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Sustainable Agricultural Practices—Impact on Soil Quality and Plant Health

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (10 April 2021) | Viewed by 42066

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Dr. Nikolaos Monokrousos

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Guest Editor

Laboratory of Soil Ecology, International Hellenic University, 57001 Thessaloniki, Greece
Interests: soil microbial ecology; soil nematodes; soil enzymes; plant–soil microbe interactions
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Prof. Dr. Efimia M. Papatheodorou

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Department of Ecology, School of Biology, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece
Interests: soil microbial community structure and function; enzymes in soil; soil restoration; soil quality and agricultural practices
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Agricultural practices involving the excessive use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides pose major risks to the environment and to human health. Over the last two decades, great attention has been focused on the development of sustainable ecofriendly agricultural management, aiming to improve soil quality and increase crop yields while maintaining environmental sustainability. Toward this purpose, management practices such as intercropping, crop rotation, precision fertilization, and no-till and chisel plowing are employed, as well as the addition of organic amendments and use of plant growth promoting rhizobacteria, endophytes, biological control agents, and biostimulants.
The aim of this Special Issue is to publish original contributions detailing cutting edge research or review articles that evaluate the effect of sustainable agricultural practices on soil quality and plant health improvement. For the evaluation of soil quality, a number of abiotic (water infiltration rate, bulk density, porosity) and biotic (soil communities) components are taken into consideration. More specifically, we are interested in studies that investigate the impact of sustainable practices on soil biological, physical, and chemical variables that are strongly correlated to soil quality (e.g., soil microbial community structure, microbial abundance and function, soil enzyme activities, soil nematode community, nutrient availability). In relation to plant health, studies that investigate the role of alternative agricultural strategies on the alleviation of abiotic (toxicity, drought, salinity) and biotic (induced by insect grazing, parasitic nematodes, and microbial pathogens) stresses are also welcomed.

Prof. Dr. Nikolaos Monokrousos
Prof. Dr. Efimia M. Papatheodorou
Guest Editors

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Keywords

biocontrol agents
biofertilizers
bioindicators
biostimulants
organic farming
plant growth

Published Papers (11 papers)

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Editorial

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5 pages, 214 KiB

Open AccessEditorial

Crop Yield and Soil Quality Are Partners in a Sustainable Agricultural System

by Efimia M. Papatheodorou and Nikolaos Monokrousos

Agronomy 2022, 12(1), 140; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy12010140 - 7 Jan 2022

Viewed by 1702

Abstract

Agricultural practices involving the excessive use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides pose major risks to the environment and human health [...] Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Agricultural Practices—Impact on Soil Quality and Plant Health)

Research

Jump to: Editorial, Review

15 pages, 1193 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Effect of Rhizophagus irregularis, Bacillus subtilis and Water Regime on the Plant–Microbial Soil System: The Case of Lactuca sativa

by Charitini Nikolaidou, Nikolaos Monokrousos, Pantelitsa D. Kapagianni, Michael Orfanoudakis, Triantafyllia Dermitzoglou and Efimia M. Papatheodorou

Agronomy 2021, 11(11), 2183; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy11112183 - 29 Oct 2021

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2666

Abstract

Inoculation with beneficial microbes represents a promising solution for sustainable agricultural production; however, knowledge on the effects of inoculants on the indigenous microbial communities remains limited. Here, we evaluated the impact of the arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus Rhizophagus irregularis and the promoting rhizobacterium Bacillus subtilis on the growth of Lactuca sativa. The biomass, the composition, and the enzyme activity (urease, acid phosphatase, and β-glycosidase) of the rhizosphere microbial community at two soil moisture levels (5 and 10% soil water content) were evaluated. Fungal colonization was lower in co-inoculated plants than those only inoculated with R. irregularis. Plant growth was enhanced in co-inoculated and B. subtilis inoculated soils. Bacterial biomass and the composition of the microbial communities responded to the joint effect of inoculant type × water regime while the biomass of the other microbial groups (fungi, actinomycetes, microeukaryotes) was only affected by inoculant type. Co-inoculation enhanced the activity of acid phosphatase, indicating a synergistic effect of the two inoculants. Co-inoculation positively impacted the index reflecting plant–microbial soil functions under both water regimes. We concluded that the interactions between the two inocula as well as between them and the resident rhizosphere microbial community were mainly negative. However, the negative interactions between R. irregularis and B. subtilis were not reflected in plant biomass. The knowledge of the plant and rhizosphere microbial responses to single and co-inoculation and their dependency on abiotic conditions is valuable for the construction of synthetic microbial communities that could be used as efficient inocula. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Agricultural Practices—Impact on Soil Quality and Plant Health)

