeds to Define the Optimal Harvest Time” by Adriano Patriarca, Fabio Sciubba, Alberta Tomassini, Ottavia Giampaoli, Michele De Rosa, Federico Marini, Walter Aureli, Alfredo Miccheli and Elisa Brasili Agriculture 2024, 14(6), 855; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture14060855 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0472/14/6/855 Cover Story: Yellow peas (Pisum sativum L. ‘Eso’) are becoming an important novel source of proteins and amino acids, yet there are few articles where the whole phytochemical profile was examined. Most of all, how can we decide on the best agronomical parameters? When do we harvest them? Is this parameter important at all? In this study, yellow peas were characterized by NMR-based metabolomics, and the phytochemical profile was assessed as a function of harvest time. It was possible to valorize different uses of the same crop, considering the amino acid profile and the presence of bioactive compounds, as well as prebiotics. |
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7. “New Frontiers in the Cultivation of Edible Fungi: The Application of Biostimulants Enhances the Nutritional Characteristics of Pleurotus eryngii (DC.) Quél” by Adriano Patriarca, Fabio Sciubba, Alberta Tomassini, Ottavia Giampaoli, Michele De Rosa, Federico Marini, Walter Aureli, Alfredo Miccheli and Elisa Brasili Agriculture 2024, 14(6), 855; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture14060855 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0472/14/6/855 Cover Story: Fungi offer a sustainable, non-animal protein source, requiring less land and growing on waste. Due to population growth, there is a need to boost yields and quality without using synthetic fertilizers. Wood distillate (WD), a product from wood pyrolysis, is rich in bioactive substances like polyphenols and alcohols and is approved for organic farming. This study examines WD's effect on cultivating P. eryngii at concentrations of 0%, 0.1%, 0.2%, 0.5%, and 1%. The results showed that WD significantly increased the content of total soluble protein, phenols, and vitamin C, while reducing glycogen, especially at 0.2%. These findings suggest biostimulants like WD can enhance mushroom nutrition, warranting further research. |
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8. “Soil Health Intensification through Strengthening Soil Structure Improves Soil Carbon Sequestration” by Ryusuke Hatano, Ikabongo Mukumbuta and Mariko Shimizu Agriculture 2024, 14(8), 1290; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture14081290 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0472/14/8/1290 Cover Story: As climate change becomes more severe, concerns about soil health increase. Upon strengthening the structure of soil, soil organic matter increases the supply of nutrients and water to plants, reduces the environmental load, and sequesters carbon in the soil, helping to mitigate global warming. As a guideline for maintaining healthy soil structures, the SOC/clay ratio should not fall below 1/13. If organic matter is not added to the soil, in approximately 40–70 years, the soil will completely lose its health, even in Japan's volcanic ash soil pasture fields. Adding 2.5 tC/ha/y to the soil through compost will prevent the soil from losing organic matter, and adding 1 tC/ha/y can offset N2O emissions. |
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9. “A Study of the Impact of Surgical Correction of Left Abomasal Displacement on Fertility Parameters in Lactating Holstein Cows” by Ioannis Nanas, Eleni Dovolou, Katerina Dadouli, Ilias Ramouzis and Georgios S. Amiridis Agriculture 2024, 14(9), 1487; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture14091487 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0472/14/9/1487 Cover Story: Abomasal displacement is a common disorder during the postpartum period, suppressing milk yield and compromising the welfare of the affected cows; however, its effect on fertility remains elusive. We hypothesized that treatment at the onset of the disease could minimize production and fertility losses. Hence, we trained the farmers to diagnose the disease, and thus, surgery was performed within 12 h. The reproductive and milk production performances of the treated cows were tested against those of normal cows and cows with delayed treatment. Our results implied that even prompt treatment fails to restore production and fertility. Despite that, the losses are considerably higher in neglected cases, underlying the importance of early diagnosis, which inevitably must be made by trained farmers. |
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10. “Remote Sensing Dynamics for Analyzing Nitrogen Impact on Rice Yield in Limited Environments” by David Fita, Alberto San Bautista, Sergio Castiñeira-Ibáñez, Belén Franch, Concha Domingo and Constanza Rubio Agriculture 2024, 14(10), 1753; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture14101753 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0472/14/10/1753 Cover Story: Agriculture faces significant challenges in the 21st century, such as preserving the environment and ensuring food security for a growing population. Against the backdrop of limited natural resources and climate change, agronomic crop management challenges are now focused on balancing productivity and the efficient use of production inputs. To this end, new tools such as remote sensing will be a crucial element in constructing fundamental models for the generation of artificial intelligence, which can help make more accurate and balanced decisions while preserving natural resources. A clear example is rice cultivation, a fundamental pillar of food in the world and a crop that is fully integrated into the environment in most cultivation areas. Furthermore, the dynamics of remote sensing allow for the generation of strategies and solutions in complex environments for agriculture. |
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11. “Twenty Years of Socio-Economic Research on Organic Agriculture Across the World: Looking at the Past to Be Ready for the Future” by Leonardo Cei, Gianluca Stefani and Luca Rossetto Agriculture 2024, 14(11), 1944; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture14111944 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0472/14/11/1944 Cover Story: Driven by consumer interest, producer and retailer strategies, as well as normative context, the rapid development of the world organic sector has stimulated an increase in socio-economic research. The implementation of a structural topic model on scientific abstracts from the last 20 years allowed us to identify three broad areas of interest for socio-economic researchers: consumers, production, and society. The relationship of these areas varies in different regions, which indicates good integration of organic socio-economic research within local contexts. Overall, consumer-focused studies are more prominent than production-focused studies. The latter seems to call for renewed attention and analysis of the organic sector, assisted by evidence of the organic supply chain. |
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12. “Review on Photocatalytic Applications for Deodorization in Livestock and Poultry Farms” by Dongxuan Han, Qinqin Sun, Xiaojie Yan, Ximing Zhang, Xiaoshuai Wang and Kaiying Wang Agriculture 2024, 14(12), 2216; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture14122216 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0472/14/12/2216 Cover Story: Odor emissions from intensive livestock and poultry farming operations are significant environmental and health concerns. Photocatalysis has shown great promise for mitigating odorous gases in livestock and poultry farming due to its efficiency, environmental friendliness, and mild operating conditions. However, due to humidity, dust, and pollutant complexity, reduced efficacy occurs in practical applications. The combination of photocatalysis and other deodorization methods is of vital importance for synergistically removing odorous pollutants. Future studies on farm-scale applications should utilize modeling and computational tools to better understand the kinetics, light distribution, and fluid patterns. Photocatalytic deodorization is still in its early stages, necessitating researchers to explore and develop efficient and cost-effective technologies and processes. |
