Innovative Agricultural Inputs and Soil–Plant–Microbe Interactions for Sustainable Agronomy
A special issue of Agronomy (ISSN 2073-4395). This special issue belongs to the section "Agroecology Innovation: Achieving System Resilience".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 15 May 2026 | Viewed by 127
Special Issue Editors
Interests: nanotoxicology; micro-/nanoplastics; emerging contaminants; environmental risk assessment; soil ecosystems
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Interests: environmental risk assessment; photocatalytic nanomaterials; photoelectric nanomaterial; analysis method of emerging contaminants; nanomaterial sensors; and food safety
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
This Special Issue focuses on innovative agricultural inputs and their ecological roles in soil–plant–microbe interactions, aiming to improve resource utilization and environmental resilience in modern agronomy. Contributions will explore how biodegradable materials, beneficial microbes, organic amendments, and plant diversification strategies affect soil nutrient cycling, crop productivity, and ecological remediation. By integrating agronomic practices with emerging biotechnologies and sustainable materials, this Issue provides a platform for interdisciplinary insights into enhancing agricultural sustainability. We welcome original research, reviews, and case studies that investigate the mechanistic pathways, field performance, and ecological trade-offs of such interventions.
Modern agriculture faces the dual challenge of increasing productivity while minimizing environmental footprints. Recent advances have introduced a suite of sustainable inputs—from biodegradable mulches and engineered microbes to organic waste reuse—that can reshape nutrient dynamics and ecosystem functions. These tools reflect a growing shift from conventional practices to ecologically informed agronomy.
This Issue aims to compile cutting-edge research on how various agricultural inputs—biodegradable materials, rhizosphere signals, beneficial microbes, and recycled organics—interact with soil and crop systems. It emphasizes field relevance, ecological functions, and sustainability performance, especially in diversified and intensive systems.
We seek novel contributions that explore the following:
- The functional role of root exudates in plant–plant and plant–microbe interactions;
- Biodegradable plastics and their impacts on soil health and crop traits;
- Microbial degradation of organic pollutants and its agronomic relevance;
- Organic waste (e.g., composted sludge) reuse in soil improvement and ecological remediation;
- Original research articles with experimental or modeling approaches;
- Field or greenhouse trials testing innovative materials or microbial technologies;
- Review papers on emerging sustainable inputs in agronomy;
- Mechanistic studies linking soil–microbe–plant processes;
- Case studies with practical insights for sustainable agriculture.
Dr. Wenwen Gong
Dr. Gang Liang
Dr. Anxiang Lu
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
- sustainable agriculture
- soil–plant-microbe interaction
- circular nutrient management
- functional microbial ecology
- agroecosystem resilience
- agricultural biotechnology
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