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Sustainable Approaches of Plant Nutrient and Environment Management to Plant...
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Sustainable Approaches of Plant Nutrient and Environment Management to Plant Production

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 June 2025 | Viewed by 7970

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Zaid Khan

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
College of Natural Resources and Environment, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China
Interests: sustainable agriculture; crop production; plant nutrition; nutrient cycling; soil health; nitrogen use efficiency; plant physiology; abiotic stresses; nanotechnology; soil microbes; inorganic and organic fertilizers; organic agriculture
Dr. Mohammad Nauman Khan

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Breeding and Multiplication (Sanya Institute of Breeding and Multiplication), Hainan University, Sanya 572025, China
Interests: abiotic stresses; plant physiology; growth regulators; seed treatment; cellular ultrastructure; stress tolerance mechanism; nanotechnology
Dr. Junguo Bi

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Shanghai Agrobiological Gene Center, No. 2901 Beidi Road, Shanghai 201106, China
Interests: environmental stress physiology; seed treatment technology; seed quality; plant nutrition physiology; crop production; water and fertilizer management

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Proper nutrient management is crucial to optimize plant growth and production while reducing environmental hazards. Managing nutrient availability alone through agrochemicals (mainly fertilizers) is insufficient for optimizing crop production, which is the primary goal of current intensive agriculture. Sustainable plant nutrient and environment management approaches aim to provide solutions for producing food and agricultural products that do not threaten crop productivity, food accessibility, and environmental sustainability. These sustainable approaches, such as climate-smart agriculture, organic farming, regenerative agriculture, precision farming, integrated nutrient management, etc., can be applied at all scales with clear principles and goals for environmental and economic stability.

The principal objective of this special issue is to investigate the role, potential, and challenges of sustainable nutrient and environment management approaches for plant production. This special issue aims to address the key problems related to plant nutrient and environment management, such as soil and plant nutrient imbalance, soil health, increasing crop yield with balanced nutrient inputs, plant nourishment in changing climates, reducing fertilizer-related greenhouse gas emissions, and ensuring higher quality and nutritious food.

In this special issue, we welcome original research articles and reviews on the following areas but not limited to:

  • Environmental impacts of sustainable advanced nutrient management system.
  • Integration of organic amendments modulating soil quality and crop performance.
  • Synergies between inorganic and organic nutrient management systems.
  • Novel climate-smart agriculture strategies reducing environmental impacts of climate change on crop production.
  • Application of novel fertilizers, organic amendments, biostimulants, nanoparticles, plant growth regulators, and microbes regulating plant growth, nutrient balance, and environment stability.
  • Agronomic practices regulating soil health and plant productivity.
  • Integrated nutrient management practices increasing nutrient use efficiency and reducing fertilizer input and greenhouse gas emissions.

Dr. Zaid Khan
Dr. Mohammad Nauman Khan
Dr. Junguo Bi
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 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. Plants 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 2700 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

  • plant nutrient
  • environment management
  • soil health
  • fertilizer
  • nutrient use efficiency
  • crop production

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

Published Papers (7 papers)

