Search for Articles:
Title / Keyword
Author / Affiliation / Email
Journal
Article Type
 
 
Advanced Search
 
Section
Special Issue
Volume
Issue
Number
Page
 
6.7
3.4
Journals
Agronomy
Special Issues
Irrigation and Fertilizer Requirements of Crop Tillage Systems Under Future...
share announcement

Irrigation and Fertilizer Requirements of Crop Tillage Systems Under Future Climate Change Scenarios

A special issue of Agronomy (ISSN 2073-4395). This special issue belongs to the section "Innovative Cropping Systems".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 November 2025 | Viewed by 2278

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Qinge Dong

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Institute of Soil and Water Conservation Chinese Academy of Sciences, Yangling, China
Interests: efficient use of water and fertilizer resources; soil water and salt regulation and simulation
Dr. Xuewen Gong

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Water Conservancy, North China University of Water Resources and Electric Power, Zhengzhou 450045, China
Interests: efficient use of water; evapotranspiration; crop water requirements; aerodynamic resistance; crop water quality response; water transport of SPAC system; regulate deficit irrigation; crop water deficit index; energy processes; balances of farmland
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Water shortages and fertilizer pollution are important factors that affect agricultural production. In recent years, with the intensification of global climate change, the balance between water, fertilizer, and climate has become an important issue that must be considered by every agricultural producer. According to a report by the World Resources Institute and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, 60% of irrigated agriculture is under extreme water stress on the global scale, 1.2 billion people in agricultural areas are at risk of water scarcity and acute water scarcity, and nearly 1.0 billion hectares of agricultural land are affected‌ by this. Consequently, improving irrigation water use efficiency has become the primary issue for ensuring national food security. The popularization and application of fertilizer is an important means to promote an increase in agricultural production; according to a research report by QYResearch, the worth of the global fertilizer market is estimated to soon reach USD 122.08 billion, and it is expected that, by 2030, it will be valued at USD 148.08 billion, with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 4.28%. However, the overuse of fertilizers also brings great environmental pressures, such as soil degradation, water pollution, and greenhouse gas emissions. Climate change will lead to a series of problems, e.g.,‌ water scarcity and uneven distribution, increased soil water evaporation, changes in crop water requirements, and a decline in irrigation water quality‌. Therefore, the high-quality development of crop tillage systems urgently needs to realize the precise regulation of irrigation and fertilizer under future climate change scenarios. This Special Issue will cover a wide range of areas regarding the relationship of crops with irrigation, fertilizer, and climate change, with the aim of creating a favorable water–fertilizer environment for the optimization of crop tillage systems.

Dr. Qinge Dong
Dr. Xuewen Gong
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 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

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

  • agriculture
  • crop water requirement
  • crop yield and quality
  • evapotranspiration
  • fertilizer utilization efficiency
  • soil environment
  • water efficient use
  • water and fertilizer coupling
  • climate change

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 (3 papers)

Download All Papers
Order results
Result details
Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

18 pages, 3738 KB  
Article
Effect of Alternate Sprinkler Irrigation with Saline and Fresh Water on Soil Water–Salt Transport and Corn Growth
by Yue Jiang, Luya Wang, Yanfeng Li, Hao Li and Run Xue
Agronomy 2025, 15(8), 1854; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy15081854 - 31 Jul 2025
Viewed by 557
Abstract
To address freshwater scarcity and the underutilization of low-saline water in the North China Plain, a field study was conducted to evaluate the effects of alternating sprinkler irrigation using saline and fresh water on soil water–salt dynamics and corn growth. Two salinity levels [...] Read more.
To address freshwater scarcity and the underutilization of low-saline water in the North China Plain, a field study was conducted to evaluate the effects of alternating sprinkler irrigation using saline and fresh water on soil water–salt dynamics and corn growth. Two salinity levels (3 and 5 g·L−1, representing S1 and S2, respectively) and three irrigation strategies—saline–fresh–saline–fresh (F1), saline–fresh (F2), and mixed saline–fresh (F3)—were tested, resulting in six treatments: S1F1, S1F2, S1F3, S2F1, S2F2, and S2F3. S1F1 significantly improved soil water retention at a 30–50 cm depth and reduced surface electrical conductivity (EC) and Na+ concentration (p < 0.05). S1F1 also promoted more uniform Mg2+ distribution and limited Ca2+ loss. Under high salinity (5 g·L−1), surface salt accumulation and ion concentration (Na+, Mg2+, and Ca2+) increased, particularly in S2F3. Corn growth under alternating irrigation (F1/F2) outperformed the mixed mode (F3), with S1F1 achieving the highest plant height, leaf area, grain number, and 100-grain weight. The S1F1 yield surpassed others by 0.4–3.0% and maintained a better ion balance. These results suggest that alternating irrigation with low-salinity water (S1F1) effectively regulates root-zone salinity and improves crop productivity, offering a practical strategy for the sustainable use of low-saline water resources. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Irrigation and Fertilizer Requirements of Crop Tillage Systems Under Future Climate Change Scenarios)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

