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Soil Systems
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Soil Fertility Management, Mitigating GHG Emissions and Sustainable Agriculture: 2nd...
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Soil Fertility Management, Mitigating GHG Emissions and Sustainable Agriculture: 2nd Edition

A special issue of Soil Systems (ISSN 2571-8789).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 July 2025 | Viewed by 6522

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Yam Kanta Gaihre

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
International Fertilizer Development Center, P.O. Box 2040, Muscle Shoals, AL 35662, USA
Interests: nutrient management; fertilizers and environment; GHG emissions; C and N cycling; nitrogen-use efficiency; balanced fertilization; integrated soil fertility management
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

This Special Issue follows the publication of the first edition of “Soil Fertility Management, Mitigating GHG Emissions and Sustainable Agriculture”.

Soil fertility management plays a critical role in the sustainable improvement of crop productivity and in reducing environmental pollution, including the mitigation of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. With the increasing cropping intensity, coupled with the inappropriate application of fertilizers and organic inputs, soil fertility is showing a declining trend, particularly in most developing countries in Asia and Africa. Most farmers’ use of fertilizer is imbalanced (an excessive use of nitrogen and low or no use of secondary nutrients and micronutrients), leading to the mining of nutrients from soils. This results in imbalances in the nutrients in soils and lower crop productivity, posing a challenge with regard to meeting an increasing global food demand. Soil fertility can be improved using a range of soil, crop, and fertilizer management practices. Inefficient fertilizer applications have not only increased fertilizer wastage and reduced farm profits but also increased environmental pollutions, including GHG emissions from soils. Therefore, it is important to identify sustainable strategies to improve soil fertility and improve fertilizer use efficiency by increasing plant nutrient uptake and reducing nutrient loss to the environment.

Authors are invited to submit their work on sustainable strategies to improve soil fertility through the efficient management of fertilizers, including the use of enhanced efficiency fertilizers, balanced fertilization, the adoption of the 4Rs (right source, right rate, right time, and right placement) of nutrient stewardship approaches, the management of soil organic matter, the mitigation of greenhouse gas emissions, and improved crop productivity.

Dr. Yam Kanta Gaihre
Guest Editor

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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. Soil Systems 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 1800 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

  • soil fertility
  • fertilizer management
  • balanced fertilization
  • nitrogen-use efficiency
  • mitigating GHG emissions
  • improving crop productivity
  • environmental pollution

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Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

