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Agronomy
Special Issues
Nitrogen Cycling and Efficient Utilization Mechanisms in Agricultural Field Ecosystems
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Nitrogen Cycling and Efficient Utilization Mechanisms in Agricultural Field Ecosystems

A special issue of Agronomy (ISSN 2073-4395). This special issue belongs to the section "Farming Sustainability".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 June 2026 | Viewed by 1878

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Siyuan Cai

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
State Key Laboratory of Soil and Sustainable Agriculture, Changshu National Agro-Ecosystem Observation and Research Station, Institute of Soil Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing 210008, China
Interests: carbon and nitrogen cycling in agricultural systems; decision-making in regional agricultural management
Dr. Zhijun Wei

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
State Key Laboratory of Soil and Sustainable Agriculture, Changshu National Agro-Ecosystem Observation and Research Station, Institute of Soil Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing 210008, China
Interests: nitrogen biogeochemistry and carbon sequestration in agroecosystems; coupled roles of plants, soils, and the microbiome

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Nitrogen (N) underpins crop productivity but is also a primary contributor to agricultural air and water pollution and a major source of nitrous oxide (N2O). Since the mid-20th century, synthetic fertilizers and intensified livestock systems have expanded the global reactive N pool, improving yields while amplifying losses through ammonia volatilization, nitrate leaching, denitrification, and runoff. Decades of research—from whole-farm N balances and 15N tracer studies to process-based modeling—have clarified key pathways; yet, spatial and temporal uncertainties persist, especially under climate variability and changing management methods.
This Special Issue seeks integrative science and solutions that (a) advance mechanistic understanding of N cycling from rhizosphere to region, and (b) deliver practical, scalable strategies to boost N efficiency while reducing losses. We welcome the submission of cross-disciplinary work that links soil processes, plant physiology, microbial ecology, agronomy, hydrology, and socio-economic dimensions, with clear implications for farm management and policy.
The following developments could impact the field:
1. Multi-scale constraints on N fluxes: Coupling plot measurements with remote sensing and sensor networks to upscale field data to landscapes and regions.
2. Mechanistic-data fusion: Hybrid models combining process understanding with machine learning for robust prediction, attribution, and decision support under uncertainty.
3. Microbiome-informed management: Linking community composition and functional genes/enzymes to process rates and the targeted manipulation of nitrifiers/denitrifiers.
4. Circular N management: Manure, residues, and industrial by-products in closed-loop systems, as well as nutrient recovery technologies and regional N circularity.
We welcome submissions that are rigorous, transparent, and practically informative.

Dr. Siyuan Cai
Dr. Zhijun Wei
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

  • Nitrogen Use Efficiency (NUE)
  • reactive nitrogen
  • soil nitrogen cycling
  • N2O emissions
  • ammonia volatilization
  • nitrate leaching
  • enhanced-efficiency fertilizers
  • precision N management (4R)
  • 15N tracer studies
  • process-based and machine-learning models