20 pages, 5790 KB  
Article
Irrigation and Planting Density Effects on Apple–Peanut Intercropping System
by Feiyang Yu, Ruoshui Wang, Xueying Zhang, Huiying Zheng, Lisha Wang, Sanzheng Jin, Qingqing Ren, Bohao Zhang and Chaolong Xing
Agronomy 2025, 15(8), 1798; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy15081798 - 25 Jul 2025
Viewed by 457
Abstract
The western Shanxi Loess region, as a typical semi-arid ecologically fragile zone, faces severe soil and water resource constraints. The apple–peanut intercropping system can significantly improve water productivity and economic benefits through complementary resource utilization, representing an effective approach for sustainable agricultural development [...] Read more.
The western Shanxi Loess region, as a typical semi-arid ecologically fragile zone, faces severe soil and water resource constraints. The apple–peanut intercropping system can significantly improve water productivity and economic benefits through complementary resource utilization, representing an effective approach for sustainable agricultural development in the region. This study took the apple–peanut intercropping system as the research object (apple variety: ‘Yanfu 8’; peanut variety: ‘Huayu 38’), setting three peanut planting densities (D1: 27,500 plants/ha; D2: 18,333 plants/ha; D3: 10,833 plants/ha) and two water regulation measures—W1 (irrigation upper limit at 85% of field capacity, FC) and W2 (65% FC), with non-irrigated controls (CK) at different planting densities for comparison. This study systematically analyzed the synergistic regulation effects of intercropping density and water management on system water use and comprehensive benefits. Results showed that medium planting density combined with medium irrigation (W2D2 treatment) could maximize intercropping advantages, effectively improving the intercropping system’s soil water content (SWC), yield (GY), and water use efficiency (WUE). This research provides a theoretical basis for precision irrigation in fruit–crop intercropping systems in semi-arid regions. However, based on the significant water-saving and yield-increasing effects observed in the current experimental year, follow-up studies should verify its stability through multi-year fixed-position observation data. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Irrigation and Fertilizer Requirements of Crop Tillage Systems Under Future Climate Change Scenarios)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

17 pages, 1820 KB  
Article
The Impact of Water Deficit at Various Growth Stages on Physiological Characteristics, Fruit Yield, and Quality of Drip-Irrigated Jujube Trees
by Wei Qiang, Pengrui Ai, Yingjie Ma and Jinghua Zhao
Agronomy 2025, 15(5), 1205; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy15051205 - 16 May 2025
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 617
Abstract
The long-term arid climate in Xinjiang poses a major challenge to sustainable jujube production. In this study, we systematically evaluated the impacts of deficit irrigation (DI) by comparing a full irrigation control (CK) with six DI treatments—mild DI (75% CK) and severe DI [...] Read more.
The long-term arid climate in Xinjiang poses a major challenge to sustainable jujube production. In this study, we systematically evaluated the impacts of deficit irrigation (DI) by comparing a full irrigation control (CK) with six DI treatments—mild DI (75% CK) and severe DI (50% CK) water deficits applied during either flowering + fruit setting or fruit enlargement stages. The key findings demonstrate that flowering + fruit setting DI effectively balances water conservation with productivity. Mild DI (75% CK) during flowering + fruit setting reduced irrigation by 72 mm while maintaining near-optimal photosynthesis (95% recovery post-rewatering) and significantly improving fruit quality (5.49–10.28% higher sugar content, 3.40–5.06% larger fruit volume), despite a moderate 4.22–11.36% yield reduction. In contrast, severe DI caused irreversible physiological stress (only 75% photosynthetic recovery), and fruit-enlargement-stage DI uniformly compromised both yield and fruit size. An economic analysis confirmed flowering + fruit setting mild DI as optimal, generating 17,139–20,550 RMB·ha−1 profit through enhanced water use efficiency (WUE) and premium-quality fruit production. PLS-PM validation revealed that targeted flowering + fruit setting water deficit suppresses vegetative overgrowth while optimizing source–sink relationships, achieving a 23–31% WUE improvement without sacrificing marketable yield. Thus, mild DI during flowering + fruit setting is a climate-smart irrigation strategy for Xinjiang’s jujube industry, resolving water scarcity challenges with economic viability. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Irrigation and Fertilizer Requirements of Crop Tillage Systems Under Future Climate Change Scenarios)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:
 
Displaying articles 1-3
Back to TopTop