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16 pages, 4432 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Water Table Fluctuation and Methane Emission in Pineapples (Ananas comosus (L.) Merr.) Cultivated on a Tropical Peatland

by Wendy Luta, Osumanu Haruna Ahmed, Latifah Omar, Roland Kueh Jui Heng, Liza Nuriati Lim Kim Choo, Mohamadu Boyie Jalloh, Adiza Alhassan Musah and Arifin Abdu

Agronomy 2021, 11(8), 1448; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy11081448 - 21 Jul 2021

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2542

Abstract

Inappropriate drainage and agricultural development on tropical peatland may lead to an increase in methane (CH₄) emission, thus expediting the rate of global warming and climate change. It was hypothesized that water table fluctuation affects CH₄ emission in pineapple cultivation on tropical peat soils. The objectives of this study were to: (i) quantify CH₄ emission from a tropical peat soil cultivated with pineapple and (ii) determine the effects of water table depth on CH₄ emission from a peat soil under simulated water table fluctuation. Soil CH₄ emissions from an open field pineapple cultivation system and field lysimeters were determined using the closed chamber method. High-density polyethylene field lysimeters were set up to simulate the natural condition of cultivated drained peat soils under different water table fluctuations. The soil CH₄ flux was measured at five time intervals to obtain a 24 h CH₄ emission in the dry and wet seasons during low- and high-water tables. Soil CH₄ emissions from open field pineapple cultivation were significantly lower compared with field lysimeters under simulated water table fluctuation. Soil CH₄ emissions throughout the dry and wet seasons irrespective of water table fluctuation were not affected by soil temperature but emissions were influenced by the balance between methanogenic and methanotrophic microorganisms controlling CH₄ production and consumption, CH₄ transportation through molecular diffusion via peat pore spaces, and non-microbial CH₄ production in peat soils. Findings from the study suggest that water table fluctuation at the soil–water interface relatively controls the soil CH₄ emission from lysimeters under simulated low- and high-water table fluctuation. The findings of this study provide an understanding of the effects of water table fluctuation on CH₄ emission in a tropical peatland cultivated with pineapple. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Agricultural Practices—Impact on Soil Quality and Plant Health)

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17 pages, 1100 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Compost as an Option for Sustainable Crop Production at Low Stocking Rates in Organic Farming

by Christopher Brock, Meike Oltmanns, Christoph Matthes, Ben Schmehe, Harald Schaaf, Detlef Burghardt, Hartmut Horst and Hartmut Spieß

Agronomy 2021, 11(6), 1078; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy11061078 - 27 May 2021

Cited by 9 | Viewed by 3088

Abstract

Mixed-crop-livestock farms offer the best conditions for sustainable nutrient management in organic farming. However, if stocking rates are too low, sustainability might be threatened. Therefore, we studied the development of soil organic matter and nutrients as well as crop yields over the first course of a new long-term field experiment with a mimicked cattle stocking rate of 0.6 LU ha⁻¹, which is the actual average stocking rate for organic farms in Germany. In the experiment, we tested the effects of additional compost application to improve organic matter supply to soils, and further, potassium sulfate fertilization for an improved nutrition of fodder legumes. Compost was made from internal resources of the farm (woody material from hedge-cutting). Soil organic matter and nutrient stocks decreased in the control treatment, even though yield levels, and thus nutrient exports, were comparably low. With compost application, soil organic matter and nutrient exports could be compensated for. At the same time, the yields increased but stayed at a moderate level. Potassium sulfate fertilization further improved N yields. We conclude that compost from internal resources is a viable solution to facilitate sustainable organic crop production at low stocking rates. However, we are aware that this option does not solve the basic problem of open nutrient cycles on the farm gate level. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Agricultural Practices—Impact on Soil Quality and Plant Health)

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11 pages, 559 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Effect of Drip Fertigation with Nitrogen on Yield and Nutritive Value of Melon Cultivated on a Very Light Soil

by Roman Rolbiecki, Stanisław Rolbiecki, Anna Figas, Barbara Jagosz, Dorota Wichrowska, Wiesław Ptach, Piotr Prus, Hicran A. Sadan, Pal-Fam Ferenc, Piotr Stachowski and Daniel Liberacki

