Climate-Smart Tillage and Planting: Toward Sustainable Agricultural Ecosystems
A special issue of Agronomy (ISSN 2073-4395). This special issue belongs to the section "Innovative Cropping Systems".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 25 August 2026
Special Issue Editors
Interests: theory and technology of water conservation in dryland farming; efficient utilization and management of agricultural water and soil resources
Interests: crop responses to and adaptation to climate change; drought-resistant, water-saving, salt-tolerant, and high-yield cultivation technologies for crops
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Ongoing and projected climate change—marked by rising temperatures, extreme weather events, and soil degradation—poses severe threats to agricultural ecosystem sustainability. Concurrently, global population growth demands increased food production while preserving environmental integrity, creating an unprecedented dual challenge for agriculture. Addressing this requires climate-smart agronomic strategies, where tillage and planting (as fundamental production links) play a pivotal role in regulating soil health, resource use efficiency, and crop-climate adaptation. Optimizing these practices is critical for transitioning to sustainable agricultural systems.
This Special Issue aims to gather cutting-edge research and reviews on climate-smart tillage and planting, facilitating knowledge exchange on practices that enhance climate resilience, resource efficiency, and yield sustainability. Topics of interest include, but are not limited to, the following:
- Crop response mechanisms to climate-smart tillage (no-till and reduced tillage) and planting strategies (precision sowing and climate-adaptive dates);
- Optimized tillage-planting combinations for drought resistance, water saving, salt tolerance, and high yields;
- Impacts of climate-smart tillage and planting on soil health and carbon sequestration;
- Integration of digital agriculture (e.g., remote sensing, IoT, and AI) with climate-smart tillage and planting technologies;
- Regional adaptation and scaling of climate-smart tillage and planting systems across different agro-ecological zones;
- Economic, social, and environmental sustainability assessments of climate-smart tillage and planting practices.
We invite researchers, agronomists, and practitioners to contribute original articles, reviews, and technical notes. This Special Issue will serve as a platform to showcase innovative solutions and promote climate-resilient agronomic practices globally.
Dr. Jian Gu
Dr. Yunzhou Qiao
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 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
- climate-smart agriculture
- tillage systems
- planting strategies
- agricultural sustainability
- climate resilience
- soil health
- resource use efficiency
- crop adaptation
- digital agriculture
- drought resistance
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.
