Recent Advances in Soil Health: Influences of Organic Carbon and Microbiota

Dear Colleagues,

Recently, the deteriorating general condition of the soil has become a cause of great concern. Much scientific research has been directed to searching for measures that can improve the ability of soil to accumulate organic carbon, thus preventing degradation and improving the availability of nutrients to plants. The state of soil organic matter is the main quality parameter of the soil. Environmental factors (temperature, oxygen availability, humidity, biological activity) determine the quality and speed of decomposition of organic matter, which is very important in intensive agricultural systems. However, the assessment of soil health is still dominated by chemical indicators, although there are enough signals to demonstrate the importance of soil biodiversity. The understanding of soil health should be enriched by the ability to absorb carbon, in the form of CO₂, thereby contributing to climate change mitigation, and the accumulation of soil carbon stocks, ensuring the long-term sustainability of ecosystems and the maintenance of productivity. In this case, not only are the quantitative parameters of the soil microbiota very important, but also the composition of species, as well as the functional capabilities that determine the success of nutrients entering the soil and the general condition of the soil and, most importantly, its sustainability. Currently, the use of beneficial microorganisms in the agricultural sector is increasing, in order to replace mineral fertilizers and chemical pesticides. The control of soil health should be considered as a fundamental principle in achieving sustainability as an ultimate goal.

Therefore, we invite scientists to publish their latest research results in the field of soil health in scientific articles and reports, and to share their insights on this topic in review articles. Scientific articles concerning the research on the diversity of soil microorganism communities, including viruses, protozoa, and invertebrates, in the sense of analyzing the condition of the soil health are also very welcome.

Dr. Audrius Kačergius
Dr. Audrius Gegeckas
Dr. Renata Gudiukaité
Guest Editors

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• diversity of soil microbial community
• soil microbial function in environment
• soil microbiomics
• carbon sequestration
• soil organic matter (SOM)
• soil organic carbon (SOC)
• soil quality
• plant–soil microbial interaction
• eco-friendly agriculture
• biofertilizers