Alternatives to Mineral Nitrogen Fertilizers in Agriculture: State of the Art, Challenges and Future Prospects, 2nd Edition

A special issue of Nitrogen (ISSN 2504-3129).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 December 2025 | Viewed by 845

Special Issue Editor


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Guest Editor
Department of Soil Microbiology and Symbiotic Systems, Estación Experimental del Zaidín (EEZ), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), 18008 Granada, Spain
Interests: composts; legumes; organic matter; organic and biological fertilizers; nitrous oxide; rhizobium; soil microorganisms; symbiotic nitrogen fixation
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The first edition of the Special Issue “Alternatives to Mineral Nitrogen Fertilizers in Agriculture: State of the Art, Challenges and Future Prospects” was closed in 2024 (https://www.mdpi.com/journal/nitrogen/special_issues/Altern_N_Fertil).

It was a successful collection comprising a number of excellent papers and has encouraged us to open a second edition on the same topic. As a continuation of the first Special Issue, this second edition invites the scientific community to share their investigations related to the minimization of the environmental impacts of nitrogen application in agriculture and to the optimization of fertilization. Research articles and reviews on agronomic, chemical, biological, or multidisciplinary aspects of this area are welcome. In addition, papers may cover (but are not limited to) the following topics:

  • Biological and symbiotic nitrogen fixation;
  • Legume crops;
  • Legume inoculation with rhizobia, endophytic, and free-living diazotrophs;
  • Bioengineering crops for nitrogen fixation;
  • Vegetation cover;
  • Intercropping strategies;
  • Environmental contamination of nitrogen fertilizers;
  • Nitrogen emissions (NH3, N2O, NO or N2);
  • Manure and organic fertilizers;
  • Green manure;
  • Biochar as a nitrogen carrier;
  • Enhanced-efficiency nitrogen fertilizers;
  • Nitrogen transformation in organic waste treatments: composting, vermicomposting, and anaerobic digestion;
  • Application of composts, vermicompost, or digestate;
  • Plant-growth-promoting microorganisms;
  • Biostimulants;
  • Seaweed protein extraction and application;
  • New technologies for nitrogen recovery from organic waste;
  • N-cycle in soils: nitrification, denitrification, etc.;
  • Regenerative agriculture;
  • Precision agriculture for nitrogen management;
  • Economic feasibility of alternative fertilizers;
  • Environmental impact assessment;
  • Adoption barriers and farmer perceptions.

Dr. Germán Tortosa
Guest Editor

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. Nitrogen 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

  • biological and symbiotic nitrogen fixation
  • legume crops
  • manure and organic fertilizers
  • alternative fertilizers
  • environmental impact assessment

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Related Special Issue

Published Papers (1 paper)

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43 pages, 5647 KiB  
Review
Biodegradable Waste in Compost Production: A Review of Its Economic Potential
by Ayesha Ansar, Jianguo Du, Qaiser Javed, Muhammad Adnan and Iqra Javaid
Nitrogen 2025, 6(2), 24; https://doi.org/10.3390/nitrogen6020024 - 5 Apr 2025
Viewed by 789
Abstract
This study explores the economic benefits and challenges associated with biodegradable waste composting, highlighting its role in promoting sustainability through a circular economy framework. We reviewed the relevant literature and found 160 articles for this study, including the keywords “Biodegradable waste”, “Compost production”, [...] Read more.
This study explores the economic benefits and challenges associated with biodegradable waste composting, highlighting its role in promoting sustainability through a circular economy framework. We reviewed the relevant literature and found 160 articles for this study, including the keywords “Biodegradable waste”, “Compost production”, and “Economic Potential”. Considering quality studies, we employed the PRISMA technique to conduct a comprehensive data synthesis and evaluate 89 articles for the final review. Our findings highlight that composting offers significant advantages, including waste reduction, cost savings in waste management, carbon credit, a source of nitrogen, job creation, and reduced reliance on synthetic fertilizers. Further, it supports environmental sustainability by improving soil health, mitigating greenhouse gas emissions, and reducing landfill use. However, challenges such as high upfront costs, quality control, and market competition with chemical fertilizers remain barriers to widespread adoption. The study extends the literature by emphasizing that the integration of composting into a circular economy can foster innovation, enhance local economies, and contribute to climate change mitigation. Furthermore, it offers a promising pathway for advancing sustainability. Future research should focus on improving composting technologies, optimizing their applications, and developing stronger policy frameworks to ensure the successful implementation of biodegradable waste composting practices. Full article
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