Fertigation and Nutrient Management in Crops

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (25 February 2024) | Viewed by 2607

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation (Embrapa Meio-Norte), Research and Development Sector, Duque de Caxias Av., 5650, Teresina 64008-780, Piauí, Brazil
Interests: plant nutrition; soil fertility; crop–livestock–forest integration; nutrient management in crop production

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Guest Editor
Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation (Embrapa Meio-Norte), Research and Development Sector, Duque de Caxias Av., 5650, Teresina 64008-780, Piauí, Brazil
Interests: soil and crop management; soil quality; soil biology; soil–plant interactions

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Guest Editor
Soil Science Unit, Department of Agronomy, University of Córdoba, 14014 Córdoba, Spain
Interests: plant nutrition; soil fertility; soil functionality; soil–plant interactions

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Irrigation has been shown to be an effective practice in improving crop yields and seed/fruit quality since the availability of nutrients in soil is directly related to an adequate water supply. In evaluating the effects of soil water availability during the reproductive phase of crop plants, studies have shown that the maintenance of optimal soil moisture levels is decisive for the increased accumulation of protein, sucrose, oil, and macronutrients in seeds or fruits.

In most rainfed farming systems, sowing must be carried out at the beginning of the rainy season to ensure adequate water supply and to prevent the negative impacts of water deficiency, which can interfere with the plants’ metabolic processes. Drought is a major threat to crop production worldwide. Some species are sensitive to drought stress, as it negatively affects both nutrient absorption and the yield of crops. Besides water availability, soil management practices, such as the amounts and strategies needed to supply nutrients to the crops, have effects on the availability of nutrients and the soil organic matter content, thereby affecting soil quality and crop performance. Thus, the success of agricultural activities requires the adoption of more sustainable systems based on the rational use of resources, allowing the reversal of soil degradation and increased productivity.

Topics related to the scope of this Special Issue include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • Fertigation in crops;
  • Partitioning and absorption of nutrients in crops;
  • Nutrient use efficiency;
  • Drought stress and its relationship with nutrient absorption;
  • Practices that promote improvement in soil fertility and moisture.

Dr. Henrique Antunes De Souza
Dr. Edvaldo Sagrilo
Dr. Antonio Rafael Sánchez-Rodríguez
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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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 quarterly 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 1000 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

  • nutrient cycling
  • intensive agriculture
  • plant nutrition
  • soil fertility
  • fertilizer management
  • soil moisture

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

19 pages, 18241 KiB  
Article
Analyzing Winter Wheat (Triticum aestivum) Growth Pattern Using High Spatial Resolution Images: A Case Study at Lakehead University Agriculture Research Station, Thunder Bay, Canada
by María V. Brenes Fuentes, Muditha K. Heenkenda, Tarlok S. Sahota and Laura Segura Serrano
Crops 2024, 4(2), 115-133; https://doi.org/10.3390/crops4020009 - 28 Mar 2024
Viewed by 1020
Abstract
Remote sensing technology currently facilitates the monitoring of crop development, enabling detailed analysis and monitoring throughout the crop’s growing stages. This research analyzed the winter wheat growth dynamics of experimental plots at the Lakehead University Agricultural Research Station, Thunder Bay, Canada using high [...] Read more.
Remote sensing technology currently facilitates the monitoring of crop development, enabling detailed analysis and monitoring throughout the crop’s growing stages. This research analyzed the winter wheat growth dynamics of experimental plots at the Lakehead University Agricultural Research Station, Thunder Bay, Canada using high spatial and temporal resolution remote sensing images. The spectral signatures for five growing stages were prepared. NIR reflectance increased during the growing stages and decreased at the senescence, indicating healthy vegetation. The space–time cube provided valuable insight into how canopy height changed over time. The effect of nitrogen treatments on wheat did not directly influence the plant count (spring/autumn), and height and volume at maturity. However, the green and dry weights were different at several treatments. Winter wheat yield was predicted using the XGBoost algorithm, and moderate results were obtained. The study explored different techniques for analyzing winter wheat growth dynamics and identified their usefulness in smart agriculture. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Fertigation and Nutrient Management in Crops)
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10 pages, 281 KiB  
Article
Pearl Millet-Cowpea Forage Mixture Planting Arrangement Influences Mixture Yield and Nutritive Value in Semiarid Regions
by Leonard M. Lauriault, Murali K. Darapuneni and Gasper K. Martinez
Crops 2023, 3(4), 266-275; https://doi.org/10.3390/crops3040024 - 29 Oct 2023
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1121
Abstract
Pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum (L.) R. Br.) and cowpea (Vigna unguiculata L. Walp.) are well-adapted to semiarid regions. A two-year study at New Mexico State University’s Rex E. Kirksey Agricultural Science Center at Tucumcari, NM, USA, compared monoculture pearl millet and [...] Read more.
Pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum (L.) R. Br.) and cowpea (Vigna unguiculata L. Walp.) are well-adapted to semiarid regions. A two-year study at New Mexico State University’s Rex E. Kirksey Agricultural Science Center at Tucumcari, NM, USA, compared monoculture pearl millet and cowpea with their mixtures in various row arrangements in four randomized complete blocks each year. Treatments included monoculture pearl millet (millet) and cowpea (cowpea), pearl millet and cowpea mixture planted in the same row (millet–cowpea), the species planted in alternate rows (millet–cowpea 1:1), the species planted in two adjacent rows alternating between species (millet–cowpea 2:2), and the species planted in four adjacent rows alternating between species (millet–cowpea 4:4), Mixture neutral detergent fiber (NDF) was reduced i millet–cowpea 1:1 and millet–cowpea 2:2 compared to millet (673, 662, 644, 646, and 666 g NDF kg−1 for millet, millet–cowpea, millet–cowpea 1:1, millet–cowpea 2:2, and millet–cowpea 4:4, respectively, LSD = 18, p ≤ 0.05). Crude protein tended to be increased in millet–cowpea 2:2. Based on these results two rows of cowpea alternated with two rows of pearl millet, all spaced at 15 cm and harvesting for hay at the pearl millet boot stage likely optimizes the compromise of DM yield and the nutritive value of the mixture. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Fertigation and Nutrient Management in Crops)
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