Influence of Agronomic Practices and Environmental Conditions on Phytochemical Accumulation and Antioxidant Activity in Medicinal and Aromatic Plants
A special issue of Agronomy (ISSN 2073-4395). This special issue belongs to the section "Horticultural and Floricultural Crops".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 28 February 2026 | Viewed by 10
Special Issue Editors
Interests: herbs; essential oils; plant cultivation
Interests: fruits; vegetables; raw material; food processing; freezing; canning
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Phytochemicals such as polyphenols, flavonoids, alkaloids, and terpenes play vital roles in plant defense mechanisms and contribute significantly to antioxidant activity in medicinal and aromatic plants. These bioactive compounds are not only essential for plant stress responses but are also valuable for their potential applications in the pharmaceutical, cosmetic, and functional food industries.
Recent research has demonstrated that the accumulation of phytochemicals and associated antioxidant activity in plants can be significantly influenced by agronomic practices, including fertilization regimes, irrigation management, planting density, and tillage systems, as well as by soil characteristics and climatic factors.
This Special Issue aims to explore the interaction between agricultural management practices and environmental conditions in shaping the phytochemical profile and antioxidant potential of medicinal and aromatic plants. Contributions focusing on field-based studies, greenhouse trials, or modeling approaches that connect crop cultivation methods with bioactive compound production are particularly welcome. Topics of interest include, but are not limited to, the following:
- The effects of fertilization, irrigation, and soil amendments on phytochemical content;
- The influence of cultivation systems (organic vs. conventional);
- The role of abiotic stress (drought, salinity, temperature) in secondary metabolite biosynthesis;
- Genotype–environment–management (G×E×M) interactions;
- Post-harvest practices affecting antioxidant activity;
- Sustainable production and land management approaches.
By bridging plant biochemistry with agronomic science, this Special Issue seeks to provide insights into optimizing cultivation strategies for enhanced antioxidant potential in medicinal crops.
Dr. Urszula Sadowska
Dr. Jacek Słupski
Guest Editors
Manuscript Submission Information
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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 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
- medicinal plants
- aromatic plants
- phytochemicals
- antioxidants
- agronomic practices
- fertilization
- soil and climate interactions
- secondary metabolites
- functional traits
- sustainable cultivation
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