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Research

16 pages, 2749 KiB  
Article
Nitrogen and Phosphorus Stoichiometry of Bolboschoenus planiculmis Plants in Soda–Alkali Wetlands Undergoing Agricultural Drainage Water Input in a Semi-Arid Region
by Yu An, Le Wang, Bo Liu, Haitao Wu and Shouzheng Tong
Plants 2025, 14(5), 787; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants14050787 - 4 Mar 2025
Viewed by 500
Abstract
In semi-arid regions, wetlands often face water scarcity, salinity, and alkalinity stresses. Agricultural drainage water has been used to restore degraded wetlands, but it alters water quality and plant growth and resource distribution. Nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) stoichiometry reflect plant resource strategies. [...] Read more.
In semi-arid regions, wetlands often face water scarcity, salinity, and alkalinity stresses. Agricultural drainage water has been used to restore degraded wetlands, but it alters water quality and plant growth and resource distribution. Nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) stoichiometry reflect plant resource strategies. In China’s Songnen Plain, Bolboschoenus planiculmis, a key plant in soda–alkali wetlands and food for the rare white crane (Grus leucogeranus), is impacted by agricultural water input. However, the N and P stoichiometry in B. planiculmis and the influencing water variables remain unclear. This study analyzed N and P contents in B. planiculmis leaves, stems, tubers, and roots, and water variables. Results showed that leaf N content was highest, while tuber P content exceeded that of other organs. Leaf nitrogen to phosphorus (N:P) ratio was highest, and tuber’s was the lowest. N and P contents in plants were positively correlated, except between roots and stems. Redundancy analysis (RDA) revealed water temperature (T), oxidation-reduction potential (ORP), N contents, and water depth (WD) as key factors influencing N and P stoichiometry. Structural equation models (SEMs) indicated water T negatively affected plant N, while water nitrate nitrogen positively affected it. Water P content directly influenced leaf and stem P, and ammonium nitrogen affected aboveground P accumulation. Water T and WD directly impacted N:P ratios. These findings show that while agricultural drainage water alleviated aridification and salinization in degraded soda–alkali wetlands, exogenous N and P inputs significantly affected vegetation’s N and P utilization strategies. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Approaches of Plant Nutrient and Environment Management to Plant Production)
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19 pages, 4210 KiB  
Article
Evaluating Physiological and Hormonal Responses of Two Distinct Rice Genotypes Under High Temperatures
by Xiaoyu Qi, Weicai Jin, Wenhao Zhong, Jiatong Han, Muhammad Afzal, Qiang Yue, Guoping Wang and Mehmood Jan
Plants 2025, 14(5), 710; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants14050710 - 26 Feb 2025
Viewed by 460
Abstract
Climate change poses a major threat to rice productivity, particularly due to high-temperature stress during anthesis, which severely impacts the grain yield. Understanding the physiological and biochemical responses of different rice genotypes to high-temperature stress is critical for breeding resilient varieties. In this [...] Read more.
Climate change poses a major threat to rice productivity, particularly due to high-temperature stress during anthesis, which severely impacts the grain yield. Understanding the physiological and biochemical responses of different rice genotypes to high-temperature stress is critical for breeding resilient varieties. In this study, we assessed two contrasting rice genotypes, high-temperature-tolerant-1 (HTR-1) and high-temperature-sensitive (HTS-5), to confirm previously established physiological and hormonal mechanisms associated with high-temperature tolerance. The study evaluated morphological, physiological, and biochemical markers at the anthesis stage under control (29/24 °C) and high-temperature stress (38 °C for six hours) conditions. Our results confirmed that HTR-1 exhibits superior tolerance through better antioxidant enzyme activity, higher anther dehiscence, and lower oxidative damage. The genotype HTS-5 exhibited a substantial rise in hydrogen peroxide (1.9-fold) and malondialdehyde (1.74-fold) levels, accompanied by the reduced activity of antioxidant enzymes. Furthermore, the high transcript level of cytosolic APX (OsAPX1, OsAPX2), peroxisomal APX (OsAPX3 and OsAPX4), OsCATA, and OsCATB confirmed high antioxidant activity in HTR-1. Moreover, the GA and IAA levels were reduced in both genotypes, while the ABA concentration was increased significantly in the anthers of HTS-5 as compared to those of HTR-1. This suggests that higher ABA production, along with higher reactive oxygen species (ROS) in the anthers, could lead to sterility in rice under high-temperature scenarios. These findings confirmed HTR-1 as a promising genetic resource for breeding heat-tolerant rice, by validating physiological and biochemical mechanisms of high-temperature resilience. This study also provides practical insights for selecting suitable genotypes to improve rice production under the challenges of climate change. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Approaches of Plant Nutrient and Environment Management to Plant Production)