Agronomy 2021, 11(5), 934; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy11050934 - 9 May 2021

Cited by 10 | Viewed by 2657

Abstract

Most species of Cucurbitaceae respond favorably to irrigation, especially when combined with fertilizers. The effect of drip irrigation combined with nitrogen fertigation in melon grown on a very light soil in Central Poland, during 2013–2015, was evaluated. The field experimental design was a split-plot with four replications. Two factors were studied: (1) irrigation treatments applied in two combinations—drip irrigation + broadcast nitrogen fertilization (control), and drip irrigation + fertigation with nitrogen; (2) two cultivars—Melba and Seledyn. The total marketable yield of fruits, weight of a single fruit, and the concentration of dry matter, total sugars, monosaccharides, ascorbic acid, total carotenoids, and polyphenols were evaluated. Tested factors presented a significant effect both on the yield and nutritive value characteristics. Drip irrigation combined with nitrogen fertigation, comparing to the control, notably improved yields and nutritional value of fruits. Seledyn produced better yields than Melba. This study shows that on very light soil, with low water and nutrient retention capacity, melon should be drip-irrigated and nitrogen-fertigated to obtain the best cultivation results. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Agricultural Practices—Impact on Soil Quality and Plant Health)

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17 pages, 2797 KiB

Open AccessEditor’s ChoiceArticle

Genotype × Environment Interaction of Yield and Grain Quality Traits of Maize Hybrids in Greece

by Nikolaos Katsenios, Panagiotis Sparangis, Sofia Chanioti, Marianna Giannoglou, Dimitris Leonidakis, Miltiadis V. Christopoulos, George Katsaros and Aspasia Efthimiadou

Agronomy 2021, 11(2), 357; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy11020357 - 17 Feb 2021

Cited by 19 | Viewed by 3610

Abstract

The interaction of genotype by the environment is very common in multi-environment trials of maize hybrids. This study evaluates the quantity and the quality of grain production and the stability of four maize genotypes in a field experiment that was conducted in five different locations for two years. In order to make a reliable evaluation of the performance of genotypes in the environments, principal components analysis (PCA) was used to investigate the correlation of the yield, soil properties and quality characteristics, while the additive main effects and multiplicative interaction (AMMI) analysis detected the narrow adaptations of genotypes at specific mega-environments. For the yield, AMMI analysis indicated that a group of five environments (ENV1, ENV8, ENV6 ENV10 and ENV9) gave higher yields than the mean value and at the same time had low first interaction principal components axis (IPC1) scores, indicating small interactions. Regarding protein and fiber contents, ENV1 and ENV2, gave the highest values and this could be attributed to the high concentration rates of nutrients like Mg, Ca and the soil texture (C). Specifically for the protein, the results of the analysis indicated that certain environment would provide more protein content, so in order to obtain higher grain protein, growers should grow in certain locations in order to improve the content of this quality characteristic, certain genotypes should be used in certain environments. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Agricultural Practices—Impact on Soil Quality and Plant Health)

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15 pages, 2957 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Impact of Maize–Mushroom Intercropping on the Soil Bacterial Community Composition in Northeast China

by Xiaoqin Yang, Yang Wang, Luying Sun, Xiaoning Qi, Fengbin Song and Xiancan Zhu

Agronomy 2020, 10(10), 1526; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy10101526 - 7 Oct 2020

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 2923

Abstract

Conservative agricultural practices have been adopted to improve soil quality and maintain crop productivity. An efficient intercropping of maize with mushroom has been developed in Northeast China. The objective of this study was to evaluate and compare the effects of planting patterns on the diversity and structure of the soil bacterial communities at a 0–20 cm depth in the black soil zone of Northeast China. The experiment consisted of monoculture of maize and mushroom, and intercropping in a split-plot arrangement. The characteristics of soil microbial communities were performed by 16S rRNA gene amplicom sequencing. The results showed that intercropping increased soil bacterial richness and diversity compared with maize monoculture. The relative abundances of Acidobacteria, Chloroflexi, Saccharibacteria and Planctomycetes were significantly higher, whereas Proteobacteria and Firmicutes were lower in intercropping than maize monoculture. Redundancy analysis suggested that pH, NO₃⁻-N and NH₄⁺-N contents had a notable effect on the structure of the bacterial communities. Moreover, intercropping significantly increased the relative abundance of carbohydrate metabolism pathway functional groups. Overall, these findings demonstrated that intercropping of maize with mushroom strongly impacts the physical and chemical properties of soil as well as the diversity and structure of the soil bacterial communities, suggesting this is a sustainable agricultural management practice in Northeast China. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Agricultural Practices—Impact on Soil Quality and Plant Health)

