Machine Learning for Sustainable Horticulture

Dear Colleagues,

The rapid development of machine learning (ML) and artificial intelligence (AI) has opened new opportunities for transforming horticultural production systems toward greater sustainability, efficiency, and resilience. In horticulture, ML techniques are increasingly applied for crop growth modeling, disease and pest recognition, yield prediction, and optimization of environmental and resource management. These applications not only enhance productivity and crop quality but also help address pressing challenges such as labor shortages, climate variability, and the need to reduce inputs and environmental impacts.

The purpose of this Special Issue, “Machine Learning for Sustainable Horticulture”, is to present innovative studies, tools, and applications of ML that support sustainable horticultural practices. Contributions are welcome on topics such as image-based plant monitoring, precision irrigation and fertilization, intelligent decision-support systems, automation and robotics, sensor integration and IoT-enabled horticulture, as well as big data analytics for crop management. Both original research and comprehensive reviews that explore the role of ML in advancing sustainable horticulture are encouraged.

Prof. Dr. Shuangxi Liu
Dr. Hongjian Zhang
Dr. Linlin Sun
Prof. Dr. Araceli Peña
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. Horticulturae is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly 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 2200 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.