Agriculture for Resilience: Sustainable and Systemic Approaches Unveiling the Soil Ecological Dynamics
A special issue of Agronomy (ISSN 2073-4395). This special issue belongs to the section "Soil and Plant Nutrition".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 March 2026 | Viewed by 6
Special Issue Editors
Interests: soil quality; carbon and nitrogen biogeochemistry; vis-NIR spectroscopy; soil biological activity; plant ecophysiology
Interests: soil–plant interactions; roots system; soil microrganisms; soil ecology; soil health; soil fertility; biogeochemistry
Interests: soil organic matter dynamics; C sequestration; NMR; soil quality indices; soil metabolism; plant–soil relationships
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
In the face of climate change, biodiversity loss, and soil degradation, modern agriculture must evolve toward systems that enhance resilience while preserving ecological integrity and, presently, exploring sustainable and systemic agricultural approaches that prioritize soil health as a cornerstone of resilience is more urgent than ever. Central to this vision is a deeper understanding of the ecological dynamics of soils, the complex interactions between the organisms, organic matter, structure, and biochemical cycles of soils, which collectively sustain vital ecosystem functions.
This Special Issue investigates how agroecological practices, such as crop rotation, cover cropping, organic amendments, and reduced tillage, can stimulate belowground biodiversity and improve nutrient cycling, water retention, and carbon sequestration in terrestrial ecosystems. By fostering microbial activity and enhancing biological interactions within the rhizosphere, these strategies strengthen soil’s ability to buffer environmental stressors and maintain productivity under variable conditions.
Adopting a systems-thinking framework, we highlight how feedback loops between soil, plants, and management practices shape both short-term agricultural outcomes and long-term sustainability. Particular attention is paid to the integration of ecological monitoring with agronomic indicators, as well as to comparisons between sustainable and conventional practices. Ultimately, this Special Issue welcomes research articles, reviews, communications, and short communications that adopt an interdisciplinary approach to this research area.
Dr. Pasquale Napoletano
Dr. Rosangela Addesso
Dr. Anna De Marco
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
- soil health
- agroecology
- climate-resilient farming systems
- soil biological processes
- climate change adaptation
- biodiversity
- sustainable farming systems
- rhizosphere interactions: carbon sequestration
- interdisciplinary framework
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