17 pages, 2075 KiB  
Article
Co-Application of Bokashi and Biochar Alleviates Water Stress, Improves Soil Fertility and Enhances Wheat Production Under Water-Deficit Conditions
by Gyanendra Dhakal, Takeshi Fujino, Srijana Thapa Magar and Yuji Araki
Soil Syst. 2025, 9(2), 33; https://doi.org/10.3390/soilsystems9020033 - 8 Apr 2025
Viewed by 759
Abstract
Water stress and nutrient stress are major limiting factors affecting crop productivity. Biochar-based organic fertilizers improve soil nutrient availability, water use efficiency (WUE), and crop yields under these adverse conditions. This study investigated the mechanistic effects of biochar–bokashi mixtures under a controlled glasshouse [...] Read more.
Water stress and nutrient stress are major limiting factors affecting crop productivity. Biochar-based organic fertilizers improve soil nutrient availability, water use efficiency (WUE), and crop yields under these adverse conditions. This study investigated the mechanistic effects of biochar–bokashi mixtures under a controlled glasshouse pot experiment on soil fertility, available nutrients, soil moisture, plant water use efficiency (PWUE), and wheat yield parameters under three moisture levels. Four treatments were included, (1) a control, (2) bokashi only, (3) 1% biochar + bokashi, and (4) 2% biochar + bokashi, under 30% (IR30), 50% (IR50), and 60% (IR60) field capacity, totaling twelve treatments in a completely randomized design with three replications. The combined bokashi–biochar application significantly (p < 0.05) improved growth parameters and yields, including plant height, number of fertile tillers (NFT), number of spikes (NS), spike length (SL), 1000-grain weight, biological yield (BY), root biomass, and grain yield (GY), compared to the control and bokashi-only treatments. Bokashi with 1% biochar exhibited superior agronomic performance over the other treatments, including 2% biochar. Biochar addition enhanced soil moisture and PWUE across irrigation levels. Bokashi–biochar treatments under IR30 outperformed the control and bokashi-only treatments under IR60, highlighting biochar’s effectiveness in alleviating water stress and increasing yields. Moreover, co-application significantly increased soil pH while enhancing the organic carbon, total nitrogen, available phosphorous and exchangeable potassium nutrient levels, which positively correlated with yield. Bokashi–biochar mixtures have been proven to be an effective strategy to enhance soil fertility, increase soil moisture to alleviate water stress and support sustainable wheat production under water- and nutrient-limited conditions. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Soil Fertility Management, Mitigating GHG Emissions and Sustainable Agriculture: 2nd Edition)
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29 pages, 7191 KiB  
Article
Assessing Different Stubble Tillage Technologies on Covered and Uncovered Surfaces
by Zoltán Kende, Norbert Egri, Márta Birkás, Márton Jolánkai, Viola Kunos, Boglárka Bozóki and Ákos Tarnawa
Soil Syst. 2025, 9(1), 13; https://doi.org/10.3390/soilsystems9010013 - 7 Feb 2025
Viewed by 1226
Abstract
This study evaluates the impact of ten stubble tillage methods, cultivators, and disk harrows, on clay loam soil under uncovered and mulched conditions during a wetter-than-average (+20% precipitation) summer in 2020. Key parameters such as soil moisture, penetration resistance, soil structure, surface coverage, [...] Read more.
This study evaluates the impact of ten stubble tillage methods, cultivators, and disk harrows, on clay loam soil under uncovered and mulched conditions during a wetter-than-average (+20% precipitation) summer in 2020. Key parameters such as soil moisture, penetration resistance, soil structure, surface coverage, and earthworm abundance were assessed. Shallow tillage with the Lemken Rubin 9 disk preserved the highest soil moisture (27.65% at 15–30 cm depth) while reducing compaction. Mulched conditions with the Bird cultivator yielded the highest earthworm abundance, while uncovered treatments, such as Carrier deep, outperformed covered alternatives in some cases. The study underscores the role of stubble tillage in soil conservation, particularly under climate change scenarios, and aligns with the European Green Deal’s emphasis on sustainable and resilient agricultural practices by contributing to the development of sustainable farming practices. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Soil Fertility Management, Mitigating GHG Emissions and Sustainable Agriculture: 2nd Edition)
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14 pages, 4027 KiB  
Article
Residual Effects of Rice Husk Biochar and Organic Manure Application after 1 Year on Soil Chemical Properties, Rice Yield, and Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Paddy Soils
by War War Mon, Yo Toma and Hideto Ueno
Soil Syst. 2024, 8(3), 91; https://doi.org/10.3390/soilsystems8030091 - 22 Aug 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1471
Abstract
Biochar is stable in soil and can have long-term effects on its physicochemical properties. Hence, a pot experiment was conducted with medium-fertility (MF) and low-fertility (LF) soils after 1 year of rice husk biochar and organic fertilizer application to determine biochar’s residual effects [...] Read more.
Biochar is stable in soil and can have long-term effects on its physicochemical properties. Hence, a pot experiment was conducted with medium-fertility (MF) and low-fertility (LF) soils after 1 year of rice husk biochar and organic fertilizer application to determine biochar’s residual effects on soil chemical properties, grain yield, and greenhouse gas emissions. In previous years, biochar alone (at application rates of 5 and 10 t ha−1) and biochar combined with chicken manure (CHM) or cow manure (at application rate of 5 t ha−1) were applied to the soil. In the present year, the soils were fertilized with only chemical fertilizers. Results indicated that application of 10 t ha−1 biochar combined with 5 t ha−1 CHM (B10:CHM) produced the highest grain yield and total global warming potential (GWPtotal) in both soils. Regarding grain yield, non-significant results were detected for B10:CHM, B5:CHM, and B10. This study revealed that biochar retains nutrients without annual reapplication and has long-term effects. Although biochar application can suppress N2O emissions effectively, the combined application of biochar 10 t ha−1 and organic manure significantly increased CH4 emissions. Overall, B5:CHM can be recommended for rice cultivation since it improves grain yield without increasing GWPtotal. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Soil Fertility Management, Mitigating GHG Emissions and Sustainable Agriculture: 2nd Edition)
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17 pages, 1342 KiB  
Article
Enhancing Corn Yield and Soil Quality in Irrigated Semiarid Region with Coal Char and Biochar Amendments
by Resham B. Thapa, Samir Budhathoki, Chandan Shilpakar, Dinesh Panday, Bouzeriba Alsunuse, Sean X. Tang and Peter D. Stahl
Soil Syst. 2024, 8(3), 82; https://doi.org/10.3390/soilsystems8030082 - 15 Jul 2024
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1981
Abstract
Sustainable use of croplands is facing a challenge to maintain organic carbon (C) in soil. Pyrolyzed coal or coal char (CC) is a porous C material produced from the pyrolysis of coal containing high organic C, large surface area, and low bulk density [...] Read more.
Sustainable use of croplands is facing a challenge to maintain organic carbon (C) in soil. Pyrolyzed coal or coal char (CC) is a porous C material produced from the pyrolysis of coal containing high organic C, large surface area, and low bulk density like biochar (BC). This study evaluates corn (Zea mays L.) grain yield and selected soil properties in soil amended with CC and BC at two rates (22 and 44 Mg ha−1) with farmyard manure (FM) (66 Mg ha−1) and without FM addition. This field experiment was performed in sandy loam soil at the University of Wyoming’s Sustainable Agricultural Research and Extension Center (SAREC), Lingle, WY, USA. Two years of field study results indicated CC and BC applied at 22 Mg ha−1 with FM resulted in significantly greater average corn grain yields (13.04–13.57 Mg ha−1) compared to the no char’s treatment (11.42 Mg ha−1). Soil organic matter (SOM) content was significantly greater in the higher application rates of CC and BC than in treatments without chars. Overall, soil nitrate nitrogen (NO3-N), phosphorous (P), and potassium (K) were found significantly greater in CC and BC co-applied with FM treatments. Soil water-holding capacity (WHC) significantly improved in sandy loam soil (up to 27.6% more than the no-char treatment) at a greater concentration of char materials. This study suggests that char materials applied at a moderate rate (22 Mg ha−1) with FM can improve soil properties and crop yield. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Soil Fertility Management, Mitigating GHG Emissions and Sustainable Agriculture: 2nd Edition)
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