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21 pages, 5323 KiB  
Article
Mixed Ammonium-Nitrate Nutrition Regulates Enzymes, Gene Expression, and Metabolic Pathways to Improve Nitrogen Uptake, Partitioning, and Utilization Efficiency in Rice
by Xianting Fan, Chusheng Lu, Zaid Khan, Zhiming Li, Songpo Duan, Hong Shen and Youqiang Fu
Plants 2025, 14(4), 611; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants14040611 - 18 Feb 2025
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 595
Abstract
Ammonium and nitrate nitrogen are the two main forms of inorganic nitrogen (N) available to crops. However, it is not clear how mixtures of ammonium and nitrate N affect N uptake and partitioning in major rice cultivars in southern China. This study investigated [...] Read more.
Ammonium and nitrate nitrogen are the two main forms of inorganic nitrogen (N) available to crops. However, it is not clear how mixtures of ammonium and nitrate N affect N uptake and partitioning in major rice cultivars in southern China. This study investigated the effects of different ammonium nitrogen and nitrate nitrogen mixture treatments (100:0, 75:25, 50:50, 25:75, and 0:100) on the growth, photosynthetic characteristics, nitrogen uptake, gene expression, and yield of different rice cultivars (Mei Xiang Zhan NO. 2: MXZ2; Nan Jing Xiang Zhan: NJXZ). Rice root biomass, tiller number, and yield were increased by 69.5%, 42.5%, and 46.8%, respectively, in the 75:25 ammonium-nitrate mixed treatment compared to the 100:0 ammonium-nitrate mixed treatment. The nitrogen content in rice roots, stems, leaves, and grains increased by 69.5%, 64.0%, 65.5%, and 17.5%, respectively. In addition, compared with MXZ2, NJXZ had a greater proportion of N allocated to leaves and grains. Analysis of root enzyme activities revealed that the 75:25 ammonium-nitrate mixed nutrient treatment increased rice root glutamine synthetase activity by an average of 35.0% and glutamate synthetase activity by an average of 52.0%. Transcriptome analysis revealed that the 75:25 mixed ammonium-nitrate nutrient treatment upregulated the expression of genes related to the nitrogen metabolism transporter pathway. Weighted correlation network analysis revealed that some differentially expressed genes (HISX and RPAB5) regulated the activities of nitrogen-metabolizing enzymes in rice and some (SAT2, CYSKP, SYIM, CHI1, and XIP1) modulated amino acid synthesis; greater expression of these genes was detected in the 75:25 ammonium-nitrate mixed nutrient treatment. The expression characteristics of the above genes were further confirmed by RT‒qPCR. Interestingly, the expression levels of the above genes were significantly correlated with the glutamate synthase activity, photosynthetic rate, and root volume. It is noteworthy that increasing the expression of the aforementioned genes coupled with nitrogen uptake was observed in the three main rice cultivars. These results suggest that the 75:25 ammonium-nitrate mixture may have increased nitrogen-metabolizing enzyme activities and promoted nitrogen uptake through the upregulated expression of nitrogen metabolism-related genes, thereby increasing tiller number and improving rice yield. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Approaches of Plant Nutrient and Environment Management to Plant Production)
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17 pages, 5495 KiB  
Article
Enhancement of Fertilizer Efficiency Through Chinese Milk Vetch and Rice Straw Incorporation
by Tahir Shah, Adnan Anwar Khan, Yahya Mohammed Ali Aljerib, Muhammad Tariq, Donghui Li, Mingjian Geng, Yajun Gao and Qiang Zhu
Plants 2025, 14(2), 246; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants14020246 - 16 Jan 2025
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1010
Abstract
The incorporation of rice straw (RS) and Chinese milk vetch (CMV) with reduced chemical fertilizers (CFs) is a viable solution to reduce the dependency on CF. However, limited research has been conducted to investigate the impact of CMV and RS with reduced CF [...] Read more.