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15 pages, 4139 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Effects of Bacillus subtilis and Pseudomonas fluorescens Inoculation on Attributes of the Lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) Soil Rhizosphere Microbial Community: The Role of the Management System

by Eirini Angelina, Efimia M. Papatheodorou, Triantafyllia Demirtzoglou and Nikolaos Monokrousos

Agronomy 2020, 10(9), 1428; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy10091428 - 19 Sep 2020

Cited by 18 | Viewed by 5031

Abstract

Inoculation with beneficial microbes has been proposed as an effective practice for the improvement of plant growth and soil health. Since soil acts as a physicochemical background for soil microbial communities, we hypothesized that its management will mediate the effects of microbial inoculants on the indigenous soil microbes. We examined the effects of bacterial inoculants [Bacillus subtilis (Ba), Pseudomonas fluorescens (Ps), and both (BaPs)] on the growth of Lactuca sativa cultivated in soils that originated from an organic maize (OS) and a conventional barley (CS) management system. Moreover, the biomass and the community structure of the rhizosphere microbial communities and the soil enzyme activities were recorded. The root weight was higher in CS than OS, while the foliage length was greater in OS than CS treatments. Only in OS pots, inoculants resulted in higher biomasses of bacteria, fungi, and actinomycetes compared to the control with the highest values being recorded in Ps and BaPs treated soils. Furthermore, different inoculants resulted in different communities in terms of structure mainly in OS soils. For soil enzymes, the effect of the management system was more important due to the high organic matter existing in OS soils. We suggest that for microbial inoculation to be effective it should be considered together with the management history of the soil. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Agricultural Practices—Impact on Soil Quality and Plant Health)

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22 pages, 3499 KiB

Open AccessEditor’s ChoiceArticle

On the Use of Multivariate Analysis and Land Evaluation for Potential Agricultural Development of the Northwestern Coast of Egypt

by Mohamed El Sayed Said, Abdelraouf. M. Ali, Maurizio Borin, Sameh Kotb Abd-Elmabod, Ali A. Aldosari, Mohamed M. N. Khalil and Mohamed K. Abdel-Fattah

Agronomy 2020, 10(9), 1318; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy10091318 - 3 Sep 2020

Cited by 31 | Viewed by 4398

Abstract

The development of the agricultural sector is considered the backbone of sustainable development in Egypt. While the developing countries of the world face many challenges regarding food security due to rapid population growth and limited agricultural resources, this study aimed to assess the soils of Sidi Barrani and Salloum using multivariate analysis to determine the land capability and crop suitability for potential alternative crop uses, based on using principal component analysis (PCA), agglomerative hierarchical cluster analysis (AHC) and the Almagra model of MicroLEIS. In total, 24 soil profiles were dug, to represent the geomorphic units of the study area, and the soil physicochemical parameters were analyzed in laboratory. The land capability assessment was classified into five significant classes (C1 to C5) based on AHC and PCA analyses. The class C1 represents the highest capable class while C5 is assigned to lowest class. The results indicated that about 7% of the total area was classified as highly capable land (C1), which is area characterized by high concentrations of macronutrients (N, P, K) and low soil salinity value. However, about 52% of the total area was assigned to moderately high class (C2), and 29% was allocated in moderate class (C3), whilst the remaining area (12%) was classified as the low (C4) and not capable (C5) classes, due to soil limitations such as shallow soil depth, high salinity, and increased erosion susceptibility. Moreover, the results of the Almagra soil suitability model for ten crops were described into four suitability classes, while about 37% of the study area was allocated in the highly suitable class (S2) for wheat, olive, alfalfa, sugar beet and fig. Furthermore, 13% of the area was categorized as highly suitable soil (S2) for citrus and peach. On the other hand, about 50% of the total area was assigned to the marginal class (S4) for most of the selected crops. Hence, the use of multivariate analysis, mapping land capability and modeling the soil suitability for diverse crops help the decision makers with regard to potential agricultural development. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Agricultural Practices—Impact on Soil Quality and Plant Health)

