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Agronomy
Special Issues
Soil Health and Nutrient Cycling Mediated by Plant–Microbial–Soil Interactions
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Soil Health and Nutrient Cycling Mediated by Plant–Microbial–Soil Interactions

A special issue of Agronomy (ISSN 2073-4395). This special issue belongs to the section "Agroecology Innovation: Achieving System Resilience".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 25 August 2026 | Viewed by 2606

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Xiaoyan Tang

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
College of Resources, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, China
Interests: plant nutrient; rhizosphere ecology; plant-soil-microbial interaction; soil P cycling; soil C sequestration
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Prof. Dr. Yuanxue Chen

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
College of Resources, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, China
Interests: soil improvement and fertility enhancement; nutrient management; agricultural green development

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Soil health is fundamentally underpinned by the efficient cycling of nutrients, a process driven by the dynamic interactions between plants, soil microbes, and the physical soil environment. This Special Issue seeks to advance our understanding of this critical linkage. We aim to explore how plant–microbial–soil interactions govern the transformation and availability of essential elements like carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus, and how these processes directly contribute to key indicators of soil health, such as fertility, structure, and biological activity.

We welcome original research and reviews that investigate the mechanistic basis of these interactions, their response to agricultural management practices, and their role in building resilient and sustainable agroecosystems. This collection will provide a platform for research that bridges fundamental biogeochemical processes with practical strategies for enhancing soil quality and productivity.

Dr. Xiaoyan Tang
Prof. Dr. Yuanxue 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

  • soil health
  • nutrient cycling
  • plant–microbe interactions
  • soil microbiome
  • rhizosphere
  • sustainable agriculture
  • carbon sequestration
  • nitrogen fixation

