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
Addressing Water Scarcity in Agriculture: Innovative Management Strategies for Sustainable...
share announcement

Addressing Water Scarcity in Agriculture: Innovative Management Strategies for Sustainable Cropping Systems

A special issue of Agronomy (ISSN 2073-4395). This special issue belongs to the section "Water Use and Irrigation".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (27 February 2026) | Viewed by 2439

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Mohamed Houssemeddine Sellami

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Agricultural Sciences, University of Naples Federico II, 80055 Portici, Italy
Interests: irrigation; agronomy; alternative crops; legume breeding; protein crops; proximal sensing; abiotic stresses; water management in agriculture
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Mauro Mori

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Agricultural Sciences, University of Naples Federico II, 80055 Portici, Italy
Interests: sustainable agriculture; biostimulants; plant nutrition; abiotic stress; agricultural practices; food crops; biomass crops; traditional varieties
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

We cordially invite you to contribute to our Special Issue, "Addressing Water Scarcity in Agriculture: Innovative Management Strategies for Sustainable Cropping Systems".

Water, an indispensable resource for agriculture, is facing unprecedented challenges due to increasing global demand and climate change. Ensuring food security for a growing population necessitates a paradigm shift in how we manage this precious commodity within our cropping systems. While modern agriculture strives for higher yields and efficiency, water remains the irreplaceable foundation of all crop production—whether in soil-based systems, hydroponics, or emerging cultivation methods.

This Special Issue aims to gather cutting-edge research and insightful reviews on novel approaches to tackle water scarcity in diverse agricultural landscapes. We are particularly interested in contributions that explore innovative irrigation techniques, drought-resistant crop development, water-efficient farming practices, and policy frameworks that promote sustainable water use. We seek to highlight transformative research that integrates technological advancements, ecological principles, and socio-economic considerations to build resilient and productive agricultural systems in the face of water limitations.

We encourage the submission of original research articles and comprehensive reviews that shed light on practical solutions and strategic insights. Your expertise and contributions are vital as we collectively strive to develop and implement effective strategies for a water-secure agricultural future. We look forward to receiving your valuable work.

Dr. Mohamed Houssemeddine Sellami
Dr. Mauro Mori
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

  • water scarcity
  • sustainable irrigation strategies
  • precision irrigation
  • drought resilience
  • crop water productivity
  • deficit irrigation
  • agriculture water management
  • water optimization
  • climate-smart farming
  • innovative water strategies

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

Jump to: Review, Other

19 pages, 819 KB  
Article
Proline-Rich Specific Yeast Derivatives Enhance Grapevine (Vitis vinifera L.) Water Status and Enable Reduced Irrigation Volumes
by Harsh Tiwari, Pier Giorgio Bonicelli, Clara Ripa, Stefano Poni, Fabrizio Battista and Tommaso Frioni
Agronomy 2025, 15(12), 2759; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy15122759 - 29 Nov 2025
Viewed by 753
Abstract
In plants, proline acts as a compatible osmolyte with multiple stress-related functions, contributing to cell turgor regulation and the dissipation of excess energy. In this study, the use of a proline-rich yeast derivative (SYD) on pot-grown grapevines cv. Chardonnay was tested as a [...] Read more.
In plants, proline acts as a compatible osmolyte with multiple stress-related functions, contributing to cell turgor regulation and the dissipation of excess energy. In this study, the use of a proline-rich yeast derivative (SYD) on pot-grown grapevines cv. Chardonnay was tested as a priming strategy to enhance vine water status and water deficit tolerance. Well-watered control vines were compared to those subjected to reduced irrigation at 80% of daily evapotranspiration for 43 days, with and without foliar SYD applications. Additionally, a group of vines received only 40% of daily evapotranspiration (ET) along with foliar SYD applications. The soil moisture content clearly mirrored the three irrigation levels (full water, 80% ET, and 40% ET). However, considering vines kept at 80%ET, SYD-treated vines had a consistently higher midday leaf water potential than controls (+0.22 MPa on Day of Year—DOY—214). SYD-treated vines kept at 80% ET and control vines at 100% ET exhibited similar stomatal conductance and assimilation rates (0.24 vs. 0.25 mol m−2 s−1, and 14.9 vs. 15.3 μmol m−2 s−1 on average from all measurements), while control vines kept at 80% ET lagged behind SYD-treated vines at 80% ET. On July 20th (DOY 201), in SYD-treated vines kept at 80% ET, leaves accumulated nearly twice the proline concentration compared to control vines receiving the same irrigation (17.7 vs. 10.6 µmol/g). Treated vines kept at 40% ET had stomatal conductance and leaf assimilation rates comparable to control vines at 80% ET (0.17 vs. 0.20 mol m−2 s−1 and 11.7 vs. 11.5 μmol m−2 s−1 on average). At harvest, the average yield of SYD-treated vines kept at 80% ET was similar to fully watered control vines maintained at 100% ET (1.75 vs. 1.82 kg), but showed higher soluble solids concentrations (20.9° Brix, vs. 19° Brix in fully watered control vines) and lower average titratable acidity (6.62 g/L vs. 7.7 g/L in fully watered control vines), while no differences were observed in the average titratable acidity between control vines kept at 80% ET and SYD-treated vines kept at 40% ET (6.15 g/L). Proline-rich SYD increased endogenous leaf proline levels and vine water status, also interacting with H2O2 accumulation, and resulted in long-term better physiological functioning at comparable water availability. The applications improved grapevine productive performance, effectively mitigating the negative impacts of reduced irrigation. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Addressing Water Scarcity in Agriculture: Innovative Management Strategies for Sustainable Cropping Systems)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

