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Agronomy
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Circular Agriculture: Waste-to-Resource Innovations in Cropping Systems
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Circular Agriculture: Waste-to-Resource Innovations in Cropping Systems

A special issue of Agronomy (ISSN 2073-4395). This special issue belongs to the section "Soil and Plant Nutrition".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 November 2026 | Viewed by 4833

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Xueming Lin

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
College of Natural Resources and Environment, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China
Interests: circular agriculture; waste valorization; agroecological innovation; biochar application; biomass recycling
Dr. Yangmei Chen

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
College of Natural Resources and Environment, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China
Interests: circular agriculture; waste valorization; waste-to-resource innovations in agriculture; sewage sludge; recycled fibre
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Conventional agriculture’s linear model exacerbates resource depletion and environmental degradation and circular agriculture—repurposing agro-waste into resources—offers a sustainable alternative to enhance cropping system resilience, productivity, and climate adaptation. This paradigm shift hinges on technological, ecological, and socio-economic innovations.

This Special Issue invites interdisciplinary research on waste valorization, from biochar production to microbial upcycling and closed-loop nutrient cycling. Submissions may explore topics including (but not limited to) the agroecological integration of waste streams, digital tools for optimizing resource loops, drivers of circular adoption, and policy frameworks enabling transitions toward responsible production. Field experiments, life cycle assessments, and multi-stakeholder case studies are encouraged.

We welcome original research, reviews, and perspectives that bridge scales from molecular innovations to systemic design. Contributions addressing technical barriers, scalability challenges, or synergies between circular practices and global sustainability goals—such as Zero Hunger (reducing food loss and enhancing soil health), Responsible Consumption and Production (minimizing waste and closing resource loops), and Climate Action (mitigating emissions through carbon-smart practices)—will advance actionable solutions for agriculture’s future.

Join us in redefining agriculture’s role through science and collaboration.

Dr. Xueming Lin
Dr. Yangmei Chen
Guest Editors

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. Agronomy 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

  • circular agriculture
  • waste valorization
  • biochar application
  • sustainable intensification
  • life cycle assessment (LCA)

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Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

