Agroecological Transitions: Integrating Soil–Pesticide–Microbe Interactions for Sustainable System Transformation
A special issue of Agronomy (ISSN 2073-4395). This special issue belongs to the section "Agroecology Innovation: Achieving System Resilience".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 October 2026
Special Issue Editors
Interests: soil microbiology; agro-soil chemistry; soil quality bioindicators
Interests: land use change; desertification; land-use management; land degradation; sustainable development; soil chemistry; organic matter; land use; tillage systems; soil microbial community structure; soil enzymes; soil microbiology; high-throughput sequencing
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Agroecological transitions are becoming increasingly dependent on understanding the complex interactions at the soil–pesticide–microbe interface. In the past, pesticide fate, soil ecology, and microbial functioning were studied separately, but the intensification of agriculture, together with growing concerns about environmental degradation and soil health decline, has highlighted the need for integrative approaches that evaluate how pesticides influence soil processes and long-term sustainability. This Special Issue aims to showcase interdisciplinary research exploring how pesticides—synthetic or biological—affect soil ecological functioning, microbial diversity, and ecosystem services. We are seeking contributions which provide mechanistic, conceptual, or applied insights into how soil–pesticide–microbe interactions can support agroecological transitions and guide the development of resilient and sustainable agricultural systems. We welcome submissions that address microbial degradation pathways, pesticide–microbe interactions, multi-trophic dynamics, soil health indicators, and biogeochemical responses under diverse management regimes. Studies employing molecular tools, isotopic tracing, high-resolution analytical techniques, modeling approaches, field experiments, microcosms, or long-term datasets are of particular interest. We are seeking original research articles, reviews, short communications, and interdisciplinary studies that advance our understanding of pesticides’ impacts on soil ecosystems and provide actionable knowledge to support sustainable system transformation.
Dr. Romina Aylén Verdenelli
Dr. José Manuel Meriles
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 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
- agroecological transitions
- soil–pesticide interactions
- soil microbial communities
- plant–soil–microbe dynamics
- biopesticides
- sustainable agriculture
- soil health indicators
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