Towards a Better Understanding of Agronomic Efficiency of Nitrogen in Different Agro-Ecosystems

Dear Colleagues,

The low agronomic efficiency of N for several agricultural systems is a crucial point for sustainable agriculture.

Agronomic N-use efficiency is also the basis for economic and environmental efficiency. A high N input combined with a low efficiency results in environmental problems, such as pollution of groundwater due to nitrate leaching, and emission of ammonia and greenhouse gases from the plant-available N-pool.

Therefore, there is a need for agro-ecosystems that are profitable, but at the same time ecologically and socially sustainable.

To achieve a higher agronomic N-use efficiency, N supply should match N demand both in time and space, not for single crops but for a complex crop rotation, including cover crops, as an integrated system. To this end, diagnostic tools are available assessing N-status of growing crops, and N stabilizers and controlled release fertilizers can be used to synchronize release of N from fertilizer with crop needs.

This Special Issue brings together the current research findings dealing with all aspects of the understanding of agronomic efficiency of N in different agro-ecosystems, and the economic returns from adoption of best management practices such as those of conservative agriculture and organic farming.

Improving N efficiency is a fundamental challenge for sustainable agricultural production of horticultural, industrial and cereal crops.

Dr. Francesco Montemurro
Dr. Mariangela Diacono
Guest Editor

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