The incorporation of rice straw (RS) and Chinese milk vetch (CMV) with reduced chemical fertilizers (CFs) is a viable solution to reduce the dependency on CF. However, limited research has been conducted to investigate the impact of CMV and RS with reduced CF on rice production. A field trial was conducted from 2018 to 2021 with six treatments: CK (no fertilizer), F100 (100% NPK fertilizer (CF)), MSF100 (100% CF+CMV and RS incorporation), MSF80 (80% CF+CMV+RS), MSF60 (60% CF+CMV+RS), and MSF40 (40% CF+CMV+RS). The results revealed that compared with the F100, the MSF80 treatment maintained a significantly higher mean grain yield over the four years, with an increase of 5.8~24.5%. MSF80 treatment also improved nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K) use efficiencies, sustainable yield index, and partial factor productivity. Soil organic matter (SOM), total nitrogen (TN), ammonium N (NH4+-N), nitrate N (NO3−-N), available phosphorus (AP), and available potassium (AK) contents were significantly enhanced under MSF80 across different growth stages in both 2020 and 2021 seasons over F100. Pearson correlation analysis revealed a strong positive correlation among SOM, TN, NH4+-N, AP, AK, and rice yield. Additionally, Partial Least Squares Path Modeling (PLS-PM) demonstrated significant relationships between organic amendments, soil nutrients, nutrient uptake, and yield. The above findings suggest that combining RS returning with CMV incorporation is a long-term sustainable strategy for maintaining soil health, and it could reduce fertilizer addition by 20% without prejudicing rice grain yield under a rice-green manure rotation system. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Approaches of Plant Nutrient and Environment Management to Plant Production)
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14 pages, 3024 KiB  
Article
Mn3O4 Nanoenzyme Seed Soaking Enhanced Salt Tolerance in Soybean Through Modulating Homeostasis of Reactive Oxygen Species and ATPase Activities
by Tingyong Mao, Linfeng Bao, Hengbin Zhang, Zhilin Shi, Jiahao Liu, Desheng Wang, Chan Liu, Yong Zhan and Yunlong Zhai
Plants 2024, 13(21), 3011; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants13213011 - 28 Oct 2024
Viewed by 1222
Abstract
Soybean, an important cash crop, is often affected by soil salinity, which is one of the important types of abiotic stress that affects its growth. Poly (acrylic) acid coated Mn3O4 (PMO) has been reported to play a vital role in [...] Read more.
Soybean, an important cash crop, is often affected by soil salinity, which is one of the important types of abiotic stress that affects its growth. Poly (acrylic) acid coated Mn3O4 (PMO) has been reported to play a vital role in defending against a variety of abiotic stresses in plants. To date, the effects of PMOs on soybean have not been reported; this study explored the mechanism of PMO-enhanced soybean germination under salt stress. In this experiment, 100 mg/L PMO was used as an immersion agent with a salt treatment of 150 mM NaCl. The results showed that when compared with the PMO treatment, salt stress significantly decreased the germination rate, fresh weight, carbohydrate content, and antioxidant enzyme activity of soybean and significantly increased the contents of reactive oxygen species, malondialdehyde, and osmoregulatory substances. However, PMO treatment enhanced the antioxidant defense system and significantly reduced the malondialdehyde content of soybean. Moreover, the activities of H+-ATPase and Ca2+-ATPase were significantly higher in treated soybean than in the control, and the content of ATP was also higher in treated soybean than in the control. Generally, PMO regulates the homeostasis of reactive oxygen species and reduces ATP consumption, thereby improving the ability of soybeans to germinate under salt stress. This study provides new insights into how nanomaterials improve plant salt tolerance. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Approaches of Plant Nutrient and Environment Management to Plant Production)
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22 pages, 22401 KiB  
Article
Residual Effect of Microbial-Inoculated Biochar with Nitrogen on Rice Growth and Salinity Reduction in Paddy Soil
by Hafiz Muhammad Mazhar Abbas, Ummah Rais, Haider Sultan, Ashar Tahir, Saraj Bahadur, Asad Shah, Asim Iqbal, Yusheng Li, Mohammad Nauman Khan and Lixiao Nie
Plants 2024, 13(19), 2804; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants13192804 - 6 Oct 2024
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2317
Abstract
