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Agronomy
Special Issues
Innovative Strategies for Sustainable Agriculture and Restoration of Degraded Soils
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Innovative Strategies for Sustainable Agriculture and Restoration of Degraded Soils

A special issue of Agronomy (ISSN 2073-4395). This special issue belongs to the section "Soil and Plant Nutrition".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 January 2023) | Viewed by 5526

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Giacomo Ferretti

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Chemical, Pharmaceutical and Agricultural Sciences, University of Ferrara, 44122 Ferrara, Italy
Interests: soil amendment; natural zeolites; sustainable agriculture; wastewater treatment; nitrogen cycle
Dr. Barbara Faccini

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Physics and Earth Science, University of Ferrara, via Saragat 1, 44122 Ferrara, Italy
Interests: petrology; geochemistry; environmental geochemistry; sustainable agriculture

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Intensive farming and mining are worldwide drivers of soil, water, and atmospheric pollution. Thus, sustainable methodologies that help to preserve these fundamental non-renewable environmental resources must be implemented. The development and evaluation of novel eco-friendly and cost-effective “green” methodologies for the preservation and restoration of these environments require a multidisciplinary approach encompassing geoscience, agronomy, biology, and engineering perspectives.

This Special Issue will focus on the current research and latest advances in the field considering a wide spectrum of strategies. Topics of interest include (but are not limited to) the use of minerals (natural zeolites, struvite, etc.) or organic material (biochar, etc.) to promote the more efficient use of nutrients in agriculture (N and P) and to restore degraded soils, covering bio-geochemical and environmental aspects. Contributions may be focused on:

  • Natural and synthetic sorbents: characterization; adsorption of pollutants; influence on mobility and leaching of target elements in soil and agricultural wastewaters. 
  • Use of geologic materials for crop protection.
  • Strategies for mitigating GHG emissions from agricultural soils.
  • Valorization and recycling of agricultural wastes.
  • Examples of field and laboratory experiments.
  • Effects of soil amendments on the nitrogen cycle.

Dr. Giacomo Ferretti
Dr. Barbara Faccini
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 amendments
  • natural zeolites
  • biochar
  • sustainable agriculture
  • nitrogen cycle
  • struvite
  • GHG
  • wastewaters
  • soil carbon
  • soil degradation
  • heavy metals

Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

16 pages, 1217 KiB  
Article
Post-Tin-Mining Agricultural Soil Regeneration Using Local Resources, Reduces Drought Stress and Increases Crop Production on Bangka Island, Indonesia
by Rizki Maftukhah, Rosana M. Kral, Axel Mentler, Ngadisih Ngadisih, Murtiningrum Murtiningrum, Katharina M. Keiblinger, Michael Gartner and Rebecca Hood-Nowotny
Agronomy 2023, 13(1), 50; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy13010050 - 23 Dec 2022
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1899
Abstract
Mining severely affects ecosystems and threatens local food security. Remediation practices, however, are a viable way of reducing the negative impacts on post-mining lands. In this study we aim to improve crop yields and drought resistance on a post-tin-mining site located in Bangka [...] Read more.
Mining severely affects ecosystems and threatens local food security. Remediation practices, however, are a viable way of reducing the negative impacts on post-mining lands. In this study we aim to improve crop yields and drought resistance on a post-tin-mining site located in Bangka Island, Indonesia, with locally available resources. Plots with five different soil amendments: (1) dolomite; (2) compost; (3) charcoal; combinations of (4) charcoal + compost; and (5) charcoal + sawdust; and a control were established. An intercropping system with cassava and centrosema was employed, and yields were determined. Drought resistance was evaluated by carbon isotope discrimination (∆13C) from crop parts of cassava and centrosema’s shoot. Soil physicochemical properties were determined at harvesting time. Soil amendments significantly improved cassava and centrosema yields. In particular, the compost and combined (charcoal + compost) treatments enhanced centrosema yields (1.18 and 1.99 kg·plot−1, respectively) and were related to higher nutrient availability. Similarly, compost, charcoal, and combined treatments showed positive effects on the cassava yield (0.15–0.16 kg·plant−1) and a higher drought resistance in the charcoal treatment (∆13C= 21.48‰). Increased water-holding capacity (WHC) reduced the water deficiency and boosted yields of cassava and centrosema when the soil was treated with dual amendments (charcoal + compost). Charcoal, compost, and their combination turned out to be the most sustainable amendments in degraded post-mining tropical soils. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovative Strategies for Sustainable Agriculture and Restoration of Degraded Soils)
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13 pages, 2699 KiB  
Article
Effect of Different Foliar Particle Films (Kaolin and Zeolitite) on Chemical and Sensory Properties of Olive Oil
by Annalisa Rotondi, Gianpaolo Bertazza, Barbara Faccini, Giacomo Ferretti and Lucia Morrone
Agronomy 2022, 12(12), 3088; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy12123088 - 06 Dec 2022
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1271
Abstract
The use of kaolin foliar treatments in olive growing is a well-established approach that aims at protecting crops from the negative impacts of environmental stresses and from insect pests. The use of zeolite particle films is a far more recent technique. The experimentation [...] Read more.
The use of kaolin foliar treatments in olive growing is a well-established approach that aims at protecting crops from the negative impacts of environmental stresses and from insect pests. The use of zeolite particle films is a far more recent technique. The experimentation was carried out on Correggiolo cv. cultivated in the Emilia-Romagna region (Italy). Foliar treatments were performed in summer until olive harvest. Ripening index, weight, and the oil content of olives were measured. Acidity, peroxide numbers, K232, K270 and total phenols were evaluated as well as fatty acid profiles, determined via GC-FID and phenolic compounds; vitamins and pigments were determined via HPLC-DAD. Quantitative descriptive analysis (QDA) sensory analysis and taint tests were performed. Olives treated with zeolite showed higher oil contents, and the oil obtained exhibited higher contents of total phenols, tyrosol and deacetoxy oleuropein aglycon with respect to the oils produced with kaolin and the control oil. Oils produced from kaolin-treated olives showed sensory profiles characterized by notes of berries (that are not typical of the Correggiolo cultivar). In the scenario of environment-friendly oil production, treatments employing zeolitite particle films represent both a valid alternative to chemical insecticide against olive fly attack and a practice that has a positive influence on the overall oil quality. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovative Strategies for Sustainable Agriculture and Restoration of Degraded Soils)
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15 pages, 2473 KiB  
Article
Can Olive Pruning Forms Influence the Olive Rhizosphere? The Root Microbiota and the Rhizosphere Properties in the Alto Ricaurte (Colombia)
by José Francisco García-Molano, William Javier Cuervo-Bejarano, Margherita Rodolfi, Luz Stella Jaramillo-García and Tommaso Ganino
Agronomy 2022, 12(5), 1159; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy12051159 - 11 May 2022
Viewed by 1815
Abstract
(1) Background: Olive in Colombia is not a traditional crop, but in the Andean Region, ancient olive trees are widespread. The area is characterized by a climate condition with a high intensity of UV rays and meteoric events that negatively affect the olive [...] Read more.
(1) Background: Olive in Colombia is not a traditional crop, but in the Andean Region, ancient olive trees are widespread. The area is characterized by a climate condition with a high intensity of UV rays and meteoric events that negatively affect the olive grown. In this work, changes in the soil of olive trees subjected to different pruning will be established. (2) Methods: Olive trees of 2-years-old were cultivated in Boyacá (Colombia). Trees were pruned into a vase shape, globe shape, and natural shape. Physical, chemical, and biological soil analyses were carried out. (3) Results: In the olive tree, V and G pruning significantly increase the P content in the soil compared to NS, and these pruning forms reduce the OOC significantly in the rhizosphere soil by 87.5% and 78.3%, respectively. In all conditions, the roots established an association with Arbuscular Mycorhizal Fungi and stimulated the presence of other microorganisms, despite the trees being more vegetative than productive in this latitude. (4) Conclusions: The results of the study indicate that, in Colombian conditions, the pruning does not affect the rhizospheric soil conditions. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovative Strategies for Sustainable Agriculture and Restoration of Degraded Soils)
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