Efficient Utilization of Water and Fertilizer Resources for Crops and Enhancement of Farmland Fertility and Productivity

Dear Colleagues，

The global agricultural land area is approximately 1.7 billion hectares, representing 13% of the world's total land area. Moreover, in recent decades, the area of cultivated land has been continuously decreasing, and the fertility of cultivated land has shown a downward trend. Analysis of grain production shows that global grain output in recent years was approximately 2.76 billion tons, while global grain consumption reached about 2.78 billion tons, meaning that the demand for grain is unmet. In addition, the developmental and operational efficiency of some cultivated land is low, resulting in an average yield per mu of only 108 kilograms. Therefore, there is still considerable room for improvement in the productivity of cultivated land worldwide. Traditional agronomic management methods have greatly affected the cultivated land ecosystem through soil degradation, soil nutrient loss, water pollution, and low utilization efficiency. The imbalance between agricultural production and the environment remains a major obstacle to achieving sustainable crop production. With the advancement of technology, numerous agronomic management methods have been proposed to promote crop productivity and improve the quality of cultivated land, such as water management, fertilizer regulation, straw return, and conservation tillage. Therefore, it is necessary to explore the influence mechanisms of these agronomic management methods on crop production and soil fertility, as well as their synergistic effects on production and ecological functions. Therefore, through comprehensive research on the efficient utilization of water and fertilizer resources, and the improvement of crop productivity and soil fertility, we aim to address the contradiction between agricultural production and environmental sustainability.

Dr. Zhen Zhang
Prof. Dr. Yongli Zhang
Guest Editors

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