Increasing soil and water salinity threatens global agriculture, particularly affecting rice. This study investigated the residual effects of microbial biochar and nitrogen fertilizer in mitigating salt stress in paddy soil and regulating the biochemical characteristics of rice plants. Two rice varieties, Shuang Liang [...] Read more.
Increasing soil and water salinity threatens global agriculture, particularly affecting rice. This study investigated the residual effects of microbial biochar and nitrogen fertilizer in mitigating salt stress in paddy soil and regulating the biochemical characteristics of rice plants. Two rice varieties, Shuang Liang You 138 (SLY138), a salt-tolerant, and Jing Liang You 534 (JLY534), a salt-sensitive, were grown under 0.4 ds/m EC (S0) and 6.84 ds/m EC (S1) in a glass house under controlled conditions. Three types of biochar—rice straw biochar (BC), fungal biochar (BF), and bacterial biochar (BB)—were applied alongside two nitrogen (N) fertilizer rates (60 kg ha−1 and 120 kg ha−1) in a previous study. The required salinity levels were maintained in respective pots through the application of saline irrigation water. Results showed that residual effects of microbial biochars (BF and BB) had higher salt mitigation efficiency than sole BC. The combination of BB and N fertilizer (BB + N120) significantly decreased soil pH by 23.45% and Na+ levels by 46.85%, creating a more conducive environment for rice growth by enhancing beneficial microbial abundance and decreasing pathogenic fungi in saline soil. Microbial biochars (BF and BB) positively improved soil properties (physicochemical) and biochemical and physiological properties of plants, ultimately rice growth. SLY138 significantly had a less severe response to salt stress compared to JLY534. The mitigation effects of BB + N120 kg ha−1 were particularly favorable for SLY138. In summary, the combined residual effect of BF and BB with N120 kg ha−1, especially bacterial biochar (BB), played a positive role in alleviating salt stress on rice growth, suggesting its potential utility for enhancing rice yield in paddy fields. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Approaches of Plant Nutrient and Environment Management to Plant Production)
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20 pages, 3990 KiB  
Article
Targeted Metabolites and Transcriptome Analysis Uncover the Putative Role of Auxin in Floral Sex Determination in Litchi chinensis Sonn.
by Zhe Chen, Tingting Yan, Farhat Abbas, Mingchao Yang, Xianghe Wang, Hao Deng, Hongna Zhang and Fuchu Hu
Plants 2024, 13(18), 2592; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants13182592 - 16 Sep 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1143
Abstract
Litchi exhibits a large number of flowers, many flowering batches, and an inconsistent ratio of male and female flowers, frequently leading to a low fruit-setting rate. Floral sexual differentiation is a crucial phase in perennial trees to ensure optimal fruit production. However, the [...] Read more.
Litchi exhibits a large number of flowers, many flowering batches, and an inconsistent ratio of male and female flowers, frequently leading to a low fruit-setting rate. Floral sexual differentiation is a crucial phase in perennial trees to ensure optimal fruit production. However, the mechanism behind floral differentiation remains unclear. The objective of the study was to identify the role of auxin in floral differentiation at the transcriptional level. The results showed that the ratio of female flowers treated with naphthalene acetic acid (NAA) was significantly lower than that of the control stage (M0/F0). The levels of endogenous auxin and auxin metabolites were measured in male and female flowers at different stages of development. It was found that the levels of IAA, IAA-Glu, IAA-Asp, and IAA-Ala were significantly higher in male flowers compared to female flowers. Next-generation sequencing and modeling were employed to perform an in-depth transcriptome analysis on all flower buds in litchi ‘Feizixiao’ cultivars (Litchi chinensis Sonn.). Plant hormones were found to exert a significant impact on the litchi flowering process and flower proliferation. Specifically, a majority of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) related to the auxin pathway were noticeably increased during male flower bud differentiation. The current findings will enhance our comprehension of the process and control mechanism of litchi floral sexual differentiation. It also offers a theoretical foundation for implementing strategies to regulate flowering and enhance fruit production in litchi cultivation. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Approaches of Plant Nutrient and Environment Management to Plant Production)
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