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Crops
Special Issues
Soil Fertility Management in Crop Production
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Soil Fertility Management in Crop Production

A special issue of Crops (ISSN 2673-7655).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 10 August 2026 | Viewed by 2277

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Rafael Felippe Ratke

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Agronomic, Federal University of Mato Grosso do Sul, Campus de Chapadão do Sul, Av. Engenheiro Douglas Ribeiro Pantaleão s/n Zona Rural, Chapadão do Sul 79560-000, Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil
Interests: fertilizer; cover crops; plant nutrition; hydrogels; soil analysis; organomineral fertilizer
Dr. Juliano Magalhães Barbosa

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Federal Institute of Tocantins—IFTO, Campus Lagoa da Confusão Rua 02, Quadra 5A, Lote 01, Setor Lagoa da Ilha, Lagoa da Confusão 77493-000, Tocantins, Brazil
Interests: cover crops; fertilization; soybean; corn; rice and bean
Dr. Leandro Pereira Pacheco

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Faculdade de Agronomia, Federal University of Rondonópolis, Av. Dos Estudantes, 5055, Cidade Universitária, Rondonópolis 78736-900, Mato Grosso, Brazil
Interests: cover crop; sustainable agriculture; crop-livestock integration; soybeans and direct planting system
Dr. Laércio Santos Silva

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Faculty of Agricultural Sciences, Federal University of Grande Dourados, Rua João Rosa Góes, nº 1761, Vila Progresso, Dourados 79825-070, Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil
Interests: integrated crop-livestock system; soil science; X-ray diffraction (XRD); diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS); mid-infrared spectroscopy (MIR-Mid infrared) and magnetometry

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Soil fertility management is a crucial part of the crop production process. In this context, innovations in efficient fertilizer use, cover crops, integrated cropping systems, and fertilizer use management are currently being evaluated by sensors and spectroscopy in order to promote efficient and sustainable crop production systems. The objective of this Special Issue is to publish articles in the area of ​​soil fertility management for crop production.

The scope of this Special Issue includes the following: the use of mineral fertilizers; organic and organomineral fertilization; increased efficiency fertilizers; slow-release fertilizers; soil fertility management systems using cover crops and no-till planting; and advances in techniques for measuring soil chemical parameters, fertilizer parameters, and plant nutrients by using sensors and near-infrared equipment. We ask those interested in publishing in this Special Issue, titled “Soil Fertility Management in Crop Production”, to provide their submissions containing a title and a 150-word abstract.

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Dr. Rafael Felippe Ratke
Dr. Juliano Magalhães Barbosa
Dr. Leandro Pereira Pacheco
Dr. Laércio Santos Silva
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 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

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. Crops 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 1200 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

  • fertilizer
  • fertilization
  • cover crops
  • plant nutrition
  • hydrogels
  • soil analysis
  • sensors
  • integrated crop–livestock system
  • crop yields
  • spectroscopy
  • soil management
  • soil physics
  • organomineral fertilizer
  • organic fertilization

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Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