Review

Jump to: Research, Other

35 pages, 1466 KB  
Review
Does It Hold Water? Effectiveness, Feasibility, and Risks of Drought Adaptation Amendments
by Noah Silber-Coats and Guillermo Alvarez
Agronomy 2026, 16(9), 854; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy16090854 - 23 Apr 2026
Viewed by 183
Abstract
Increasing freshwater scarcity alongside growing irrigation demand poses a major challenge for agricultural production. One potential response is the use of drought adaptation amendments: materials of natural or synthetic origin that, when applied to soil or crops, either increase water availability or improve [...] Read more.
Increasing freshwater scarcity alongside growing irrigation demand poses a major challenge for agricultural production. One potential response is the use of drought adaptation amendments: materials of natural or synthetic origin that, when applied to soil or crops, either increase water availability or improve plant performance under water stress. Because these amendments range from minerals and microorganisms to polymers and plant-derived compounds, they are often studied in separate disciplinary literatures rather than as a single category of inputs. Here, we review drought adaptation amendments for agricultural use and evaluate them along three dimensions: effectiveness in mitigating drought stress, economic feasibility, and environmental and human-health implications. Across amendment classes, effectiveness is achieved through several recurring pathways, including reduced soil evaporation, altered canopy energy balance, improved infiltration and soil water retention, improved rhizosphere and root access to retained water, and enhanced physiological tolerance to water deficit. No single amendment consistently performs best across all three criteria. Materials that strongly modify soil water dynamics can be effective but may be costly or environmentally risky, while lower-risk options often have smaller or more context-dependent effects. Among the most promising lower-risk options identified in this review are microbial inoculants, certain mineral amendments, and water-based plant extracts, though their effectiveness remains context-dependent. Future research should prioritize amendments that combine drought-mitigating effects with economic feasibility and minimal environmental or health risks. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Addressing Water Scarcity in Agriculture: Innovative Management Strategies for Sustainable Cropping Systems)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

Other

Jump to: Research, Review

24 pages, 1226 KB  
Systematic Review
Irrigation Management and Water Productivity of Potato Crop in Mediterranean Countries—A Review
by Valeria Cafaro, Alessandra Pellegrino and Anita Ierna
Agronomy 2026, 16(7), 740; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy16070740 - 31 Mar 2026
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 772
Abstract
Potato (Solanum tuberosum L.), as a shallow-rooted crop, is relatively sensitive to soil water deficits; therefore, irrigation plays a crucial role in achieving economically viable production and quality. However, due to the scarcity of water, which has become more precious and less [...] Read more.
Potato (Solanum tuberosum L.), as a shallow-rooted crop, is relatively sensitive to soil water deficits; therefore, irrigation plays a crucial role in achieving economically viable production and quality. However, due to the scarcity of water, which has become more precious and less available due to climate change, it is essential to optimize irrigation management and enhance water productivity. The present systematic review, drawing on the most relevant scientific literature, discusses the current state of knowledge on irrigation management and water productivity in potato crop production in semi-arid regions, particularly within Mediterranean countries. Overall, the main findings indicate different possible solutions for saving irrigation water and increasing water productivity by adopting a combination of water-saving strategies, such as static or dynamic deficit irrigation, or partial root-zone drying, and by using a suitable irrigation method like drip irrigation. In addition, the importance of other agronomic factors, namely planting dates, soil texture, and fertilization management, has also emerged, prompting scientists to pay greater attention to them in the future, along with the selection or breeding of appropriate cultivars, which may represent the long-term solution to the problem of water scarcity. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Addressing Water Scarcity in Agriculture: Innovative Management Strategies for Sustainable Cropping Systems)
►▼ 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