Integrated Soil–Plant Management for Resilient and Sustainable Agroecosystems

A special issue of Plants (ISSN 2223-7747). This special issue belongs to the section "Plant–Soil Interactions".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 April 2025 | Viewed by 2077

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
School of Agricultural, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban 4041, South Africa
Interests: soil; plant nutrition; abiotic stress; sustainable agriculture

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Guest Editor
Soil Science, Agricultural Research Council—Natural Resources and Engineering, Pretoria 0083, South Africa
Interests: agronomy; cropping systems; climate smart agriculture; soil science; sustainable agriculture
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Guest Editor
Department of Plant and Soil Sciences, University of South Africa, Florida 1710, South Africa
Interests: plant soil interations

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Guest Editor
Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, Faculty of Sciences, Agriculture and Engineering, University of Venda, Thohoyandou 0950, South Africa
Interests: metabolomics and postharvest quality

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Integrated soil–plant management (ISPM) is a holistic approach that aims to optimize the interaction between soil and plants to enhance agricultural productivity while ensuring the long-term sustainability of agrosystems. Soil performs numerous essential functions such as regulating water, sustaining plant and animal life, filtering and buffering potential pollutants, andcycling nutrients, thus providing physical stability and support to plants. ISPM recognizes the intricate relationship between soil and plants and seeks to manage this relationship in a way that maximizes productivity, minimizes environmental impact, and enhances resilience to various stressors such as climate change, pests, and diseases.

This Special Issue explores the importance of ISPM in building resilient and sustainable agrosystems, as well as exploring the key principles and practices that underpin this approach. We invite submissions that examine various perspectives of ISPM, including both theoretical and practical applications.

Key areas of interest and principles of ISPM include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • Soil Health Management: ISPM emphasizes the importance of maintaining and improving soil health through practices such as crop rotation, cover cropping, organic matter addition, and reduced tillage. Healthy soils are essential for providing a supportive environment for plant growth, improving water retention, and enhancing nutrient cycling.
  • Crop physiology (Resilience and Adaptation strategies): ISPM recognizes the need to build resilient agrosystems that can withstand environmental challenges such as droughts, floods, and extreme temperatures in the wake of global climate change. By promoting diverse cropping systems, drought-tolerant crops, crop rotations, and agroforestry practices, ISPM enhances the resilience of agrosystems and their ability to adapt to changing conditions.
  • Integrated Nutrient Management: ISPM promotes efficient nutrient management strategies that aim to optimize nutrient availability for plants while minimizing losses to the environment. This includes practices such as fertilizer use efficiency, the use of organic amendments, and precision agriculture techniques to tailor nutrient applications based on plant and soil requirements.
  • Integrated Pest and Disease Management: ISPM advocates for integrated pest management (IPM) strategies that combine cultural, biological, and chemical control methods to manage pests and diseases in a sustainable manner. By promoting biodiversity and natural enemies of pests, ISPM reduces the reliance on synthetic agrochemicals.
  • Water Management: Efficient water management is essential for sustainable agriculture, especially in the face of increasing water scarcity and climate variability. ISPM encourages practices such as drip irrigation, rainwater harvesting, and soil moisture monitoring to optimize water use efficiency and minimize water wastage.

We welcome submissions that showcase successful case studies, present novel research findings, or offer critical reviews of existing knowledge. This Special Issue aims to bridge the gap between science and practice, providing valuable insights for researchers, extension agents, and farmers alike.

The comprehensive understanding of ISPM and its role in building resilient agroecosystems can contribute to sustainable and productive agriculture.

Prof. Dr. Fhatuwani N. Mudau
Dr. Adornis Nciizah
Dr. Khayalethu Ntushelo
Dr. Ntakadzeni Edwin Madala
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • agroecosystem resilience
  • agroecological adaptation
  • integrated nutrient management
  • conservation agriculture
  • water management (ISM)
  • nutrient cycling
  • organic matter management
  • sustainable agriculture
  • soil health
  • integrated pest and disease management