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11 pages, 602 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Nematicidal Activity and Phytochemistry of Greek Lamiaceae Species

by Nikoletta G. Ntalli, Efstathia X. Ozalexandridou, Konstantinos M. Kasiotis, Maria Samara and Spyros K. Golfinopoulos

Agronomy 2020, 10(8), 1119; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy10081119 - 1 Aug 2020

Cited by 13 | Viewed by 2812

Abstract

Natural pesticides are in the forefront of interest as ecofriendly alternatives to their synthetic ancestors. In the present study, we evaluated the nematicidal activity of seven Greek Lamiaceae species and discerned among principal components for activity according to GC-MS analysis. Care was taken that all botanicals used were easily prepared without employing elaborate procedures and toxic solvents. We established the in vitro EC₅₀ values of the hydrosols of Origanum vulgare L., Mentha piperita L., and Melissa officinalis L. and the water extracts of Origanum vulgare, Τhymus vulgaris L., Thymus citriodorus (Schreb), Rosmarinus officinalis (Spenn), and Ocimum basilicum L. against Meloidogyne javanica (Treub) and Meloidogyne incognita (Kofoid & White). Furthermore, we amended nematode-infested soil with powdered leaves and flowers of O. vulgare to assess for efficacy. According to in vitro studies, the most active botanical preparations against both nematode species was O. vulgare, as regards its hydrosol and water extract. Thymus citriodorus was proved very potent against M. javanica, provoking 100% paralysis at 4 μL/mL after 96 h, but was only nematostatic against M. incognita since the second-stage juveniles (J2s) recovered movement 48 h after immersion in test solutions. Interestingly, O. vulgare was also proved nematicidal in pot bioassays but at test concentrations over 50 g/kg was phytotoxic for tomato plants. According to GC-MS analysis, the principal components sustaining activity of O. vulgare are carvacrol and thymol. The nematicidal activity of O. vulgare seems promising in the forms of essential oil leftovers (i.e., hydrosol), self-prepared water extract that can be of consideration as α “basic substance”, and powder for soil amendment. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Agricultural Practices—Impact on Soil Quality and Plant Health)

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Review

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29 pages, 4899 KiB

Open AccessEditor’s ChoiceReview

Zeolites Enhance Soil Health, Crop Productivity and Environmental Safety

by Mousumi Mondal, Benukar Biswas, Sourav Garai, Sukamal Sarkar, Hirak Banerjee, Koushik Brahmachari, Prasanta Kumar Bandyopadhyay, Sagar Maitra, Marian Brestic, Milan Skalicky, Peter Ondrisik and Akbar Hossain

Agronomy 2021, 11(3), 448; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy11030448 - 28 Feb 2021

Cited by 56 | Viewed by 9298

Abstract

In modern days, rapid urbanisation, climatic abnormalities, water scarcity and quality degradation vis-à-vis the increasing demand for food to feed the growing population necessitate a more efficient agriculture production system. In this context, farming with zeolites, hydrated naturally occurring aluminosilicates found in sedimentary rocks, which are ubiquitous and environment friendly, has attracted attention in the recent past owing to multidisciplinary benefits accrued from them in agricultural activities. The use of these minerals as soil ameliorants facilitates the improvement of soil’s physical and chemical properties as well as alleviates heavy metal toxicity. Additionally, natural and surface-modified zeolites have selectivity for major essential nutrients, including ammonium (NH₄⁺), phosphate (PO₄²⁻), nitrate (NO₃⁻), potassium (K⁺) and sulphate (SO₄²⁻), in their unique porous structure that reduces nutrient leaching. The slow-release nature of zeolites is also beneficial to avail nutrients optimally throughout crop growth. These unique characteristics of zeolites improve the fertilizer and water use efficiency and, subsequently, diminish environmental pollution by reducing nitrate leaching and the emissions of nitrous oxides and ammonia. The aforesaid characteristics significantly improve the growth, productivity and quality of versatile crops, along with maximising resource use efficiency. This literature review highlights the findings of previous studies as well as the prospects of zeolite application for achieving sustenance in agriculture without negotiating the output. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Agricultural Practices—Impact on Soil Quality and Plant Health)

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