Advancements in Precision Fertilization and Water Management for Sustainable Agriculture

A special issue of Agronomy (ISSN 2073-4395). This special issue belongs to the section "Precision and Digital Agriculture".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 December 2025 | Viewed by 434

Special Issue Editor


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Guest Editor
College of Water Resources and Architectural Engineering, Northwest A&F University, Xianyang, China
Interests: efficient utilization of agricultural water and fertilizer resources

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The efficient utilization of water and fertilizers is crucial for achieving sustainable agricultural production. Integrated waterfertilizer management technologies and innovative irrigationfertilization strategies are key to optimizing crop yield and enhancing resource use efficiency. Understanding the physiological and biochemical mechanisms that contribute to high yield and efficiency under various water and fertilizer management regimes is essential for developing advanced agronomic practices. Recent developments in precision agriculture, smart irrigation systems, and data-driven fertilization techniques offer valuable opportunities to improve water and nutrient use while mitigating environmental impacts.

This Special Issue focuses on the most recent research in crop waterfertilizer efficiency, integrated waterfertilizer management, and cutting-edge irrigation and fertilization technologies. We invite contributions that address the following areas:

  • Mechanisms of High Yield and Efficiency: Investigating how crops respond physiologically, biochemically, and structurally to different water and fertilizer regimes to achieve optimal productivity.
  • Integrated Water–Fertilizer Management: Strategies to harmonize water and nutrient use to enhance crop performance while conserving resources.
  • Innovative Irrigation and Fertilization Technologies: The development and application of precision fertigation systems, controlled-release fertilizers, and smart irrigation technologies to improve water and nutrient use efficiency.
  • Covering Technologies: Exploring the role of covering techniques such as plastic film mulching, straw mulching, and others to improve water and nutrient use efficiency and enhance crop productivity.
  • Remote Sensing and Precision Agriculture: Utilizing UAVs, spectral imaging, and soil moisture sensors to monitor and optimize water and nutrient management in real time.
  • Environmental and Economic Impacts: Assessing the sustainability of advanced water–fertilizer management techniques, focusing on nutrient loss reduction, soil health, and cost-effectiveness.

This Special Issue provides insights into innovative strategies for improving crop water and fertilizer efficiency, contributing to sustainable agricultural intensification. Future research should aim to develop affordable and scalable technologies, decision-support systems for smallholder farmers, and adaptive irrigationfertilization models suited to diverse agroecosystems. Bridging the gap between research and field applications is essential to ensure the long-term sustainability and resilience of global agriculture.

We invite researchers and practitioners to submit their latest findings as part of this Special Issue. By advancing precision waterfertilizer management, we can enhance food security, optimize resource use, and reduce environmental footprints, ultimately paving the way for more sustainable agricultural practices.

Dr. Junsheng Lu
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • precision agriculture
  • integrated water–fertilizer management
  • sustainable agriculture
  • smart irrigation systems
  • fertigation technologies
  • efficient utilization of water and fertilizers

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

23 pages, 2642 KiB  
Article
Evaluating of Four Irrigation Depths on Soil Moisture and Temperature, and Seed Cotton Yield Under Film-Mulched Drip Irrigation in Northwest China
by Xianghao Hou, Wenhui Hu, Quanqi Li, Junliang Fan and Fucang Zhang
Agronomy 2025, 15(7), 1674; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy15071674 - 10 Jul 2025
Viewed by 232
Abstract
Soil mulching and irrigation are critical practices for alleviating water scarcity and enhancing crop yields in arid and semi-arid regions by regulating soil moisture and soil temperature. Clarifying the effects of various irrigation depths on soil moisture and temperature under mulched condition is [...] Read more.
Soil mulching and irrigation are critical practices for alleviating water scarcity and enhancing crop yields in arid and semi-arid regions by regulating soil moisture and soil temperature. Clarifying the effects of various irrigation depths on soil moisture and temperature under mulched condition is essential for optimizing irrigation strategies. This study investigated the effects of four irrigation depths based on crop evapotranspiration (ETc): 60, 80, 100, and 120% (W0.6, W0.8, W1.0, and W1.2, respectively) on the soil moisture content (SMC), soil temperature and seed cotton yield in mulched cotton fields. Results revealed that when the irrigation depth increased from 60%ETc to 120%ETc, seed cotton yield increased by 12.04% in 2018 and 17.00% in 2019 at the cost of irrigation water use efficiency (IWUE), which decreased from 2.53 kg m−3 to 1.54 kg m−3 in 2018 and 2.60 kg m−3 to 1.58 kg m−3 in 2019. Soil temperature exhibited a temporal trend of initial increase followed by decline, and it was positively affected by soil mulching. Notably, W0.6 treatment maintained significantly higher soil temperature than other treatments. Soil moisture content was positively affected by irrigation depth, while soil water storage first decreased and then increased over time, reaching the minimum at the flowering and boll setting stages during the two growing seasons. Higher irrigation amount reduced the total spatial variability (C0 + C) of soil but did not significantly alter the distribution characteristics of soil moisture, as indicated by stable coefficients of variation (CVs) and stratification ratios (SRs). The variability of soil moisture diminished with soil depth with the lowest CV obtained at a 60 cm soil layer across the growth stages. Correlation analysis results showed that the seed cotton yield was mainly affected by irrigation depth and soil water storage. Soil temperature at the flowering and boll setting stage negatively affected seed cotton yield and was inversely correlated with soil water storage. The structural equation model (SEM) further indicated that both soil water storage and soil temperature primarily influenced seed cotton yield boll weight rather than boll number. Furthermore, 100%ETc (W1.0) can be considered as the recommended irrigation depth based on the soil moisture and temperature, seed cotton yield and water use efficiency in this region. Full article
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