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

18 pages, 1184 KB  
Article
Dynamics of Soil Organic Carbon and Nitrogen Fractions in Dryland Wheat Fields as Affected by Tillage Practices on the Loess Plateau of China
by Longxing Wang, Hao Li, Tianjing Xu, Xinfang Yang, Fei Dong, Shuangdui Yan and Qiuyan Yan
Agronomy 2026, 16(6), 660; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy16060660 - 20 Mar 2026
Viewed by 386
Abstract
Soil organic carbon (SOC) and total nitrogen (TN) are key indicators of soil fertility; however, the dynamics of carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) fractions during winter wheat growth under different tillage systems remain poorly understood. This study examined the effects of three tillage [...] Read more.
Soil organic carbon (SOC) and total nitrogen (TN) are key indicators of soil fertility; however, the dynamics of carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) fractions during winter wheat growth under different tillage systems remain poorly understood. This study examined the effects of three tillage practices: no tillage (NT), subsoiling tillage (SS), and deep tillage (DT) on four soil organic carbon fractions (SOC, soil organic carbon; EOC, easily oxidized organic carbon; DOC, dissolved organic carbon; POC, particulate organic carbon) and four nitrogen fractions (TN, total nitrogen; NO3−-N, nitrate nitrogen; NH4+-N, ammonium nitrogen; DON, dissolved organic nitrogen) across five winter wheat growth stages (sowing, overwintering, jointing, filling and harvest) in the 0–50 cm soil profile. The results showed that SOC, its labile fractions, and TN all decreased with increasing soil depth, with tillage effects mainly confined to the 0–20 cm layer. SS achieved the highest SOC and TN contents in the topsoil, while NT and SS significantly enhanced the surface enrichment of C and N. In contrast, DT promoted more uniform nutrient distribution into the 30–50 cm subsoil. DON continuously accumulated throughout the growing season with faster accumulation rates under SS and NT; DOC peaked at the jointing stage, while EOC and NH4+-N followed a consistent “decline–recovery–decline” seasonal pattern. SS yielded the highest total SOC stock (166.20 t ha−1) in the 0–50 cm profile, particularly in the 0–30 cm layer. Correlation analysis showed that the coupling relationships among C and N indicators varied with soil depth, with the strongest positive correlation between SOC and EOC in the topsoil. Both SS and DT maintained higher soil water content (SWC) than NT in the 20–50 cm layers throughout the experimental period. In conclusion, SS emerges as the optimal balanced tillage strategy for dryland wheat fields on the Loess Plateau, simultaneously improving topsoil fertility, water retention, and C sequestration; meanwhile, DT is more effective for enhancing subsoil water and nutrient conditions. These findings provide a scientific basis for targeted tillage management to sustain soil fertility and productivity in rainfed dryland farming systems. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Soil Health and Nutrient Cycling Mediated by Plant–Microbial–Soil Interactions)
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15 pages, 3401 KB  
Article
Localized Phosphorus Application Promotes the Growth and Nutrient Content of Pitaya (Hylocereus polyrhizus) Seedlings by Improving Root Morphology
by Jiamin Wu, Chen Chen, Youhui Fan, Yunze Ruan, Junfeng Qu, Fanrong Pan, Zhiliang Chen and Wei Gao
Agronomy 2026, 16(2), 173; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy16020173 - 9 Jan 2026
Viewed by 466
Abstract
Localized phosphorus (P) application stimulates root proliferation in nutrient-rich zones, aligns root growth with soil P distribution, and enhances nutrient uptake efficiency. However, whether localized P supply benefits pitaya remains unclear. In this study, pitaya seedlings were used in a rhizobox experiment with [...] Read more.
Localized phosphorus (P) application stimulates root proliferation in nutrient-rich zones, aligns root growth with soil P distribution, and enhances nutrient uptake efficiency. However, whether localized P supply benefits pitaya remains unclear. In this study, pitaya seedlings were used in a rhizobox experiment with four P treatments: no P (No-P), uniform P (Uniform-P1, 50 mg kg−1), localized P (Local-P1, 50 mg kg−1), and uniform high P (Uniform-P2, 200 mg kg−1). Phosphorus treatments significantly affected shoot growth. Localized P supply produced greater shoot biomass than both uniform and high uniform P. It also increased shoot nitrogen and potassium content but did not significantly affect P content. Localized P application strongly promoted root development. Compared with Uniform-P1, Local-P1 increased root biomass, total root length, root surface area, and root volume by 142.11%, 121.77%, 110.25%, and 100.19%, respectively. Moreover, total root length, root surface area, and root volume were positively correlated with nitrogen and potassium content as well as total biomass. These findings demonstrate that localized P supply improves root morphology, enhances nitrogen and potassium acquisition, and promotes shoot growth in pitaya. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Soil Health and Nutrient Cycling Mediated by Plant–Microbial–Soil Interactions)
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22 pages, 2884 KB  
Article
Organic Amendments Drive Soil Organic Carbon Sequestration and Crop Growth via Microorganisms and Aggregates
by Donglin Zong, Ying Quan, Petri Penttinen, Ling Qi, Jiangtao Wang, Xiaoyan Tang, Kaiwei Xu and Yuanxue Chen
Agronomy 2025, 15(12), 2919; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy15122919 - 18 Dec 2025
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1328
Abstract
Exogenous carbon addition is widely regarded as an effective soil management strategy for rapidly increasing soil organic carbon, improving soil structure and function. However, a systematic comparison of the effects of diverse organic amendments on key soil attributes and processes is needed to [...] Read more.
Exogenous carbon addition is widely regarded as an effective soil management strategy for rapidly increasing soil organic carbon, improving soil structure and function. However, a systematic comparison of the effects of diverse organic amendments on key soil attributes and processes is needed to inform their targeted application. We evaluated the impacts of seven organic amendments (biochar, organic fertilizer, corn straw, soybean straw, rapeseed straw, green manure, and carbon material) on a purple soil (Luvic Xerosols) in a pot experiment. The results showed that organic fertilizer and carbon material performed best in enhancing soil nutrient availability and promoting soil organic carbon content. Straw amendments promoted the formation of macro-aggregates. Green manure and straws enhanced carbon transformation-related β-glucosidase and cellobiohydrolase activities. Random Forest and structural equation modeling indicated that the organic amendments enhanced maize carbon sequestration capacity and biomass by improving aggregate stability and regulating the fungal community and by increasing nutrients and enhancing active carbon fractions. Green manure and organic fertilizer demonstrated the most significant agronomic effects. These findings provide guidelines for targeted organic amendment selection in purple soil regions. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Soil Health and Nutrient Cycling Mediated by Plant–Microbial–Soil Interactions)
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