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Effects of the Soil Environment on Plant Growth

A special issue of Applied Sciences (ISSN 2076-3417). This special issue belongs to the section "Environmental Sciences".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 October 2025 | Viewed by 711

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Department of Agricultural Engineering and Safety, Vytautas Magnus University, Akademija, Kaunas District, Studentu Str. 11, LT-53361 Kaunas, Lithuania
Interests: biotreatment; soil tillage; fertilization; mechanical characteristic of plant residues; greenhouse gases

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Agricultural Engineering and Safety, Vytautas Magnus University, Akademija, Kaunas District, Studentu Str. 11, LT-53361 Kaunas, Lithuania
Interests: environmental engineering; technologies; energy cost reduction and environmental sustainability in various agricultural systems; multicriteria bioimpact effectiveness for environmental improvement
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Agricultural Engineering and Safety, Vytautas Magnus University, Akademija, Kaunas District, Studentu Str. 11, LT-53361 Kaunas, Lithuania
Interests: contervation tillage technologies and machinery research; physical-mechanical soil properties; environmental assessment of tillage technologies

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Soil is a fundamental element of ecosystems, and one that directly influences plant growth and productivity. It also plays a critical role in global biodiversity and carbon cycling. This Special Issue is dedicated to exploring the intricate effects of the soil environment on plant growth. Our goal is to delve into the latest scientific discoveries and technological advancements that enhance our understanding of how soil conditions affect plant development and performance.

We invite authors to contribute original articles that investigate various aspects of soil's influence on plant development. Through this Special Issue, we aim to provide a platform for the sharing of comprehensive research that addresses the complex dynamics between soil and plant systems, promoting sustainable agricultural practices and ecological balance.

Dr. Kristina Lekavičienė
Dr. Vilma Naujokienė
Dr. Sidona Buragienė
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. Applied Sciences 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 2400 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–plant interactions
  • plant adaptation to soil
  • soil management
  • plant growth techniques
  • innovative farming

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

16 pages, 2899 KiB  
Article
Variation in Crop Yield Depending on the Tractor Tire Contact Area and Clay Loam Soil Moisture
by Vidas Damanauskas and Danutė Jablonskytė-Raščė
Appl. Sci. 2025, 15(11), 6115; https://doi.org/10.3390/app15116115 - 29 May 2025
Viewed by 451
Abstract
As the demand for productivity increases, machines are becoming heavier, and large coverage implements cause the slippage of tractor driving wheels, which initiate soil compaction and displacement. Sources indicate that compaction has an adverse impact on crop growth and grain yield. However, heavy [...] Read more.
As the demand for productivity increases, machines are becoming heavier, and large coverage implements cause the slippage of tractor driving wheels, which initiate soil compaction and displacement. Sources indicate that compaction has an adverse impact on crop growth and grain yield. However, heavy machinery under draft is not always to blame for yield losses. The aim of the six-year research was to establish the relationship between grain yield and the slippage of tractors on heavy clay loam soil under two different moisture conditions. The spring cereals were grown as peas, spring barley, and spring wheat. Each treatment plot was compressed from track-to-track separately, altering the tire contact area on each treatment plot. Different tire contact areas were achieved by adjusting tire pressure and adding double wheels, while simulating a constant draft. Wheeled plots with the smallest tire contact area produced 9% less crop yield, whereas wheeling with the largest tire contact area showed an 8% increase in crop yield compared to the control plot without compaction in the dependency of soil moisture. Wheeling is like rollers breaking down clay loam soil clods and slightly compacting the topsoil, helping to retain moisture, leading to increased yields. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Effects of the Soil Environment on Plant Growth)
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