13 pages, 2011 KB  
Article
Biofertilization with AFERT as an Alternative to Mineral Fertilization in Sesame (Sesamum indicum L.) Cultivation
by Jorge González Aguilera, Matheus Basto Angeli Silva, Beatriz Pisa De Andrade, Alexandre Vasco Mariano Muguerrima, Fábio Steiner, Eder Pereira Neves, Alan Mario Zuffo, Tatiane Scilewski da Costa Zanatta, Carlos Genaro Morales Aranibar, Cesar Augusto Masgo Soto, María Paulina Aliaga Martínez and Luis Morales-Aranibar
Crops 2026, 6(2), 41; https://doi.org/10.3390/crops6020041 - 1 Apr 2026
Viewed by 771
Abstract
Sesame cultivation has expanded in Brazil, but ensuring plant establishment and productivity through fertilization remains a fundamental challenge. In this context, the present work aims to evaluate the effects of different doses of the biofertilizer AFERT on the growth and development of sesame [...] Read more.
Sesame cultivation has expanded in Brazil, but ensuring plant establishment and productivity through fertilization remains a fundamental challenge. In this context, the present work aims to evaluate the effects of different doses of the biofertilizer AFERT on the growth and development of sesame plants under greenhouse conditions. The experiment was conducted in a randomized block design with six treatments and four replications. Five doses were used (2, 1.6, 1.2, 0.8, and 0.4 t ha−1 of AFERT), corresponding to different percentages of fertilization with the biofertilizer AFERT (04-14-12+hydroretainer), and, as a control, the mineral fertilizer NPK (04-14-08) was used at doses of 2 t ha−1 and 50 kg ha−1 of KCl. The variables evaluated were the internal CO2 concentration, transpiration rate, stomatal conductance, net CO2 assimilation rate, intrinsic water use efficiency, water use efficiency, instantaneous carboxylation efficiency, number of pods, plant height, stem diameter, root length, root dry mass, number of grains per plant, and total grain weight. The biofertilizer AFERT demonstrated agronomic potential for sesame cultivation, with a productive performance equivalent [number of grains per plant (84%) and total grain weight (70%)] to that of mineral fertilization regardless of the dose used. Notably, the dose corresponding to 1.2 t ha−1 promoted greater physiological efficiency, with a 36% increase in CO2 assimilation and photosynthetic activity, without improving production components. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Soil Fertility Management in Crop Production)
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21 pages, 4607 KB  
Article
Functional Differentiation of Indigenous Nostocalean Cyanobacteria: Effects of Biomass and Extracellular Polymeric Substances on Rice Growth and Soil Properties
by Neti Ngearnpat, Supattra Tiche, Narong Wongkantrakorn, Kritsana Duangjan, Kittiya Phinyo and Kritchaya Issakul
Crops 2026, 6(2), 40; https://doi.org/10.3390/crops6020040 - 1 Apr 2026
Viewed by 524
Abstract
The excessive use of chemical fertilizers in rice cultivation has contributed to soil degradation, creating a need for sustainable biological alternatives. This study examined the functional diversity of three indigenous nostocalean cyanobacterial strains (UP1, UP2, and UP3) isolated from forest and paddy field [...] Read more.
The excessive use of chemical fertilizers in rice cultivation has contributed to soil degradation, creating a need for sustainable biological alternatives. This study examined the functional diversity of three indigenous nostocalean cyanobacterial strains (UP1, UP2, and UP3) isolated from forest and paddy field ecosystems by comparing the effects of their cellular biomass and extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) on rice seedling growth and soil properties. Morphological observations and partial 16S rRNA sequence analysis indicated that strains UP1 and UP2 were affiliated with the genus Ahomia, whereas UP3 was placed within the genus Nostoc. Together, these results placed all three isolates within the heterocystous cyanobacterial order Nostocales. The strains were further characterized based on EPS production and its degree of polymerization. Seed germination and seedling vigor assays were conducted to select the most effective biomass and EPS treatments, which were subsequently evaluated in 21-day pot experiments. Fresh biomass from strain UP2 most effectively enhanced rice growth, whereas EPS from strain UP3 promoted root development. EPS application from strain UP3 significantly increased root elongation to 13.44 cm, while high biomass levels of UP2 increased total sugar and free amino acid contents, indicating distinct plant response patterns. Soil analyses revealed differential responses between biomass- and EPS-based applications, with biomass generally producing stronger effects. Biomass from all strains was associated with higher physical soil function index (PSFI) values (up to 1.35). In contrast, improvements in chemical soil function index (CSFI) were observed across treatments, with variable responses and relatively higher values recorded in biomass from strain UP3 (up to 1.24). These findings suggest strain- and form-dependent response patterns of nostocalean cyanobacteria with potential for enhancing rice growth and improving soil functionality under the controlled conditions. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Soil Fertility Management in Crop Production)
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