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

17 pages, 1585 KiB  
Article
Effect of Clay Amendment and Strategic Deep Tillage on Soil Water Dynamics and Plant Growth Under Controlled Environments
by Kanchana Wickramarachchi, Giacomo Betti and Gaus Azam
Plants 2025, 14(5), 799; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants14050799 - 4 Mar 2025
Viewed by 670
Abstract
Strategic deep tillage (SDT) practices, such as soil mixing following the application of soil amendments, are promising approaches to alleviate topsoil water repellence and other subsoil constraints and improve crop productivity. However, there is a lack of knowledge on the effect of SDT [...] Read more.
Strategic deep tillage (SDT) practices, such as soil mixing following the application of soil amendments, are promising approaches to alleviate topsoil water repellence and other subsoil constraints and improve crop productivity. However, there is a lack of knowledge on the effect of SDT on soil water dynamics, especially under water-limited environments. This study evaluates the effects of clay incorporation, soil inversion and deep soil mixing on soil water infiltration, surface evaporation rates, soil water storage and subsequent impacts on the below and aboveground growth of wheat (Triticum aestivum L. var Scepter) in controlled environments. Results show that soil mixing significantly improved water infiltration compared to an untreated control. Clay incorporation exhibited the highest bare soil surface evaporation rates immediately and two years post-tillage, leading to substantial water losses under warm and dry ambient conditions. Despite improving soil water storage in deeper layers, high evaporation rates in clay-incorporated soils negatively impacted wheat growth, with reduced shoot biomass and root length density. Conversely, soil inversion and mixing-only treatments demonstrated balanced improvements in water infiltration, soil water use, and wheat shoot biomass. These findings underscore the trade-offs associated with SDT practices, particularly in managing soil water loss and crop productivity in water-limited environments. This study also highlights the need for the careful selection of SDT for soil amelioration strategies tailored to soil types and climatic conditions to enhance agricultural productivity and sustainability. Full article
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18 pages, 2589 KiB  
Article
Effect of Compound Fertilizer on Foxtail Millet Productivity and Soil Environment
by Yanyan Duan, Chenyang Wang, Lizhi Li, Ruihua Han, Xiao Shen, Genlan Han, Jiang Wang, Mengen Nie, Xinlei Zhou, Huiling Du, Xiangyang Yuan and Shuqi Dong
Plants 2024, 13(22), 3167; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants13223167 - 11 Nov 2024
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Abstract
The effects of balanced fertilization with nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium (NPK) on foxtail millet productivity and the soil environment under the same conditions of total nutrients have received limited research attention. Therefore, in this study, three balanced fertilization patterns of 27-14-10 (T1), 27-17-7 [...] Read more.
The effects of balanced fertilization with nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium (NPK) on foxtail millet productivity and the soil environment under the same conditions of total nutrients have received limited research attention. Therefore, in this study, three balanced fertilization patterns of 27-14-10 (T1), 27-17-7 (T2), and 30-10-11 (T3), and one no fertilization treatment (CK), a total of four treatments, were set up through a two-year field experiment to study the effects of balanced fertilization patterns on foxtail millet yield and soil environment. Mantel analysis was conducted to reveal the correlation between soil environmental factors and the community and their contribution to productivity. The results showed that: (1) all balanced fertilization treatments significantly increased foxtail millet yield, with the highest yield in the T1 treatment. (2) The contents of EC, available K, available P, and alkaline-hydrolyzable nitrogen in the soil of the two-year TI treatments were higher than those of the other treatments and increased by 7.20–9.36%, 24.87–52.35%, 55.83–56.38%, and 21.05–43.95%, respectively, compared with CK. (3) Soil urease activity in the T1 treatment increased significantly by 26.67% and 9.00% compared with the control over the two years. Sucrase activity increased by 36.27% and 23.88% in the T1 treatment compared to CK, and glutaminase activity increased by 33.33% and 19.23% in the T1 treatment compared to CK. (4) T1 treatment significantly increased the OUT number and diversity index of the soil bacterial community. (5) Mantel analysis and principal component analysis showed that available soil nutrients and soil enzymes were positively correlated, and soil enzymes and soil nutrients contributed more to foxtail millet productivity. In this study, the 27-14-10 balanced fertilization pattern was more effective, providing a theoretical basis for the research and development of special fertilizers for foxtail millet and offering technical guidance for realizing the light simplified cultivation of foxtail millet and sustainable development of cost–saving and increased efficiency. Full article
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