Management-Driven Soil–Plant–Microbiome Interactions in Sustainable Cropping Systems

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 October 2026 | Viewed by 298

Special Issue Editor


E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
College of Agronomy, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, China
Interests: intercropping; tillage; microbiome; rhizosphere; legumes; maize
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Agricultural systems are increasingly challenged by climate change, soil degradation, and resource limitations, necessitating more integrated and sustainable management approaches. Recent advances in soil science, plant biology, and microbial ecology have revealed the intricate coupling between soil processes, microbiomes, and plant physiological responses. These interactions play a pivotal role in regulating nutrient cycling, soil health, and crop productivity. With the rapid development of multi-omics technologies, high-throughput phenotyping, and process-based modeling, researchers are now able to move beyond reductionist perspectives and better understand agroecosystems as dynamic, interconnected systems.

This integrated perspective offers new opportunities to optimize agricultural practices for enhanced resilience and sustainability. Understanding how management strategies shape soil–plant–microbe interactions is particularly timely for developing climate-smart and resource-efficient cropping systems.

This Special Issue aims to present and disseminate the most recent advances related to management-driven interactions among soil processes, microbiomes, and plant physiology in agricultural systems. We consider contributions addressing interdisciplinary approaches that link soil biogeochemistry, microbial dynamics, and plant responses under diverse management practices.

Topics of interest for publication include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • Soil biogeochemical processes and nutrient cycling under different management regimes;
  • Soil microbiome structure, function, and ecological interactions;
  • Plant–microbe interactions and rhizosphere dynamics;
  • Plant physiological responses to biotic and abiotic stresses;
  • Integration of multi-omics approaches in agroecosystem research;
  • High-throughput plant phenotyping and functional trait analysis;
  • Process-based and data-driven modeling of soil–plant systems;
  • Climate-smart agriculture and sustainable crop management strategies;
  • Linking soil health indicators with crop productivity and resilience;
  • Interdisciplinary studies combining field experiments, laboratory analyses, and modeling approaches.

Dr. Yüze Li
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 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

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 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 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

  • microbiome
  • soil processes
  • plant physiology
  • rhizosphere
  • crop management
  • sustainable cropping systems
  • plant–soil–microbe interactions
  • climate-resilient agriculture

Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue

  • Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
  • Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
  • Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
  • External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
  • Reprint: MDPI Books provides the opportunity to republish successful Special Issues in book format, both online and in print.

Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers

This special issue is now open for submission.
Back to TopTop