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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14 pages, 2087 KB  
Article
On-Farm Nitrification Inhibitor Application to Urine Patches in Reducing Nitrous Oxide Emissions
by Surinder Saggar, Thilak Palmada, Peter Berben and Liyin Liang
Agronomy 2026, 16(7), 701; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy16070701 - 26 Mar 2026
Viewed by 434
Abstract
In livestock-grazed pastures, urine patches are a major contributor of nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions, and the use of nitrification inhibitors (NIs) has the potential to reduce N losses from urine patches using New Zealand (NZ)-devised Spikey®—a ground-based machine that [...] Read more.
In livestock-grazed pastures, urine patches are a major contributor of nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions, and the use of nitrification inhibitors (NIs) has the potential to reduce N losses from urine patches using New Zealand (NZ)-devised Spikey®—a ground-based machine that measures the change in soil conductivity from the deposited urine patches. Our ongoing research suggests that the efficacy of on-farm targeted NIs treatment requires suitable inhibitor concentrations within urine patches to be achieved to reduce N2O emissions. This study evaluates the effect of varying NI rates and volumes on reducing N2O emissions. The application rates for NIs were 1.6 g and 3.2 g dicyanamide (DCD) patch-1 and 0.96 g and 1.92 g of 3, 4-dimethylpyrazole phosphate (DMPP) patch−1, using 100, 150, and 200 mL inhibitor solutions. These rates were higher than those used in previous studies to ensure an adequate supply of inhibitors above the threshold concentration within the urine patch and to enhance the inhibitor efficacy in reducing N2O emissions. This study points to two important aspects: Determine the optimum inhibitor concentration required to eliminate, minimise/reduce N2O emissions and ensure that at the optimised amounts of inhibitor application rates, inhibitor residues are below their maximum residue level (MRL) in the food chain and environment, and eliminate their potential harm to human health. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nitrogen Cycling and Efficient Utilization Mechanisms in Agricultural Field Ecosystems)
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19 pages, 278 KB  
Article
Nitrogen Balance for Pulse Crops in Rotation with Spring Wheat
by Upendra M. Sainju
Agronomy 2026, 16(4), 463; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy16040463 - 16 Feb 2026
Viewed by 396
Abstract
Pulse crops, having the capacity for biological nitrogen (N) fixation, rarely receive N fertilizers, but information is scarce on N balance for pulse crops or pulse crop-spring wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) rotations. The objective of the study was to evaluate N balance [...] Read more.
Pulse crops, having the capacity for biological nitrogen (N) fixation, rarely receive N fertilizers, but information is scarce on N balance for pulse crops or pulse crop-spring wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) rotations. The objective of the study was to evaluate N balance based on N inputs and outputs and soil N sequestration rate for pulse crops and pulse crop-spring wheat rotations from 2021 to 2024 in the US northern Great Plains. Pulse crops (chickpea [Cicer arietinum L.], lentil [Lens culinaris Medik.], and pea [Pisum sativum L.]) were rotated with spring wheat to form four crop rotations (chickpea–spring wheat, lentil-spring wheat, pea–spring wheat, and spring wheat–spring wheat). Total N input from N fertilization, biological N fixation, soil N mineralization, crop seed, and precipitation was 9–27% greater for pea than for other crops and greater for pea–spring wheat than chickpea–spring wheat and continuous spring wheat. Total N output from grain N removal, ammonia volatilization, denitrification, plant senescence, leaching, surface runoff, and gaseous emissions was 20–62% greater for spring wheat than pulse crops. Nitrogen sequestration rate at 0–15 cm was 89% greater for spring wheat than lentil and 106–107% greater for pea-spring wheat and spring wheat–spring wheat than lentil–spring wheat. Nitrogen balance was 215–356% greater for chickpea and pea than lentil and spring wheat and 114–118% greater for chickpea–spring wheat and pea–spring wheat than lentil–spring wheat. Greater N input increased N surplus for pea or pea-spring wheat, and greater N output increased N deficit for spring wheat or spring-spring wheat compared to lentil or lentil–spring wheat, indicating that pea alone or in rotation with spring wheat reduced N loss to the environment by increasing soil N storage compared to continuous spring wheat. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nitrogen Cycling and Efficient Utilization Mechanisms in Agricultural Field Ecosystems)
19 pages, 2882 KB  
Article
Soil Environmental Factors Dominate over Nitrifier and Denitrifier Abundances in Regulating Nitrous Oxide Emissions Following Nutrient Additions in Alpine Grassland
by Mingyuan Yin, Xiaopeng Gao, Yufeng Wu, Yanyan Li, Wennong Kuang, Lei Li and Fanjiang Zeng
Agronomy 2026, 16(2), 168; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy16020168 - 9 Jan 2026
Viewed by 646
Abstract
Nutrient additions including nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) are widely considered as an important strategy for enhancing grassland productivity. However, the effects of these nutrients additions on soil nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions and the underlying mechanisms remain debated. We conducted a [...] Read more.
Nutrient additions including nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) are widely considered as an important strategy for enhancing grassland productivity. However, the effects of these nutrients additions on soil nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions and the underlying mechanisms remain debated. We conducted a two-year field experiment in an alpine grassland on Kunlun Mountain in northwestern China to assess the effects of N and P additions on N2O emissions, in relation with nitrifying enzyme activity (NEA), denitrifying enzyme activity (DEA), and key functional genes abundance responsible for nitrification (amoA and Nitrobacter-like nxrA) and denitrification (narG, nirS, nirK and nosZ). Compared to the Control without nutrient addition (CK), N addition alone substantially increased cumulative N2O emission (ƩN2O) by 2.0 times. In contrast, P addition or combined N and P (N+P) addition did not significantly affect ƩN2O, though both treatments significantly increased plant aboveground biomass. Such results indicate that P addition may mitigate N-induced N2O emission, likely by reducing soil N availability through enhanced plant and microbial N uptake. Compared to CK, N or N+P addition significantly elevated NEA but did not affect DEA. Structural equation modeling (SEM) indicated that NEA was directly influenced by the gene abundances of ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB) and Nitrobacter-like nxrA but not by ammonia-oxidizing archaea (AOA). However, SEM also revealed that soil environmental variables including soil temperature, pH, and water-filled pore space (WFPS) had a stronger direct influence on N2O emissions than the abundances of nitrifiers. These results demonstrate that soil environmental conditions play a more significant role than functional gene abundances in regulating N2O emissions following N and P additions in semi-arid alpine grasslands. This study highlights that the N+P application can potentially decrease N2O emissions than N addition alone, while increasing productivity in the alpine grassland ecosystems. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nitrogen Cycling and Efficient Utilization Mechanisms in Agricultural Field Ecosystems)
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