18 pages, 5554 KB  
Article
Effects of Combined Stover and Biochar Return on Soil Organic Matter and Microbial Characteristics
by Tong Wu, Shuqiang Wang, Xianying Zhang, Yulan Zhang, Yuan Li, Zhuo Wang, Xin Chen, Zhuoran Chen, Zhenhua Chen and Nan Jiang
Agronomy 2026, 16(1), 61; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy16010061 - 25 Dec 2025
Viewed by 419
Abstract
China possesses abundant stover resources, and promoting the recycling of stover instead of open burning is a crucial measure for reducing carbon emissions and protecting the atmospheric environment. This study systematically investigated the effects of four stover management strategies—stover removal (CK), direct stover [...] Read more.
China possesses abundant stover resources, and promoting the recycling of stover instead of open burning is a crucial measure for reducing carbon emissions and protecting the atmospheric environment. This study systematically investigated the effects of four stover management strategies—stover removal (CK), direct stover return (SD), stover biochar return (BC), and a combined half-stover half-biochar return (SB)—on soil physicochemical properties, enzyme activities, and microbial communities in the meadow brown soil of Northeast China. The results demonstrated that BC treatment significantly increased the soil total carbon (TC), total nitrogen (TN), total phosphorus (TP), available phosphorus (AP), and available potassium (AK) contents. SB treatment showed the most pronounced enhancement in TP. Regarding enzyme activities, Compared with CK, SD significantly increased the activity of N-acetyl -β -D-glucosaminase (NAG). Furthermore, all stover return practices significantly enhanced bacterial community diversity but suppressed fungal diversity. SB treatment resulted in the greatest improvement in bacterial richness and diversity. Beta diversity analysis revealed that SD and SB significantly altered the soil microbial community structure, whereas BC had a minimal impact. In conclusion, the combined application of stover and biochar (SB) exhibited the most consistent and beneficial outcomes across multiple soil health indicators, highlighting its potential as an effective integrated strategy for enhancing soil fertility, promoting carbon sequestration, and sustaining the health of the meadow brown soil ecosystem in Northeast China. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Circular Agriculture: Waste-to-Resource Innovations in Cropping Systems)
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17 pages, 1696 KB  
Article
Recycling Reservoir Sediments and Rice Husk for Sustainable Rice Seedling Production
by Pei-Tzu Kao and Shan-Li Wang
Agronomy 2025, 15(10), 2387; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy15102387 - 14 Oct 2025
Viewed by 727
Abstract
Amending reservoir sediments with organic matter provides a sustainable alternative to conventional rice (Oryza sativa L.) seedling substrates, simultaneously reducing dependence on agricultural soils and promoting the recycling of dredged sediments and agricultural by-products. Preliminary tests showed that adding rice husk (RH) [...] Read more.
Amending reservoir sediments with organic matter provides a sustainable alternative to conventional rice (Oryza sativa L.) seedling substrates, simultaneously reducing dependence on agricultural soils and promoting the recycling of dredged sediments and agricultural by-products. Preliminary tests showed that adding rice husk (RH) improved the porosity and water retention of the sediments while preventing surface cracking. This study further examined the effects of RH and rice husk biochar (RHB) on sediment fertility and rice seedling growth. Seedlings were grown for 15 days in a fine- or coarse-texture sediment amended with 0, 5, 10, or 20% (w/w) RH or RHB. A 10% amendment was identified as the optimal ratio for promoting seedling growth (increasing ca. 20% biomass). Nitrogen (N) availability was the primary factor influencing seedling performance, outweighing the effects of salinity and phosphorus availability. Compared with RH, RHB amendment resulted in lower substrate available N, likely due to greater losses through denitrification and ammonia volatilization, leading to reduced growth. In contrast, RH amendment maintained higher levels of available N, resulting in greater shoot biomass and higher leaf chlorophyll concentrations. Overall, amending reservoir sediments with 10% RH provides the most effective substrate formulation, offering a practical and sustainable strategy for rice seedling production. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Circular Agriculture: Waste-to-Resource Innovations in Cropping Systems)
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22 pages, 1299 KB  
Article
Effect of Processing Solid Organic Municipal Wastes on Their Phosphorus Fertilizer Value
by Shohnazar Hazratqulov, Holger Bessler, Anna Adam, Theodor Radelhof and Christof Engels
Agronomy 2025, 15(10), 2296; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy15102296 - 28 Sep 2025
Viewed by 1016
Abstract
In the circular economy framework, municipal wastes are seen as secondary raw materials that can be used to fertilize agricultural soils. This study assessed the effect of different biowaste and green waste treatment schemes on P fertilizer value to learn about the optimal [...] Read more.
In the circular economy framework, municipal wastes are seen as secondary raw materials that can be used to fertilize agricultural soils. This study assessed the effect of different biowaste and green waste treatment schemes on P fertilizer value to learn about the optimal valorization of these feedstocks. The wastes were used either fresh, after composting or anaerobic digestion, or as biochars produced at various pyrolysis conditions. The fertilizer value was determined from the change in soil concentration of plant-available P (PCAL) in incubation experiments with different soils and the temporal dynamics of fertilizer-induced growth and P accumulation of ryegrass in a pot experiment with eight harvests. The mode of waste treatment significantly influenced the P fertilizer value in the incubation and in the pot experiment. In the incubation experiment, the amendment-induced PCAL increase varied between 22% and 33% of applied P on low-P acidic soil and between 55% and 88% of applied P on high-P acidic soil, whereby the amendment effects were mainly determined by their effects on soil pH. In the pot experiment with low-P acidic soil, the apparent P recovery in the plant biomass (APR) varied between 2% of applied P for fresh green waste and 42% for fluid digestate. The amendment effects on APR were not related to soil pH but to the PCAL supply with the amendments and amendment effects on soil P supply. Our data show great potential for increasing the P fertilizer value of organic municipal waste materials through appropriate processing prior to application. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Circular Agriculture: Waste-to-Resource Innovations in Cropping Systems)
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28 pages, 16451 KB  
Article
Effects of Fish Pond Sediment on Quality of Saline–Alkali Soil and Some Vegetables: Water Spinach, Lettuce, and Chili
by Zhaohui Luo, Zhuoyue Zhang, Ying Guo, Luhao Lv, Dan Chen and Jiaming Duan
Agronomy 2025, 15(7), 1670; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy15071670 - 10 Jul 2025
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2141
Abstract
With the rapid expansion of the aquaculture scale, the environmental pollution caused by the accumulation of fish pond sediment (FPS) has become increasingly prominent, making it urgent to establish sustainable resource utilization solutions. This study investigates the potential of using FPS as a [...] Read more.
With the rapid expansion of the aquaculture scale, the environmental pollution caused by the accumulation of fish pond sediment (FPS) has become increasingly prominent, making it urgent to establish sustainable resource utilization solutions. This study investigates the potential of using FPS as a soil amendment to improve saline–alkali soil (SAS) quality and enhance vegetable growth, while also quantifying ecological benefits through Gross Ecosystem Product (GEP) accounting. A pot experiment was conducted to evaluate the effects of different FPS mass percentages (0%, 20%, 40%, 80%, and 100%) on the growth of three vegetables (water spinach, lettuce, and chili) and soil quality. The results demonstrated that FPS addition at ≥40% significantly improves SAS quality, reducing the pH and salinity (p < 0.05), while enhancing organic matter, nutrient availability, and microbial activity. Among the treatments, 80% FPS maximized vegetable yields, with water spinach achieving the highest edible biomass (37.32 g). Compared to the control, nutritional quality under ≥80% FPS treatment showed substantial increases: vitamin C (133.33–307.03%), soluble sugars (49.97–73.53%), and protein (26.14–48.08%). An economic analysis revealed that 80% FPS with water spinach cultivation generated peak ecological benefits (274,951 CNY·ha−1; 185% above control). These findings provide a scientific basis and effective model for the resource utilization of FPS and the improvement of saline–alkali soil, offering significant implications for the sustainable development of agriculture and environmental protection. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Circular Agriculture: Waste-to-Resource Innovations in Cropping Systems)
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