Special Issue "Promising Technologies and Methods to Ensure Sustainable Crop Production"

A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Sustainable Agriculture".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 December 2021.

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Tomas Necas
E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Fruit Science, Faculty of Horticulture in Lednice, Mendel university in Brno, Valticka 337, 69144 Lednice, Czech Republic
Interests: fruit and horticultural cultures and nursery; genetic resources and fruit breeding; detection of plant pathogens and importance of fruit for nutrition
Prof. Dr. Josef Balík
E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Post-Harvest Technology of Horticultural Products, Faculty of Horticulture, Mendel University in Brno, 613 00 Brno, Czech Republic
Interests: post-harvest technologies of horticultural products and their quality management; production of wines; alcoholic and nonalcoholic beverages; fruit and vegetable processing and storage procedures; sensory analysis
Dr. Ivo Ondrášek
E-Mail
Guest Editor
Department of Fruit Science, Faculty of Horticulture, Mendel university in Brno, 613 00 Brno, Czech Republic
Interests: fruit crops; genetic resources and fruit breeding; minor fruit species
Dr. Tomáš Kiss
E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Fruit Science, Faculty of Horticulture, Mendel university in Brno, 613 00 Brno, Czech Republic
Interests: detection techniques for plant pathogens; genetic resources and fruit breeding; beneficial microorganisms in plant production

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The efficient sustainable production of plant-based food resources is an important milestone for the entire agricultural sector in the context of ongoing climate change. In the near future, these climate changes will become a critical and limiting factor in agricultural production in many parts of the world. Effective approaches in this evolving, sustainable production and research direction can represent revolutionary contributions in the improvement of crop and food production and the reduction of the ecological impact on the valuable environment. It is very important to find a comprehensive solution for individual sectors of agricultural production so that, as a whole, the entire agricultural sector is sustainable both at the input and the output and with maximum respect for the environment in all places of our planet.

This Special Issue targets modern, gentle, and precise approaches in the production of agricultural and horticultural crops; effective pathogen diagnosis; plant protection; and breeding and introduction of low-input crops, resistant varieties, or varieties and species with low ecological burden in the new growing environment. From technical areas, contributions of topics such as sustainable ecological crop processing and food production, environmentally friendly technological elements such as the use of renewable resources and ecological structural elements in crop and food production (solar energy, photovoltaics, waste utilization, ecological buildings, and greenhouses), and automation and robotics usable in the agricultural sector are welcome.

Research contributions which in essence bring progress in this area are acceptable. Contributions bringing comprehensive solutions to the described problem are welcome, as are those presenting significant or revolutionary solutions to partial aspects of crop production or food production and related fields.

Dr. Tomas Necas
Prof. Dr. Josef Balík
Dr. Ivo Ondrášek
Dr. Tomáš Kiss
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 papers will be 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. Sustainability 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 1900 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

  • sustainable trends in crop production
  • ecological practices of plant production
  • diagnostic procedures for plant pathogens
  • perspective trends in horticultural production
  • new genotypes to minimize the effects of globalization
  • production of promising species and varieties to ensure food self-sufficiency

Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

Article
Effect of Methyl Jasmonate, Cytokinin, and Lavender Oil on Antioxidant Enzyme System of Apricot Fruit (Prunus armeniaca L.)
Sustainability 2021, 13(15), 8565; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13158565 - 31 Jul 2021
Viewed by 359
Abstract
Various treatments are carried out in order to extend both the shelf life and storage life of fresh fruit and vegetables after harvest and among them non-toxic for humans, environmentally and economically friendly alternative treatments are gained more importance. In the current study, [...] Read more.
Various treatments are carried out in order to extend both the shelf life and storage life of fresh fruit and vegetables after harvest and among them non-toxic for humans, environmentally and economically friendly alternative treatments are gained more importance. In the current study, methyl jasmonate (MeJA), cytokinin, and lavender oil which are eco-friendly and safe for human health were applied on apricot fruit. The treated fruit were stored at 0 °C and 90–95% relative humidity for 25 days and catalase (CAT), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and ascorbate peroxidase (APX) enzyme activities and lipid peroxidation of apricots after treatments were studied. According to the findings obtained from the study, it was observed that 5 ppm cytokinin and 1000 ppm lavender oil treatments of apricot fruit gave better APX and CAT enzyme activity, respectively. In addition, better SOD enzyme activity in fruit was obtained with MeJA + lavender oil treatments. As a result, it can be emphasized that the product quality of apricot fruit is preserved as both the eco-friendly application of MeJA, cytokinin, and lavender oil separately from each other and the treatment of combinations between these compounds activate the enzymatic antioxidant defense systems of apricot fruit after harvest. Full article
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Article
Genetic Diversity among Some Walnut (Juglans regia L.) Genotypes by SSR Markers
Sustainability 2021, 13(12), 6830; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13126830 - 17 Jun 2021
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 474
Abstract
The food needs for increasing population, climatic changes, urbanization and industrialization, along with the destruction of forests, are the main challenges of modern life. Therefore, it is very important to evaluate plant genetic resources in order to cope with these problems. Therefore, in [...] Read more.
The food needs for increasing population, climatic changes, urbanization and industrialization, along with the destruction of forests, are the main challenges of modern life. Therefore, it is very important to evaluate plant genetic resources in order to cope with these problems. Therefore, in this study, a set of ninety-one walnut (Juglans regia L.) accessions from Central Anatolia region, composed of seventy-four accessions and eight commercial cultivars from Turkey, and nine international reference cultivars, was analyzed using 45 SSR (Simple Sequence Repeats) markers to reveal the genetic diversity. SSR analysis identified 390 alleles for 91 accessions. The number of alleles per locus ranged from 3 to 19 alleles with a mean value of 9 alleles per locus. Genetic dissimilarity coefficients ranged from 0.03 to 0.68. The highest number of alleles was obtained from CUJRA212 locus (Na = 19). The values of polymorphism information content (PIC) ranged from 0.42 (JRHR222528) to 0.86 (CUJRA212) with a mean PIC value of 0.68. Genetic distances were estimated according to the UPGMA (Unweighted Pair Group Method with Arithmetic Average), Principal Coordinates (PCoA), and the Structure-based clustering. The UPGMA and Structure clustering of the accessions depicted five major clusters supporting the PCoA results. The dendrogram revealed the similarities and dissimilarities among the accessions by identifying five major clusters. Based on this study, SSR analyses indicate that Yozgat province has an important genetic diversity pool and rich genetic variance of walnuts. Full article
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Article
Evaluation of Protein and Antioxidant Content in Apricot Kernels as a Sustainable Additional Source of Nutrition
Sustainability 2021, 13(9), 4742; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13094742 - 23 Apr 2021
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 434
Abstract
Apricot fruits are a favorite for consumption; however, their kernels are a rich source of nutritionally interesting substances, too. Nevertheless, in processing of apricots, the kernels remain often unused. In this study, 32 cultivars of different origin were analyzed for their protein content [...] Read more.
Apricot fruits are a favorite for consumption; however, their kernels are a rich source of nutritionally interesting substances, too. Nevertheless, in processing of apricots, the kernels remain often unused. In this study, 32 cultivars of different origin were analyzed for their protein content and content of secondary metabolites (phenolics and flavonoids). The weight and taste of kernels were assessed and these data were summarized for an evaluation of the attractiveness of the studied apricot kernels. Results showed that the protein content of kernels ranged from 14.56% to 28.77% and did not depend on the origin or weight of kernel, or taste. In addition, total phenolic (63.5–1277.3 mg GAE/100 g DW) and total flavonoid (0–153.1 mg CE/100 g DW) contents and antioxidant capacity (483.4–2348.4 mg TE/100 g DW) were measured in kernels. In conclusion, the Czech hybrids LE-5959, LE-5500 and French cultivar Koolgat are prospective for kernel processing and consumption because of their high protein content and sweet taste. Hybrid LI-3-6, originating in China, showed high protein content as well but because of bitter taste could be useful rather in medicine. Full article
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Article
Attitudes of Fruit and Vegetable Farmers towards Organic Farming in Kathmandu Valley, Nepal
Sustainability 2021, 13(7), 3888; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13073888 - 01 Apr 2021
Viewed by 637
Abstract
Organic farming is increasingly popular among the farmers of Kathmandu valley. However, the organic growers have been facing issues in production, organic certification, and product marketing. To date, little is known about the challenges faced by the organic growers in Kathmandu valley. This [...] Read more.
Organic farming is increasingly popular among the farmers of Kathmandu valley. However, the organic growers have been facing issues in production, organic certification, and product marketing. To date, little is known about the challenges faced by the organic growers in Kathmandu valley. This study aimed to explore the status of organic farming, attitudes of farmers towards organic farming, their suggestions for improvement, and strengthening the value chain of organic products. Face-to-face interviews were conducted at Agriculture Knowledge Centre, Lalitpur, Nepal during December 2019 with 37 organic growers directly or indirectly involved in organic farming. The results showed that organic growers face challenges in marketing and institutional recognition. Challenges in product certification and marketing were reported by 45.95% of the total interviewed organic growers while following organic practices (transitional organic). Our study suggested that reducing the cost of production through easy access to organic inputs like organic seeds, fertilizers, and biopesticides are highly desired by the growers. Participatory Guarantee System (PGS) or group certification along with collective marketing could be the policy implications to address the issues. Organic farming in Kathmandu valley is limited to a niche market; however, due to increasing consumer demand for safe, fresh, and local food, the popularity of organic products is extending to other regions within the country. Full article
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