Special Issue "Animal Manure and Sustainable Soil Fertility"

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. Oldřich Látal
E-Mail Website
Assistant Guest Editor
Department of Agrochemistry, Soil Science, Microbiology and Plant NutritionMendel University in Brno, Zemědělská 1, Brno, Czech Republic
Interests: manure quality; manure applications; cattle breeding; stable systems
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Petr Šařec
E-Mail Website
Assistant Guest Editor
Department of Machinery Utilization, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague (CULS), Kamýcká 129, 165 00 Praha 6, Suchdol, Czech Republic
Interests: crop production technologies; soil sustainability; farm machinery management and assessment; conservation tillage systems; soil compaction
Prof. Dr. Petr Novák
E-Mail Website
Chief Guest Editor
Department of Agricultural Machines, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague (CZU), Kamýcká 129, 165 00 Praha 6, Suchdol, Czech Republic
Interests: soil science; erosion problems; tillage systems; soil fertility

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Over the past few decades, the demands on agricultural production have been growing rapidly. The increase in pressure has mostly been due to climate change, changes in crop rotation, decreased arable land area, and reduced livestock farming. Intensification of agriculture has led to a lack of quality soil organic matter (SOM), one of the main causes of decreased soil productivity in Europe. This has resulted in a reduction in the diversity and fertility of arable land and is associated with other soil degradation issues related to soil structure and other properties. It is also known that organic matter naturally reduces soil compaction. In Europe alone, about 33 million hectares are threatened by soil compaction. The addition of animal manure to the soil profile has a beneficial effect on reclaiming and improving the physical quality of degraded soil. The application of manure contributes to the increased SOM and affects the physical, biological, and chemical properties of soil. Recently, alternative manure application technologies have been developed to reduce environmental risks while enhancing farm economics. Manure can be treated with so-called activators or conditioners whose outcomes have not been thoroughly explored yet.

This Special Issue aims to present the latest research on the association between animal manure and sustainable soil fertility. Areas of interest include

  • The effects of various types of animal manure on soil physical, chemical, and microbial characteristics of soil;
  • The development and implementation of new manure application technologies, e.g., spatially variable application, strip-till, etc.;
  • Soil degradation issues related to a decrease in soil organic matter;
  • Treatment of animal manure by substances or activators and the subsequent impact on soil fertility.

We invite authors to contribute to this Special Issue by submitting original research papers, comprehensive reviews, and specific case studies that focus on methods, models, techniques and analyses related to animal manure, its application, and its effect on soil fertility. Papers selected for this Special Issue will be subject to a rigorous peer review procedure with the aim being the rapid and wide dissemination of research results, developments, and applications.

Prof. Dr. Petr Novák
Dr. Oldřich Látal
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Petr Šařec
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

  • soil organic matter
  • manure quality
  • new application technologies
  • precision fertilizing

Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

Article
Valuing Cattle Manure as an Agricultural Resource for Efficiency and Environmental Sustainability
Sustainability 2021, 13(16), 9375; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13169375 - 20 Aug 2021
Viewed by 233
Abstract
Within a context of beef feedlots and feed-crop production systems, we surveyed farmers to identify their perceived monetary value for the manure they used or could have used. Value is contextual with respect to a number of socio-economic, environmental, regulatory, and physical factors, [...] Read more.
Within a context of beef feedlots and feed-crop production systems, we surveyed farmers to identify their perceived monetary value for the manure they used or could have used. Value is contextual with respect to a number of socio-economic, environmental, regulatory, and physical factors, which influence farmer’s inclinations about how they manage manure. The most desirable manure management strategies are likely practiced by those who perceive its value highest, and, conversely, the least desirable manure management strategies are likely practiced by those who assign the lowest value to it. This study considered factors that affect or relate to farmer perceptions of manure’s value. Using quantile regression, we observed variations in how farmers perceived the value of manure, considering farm and farmer characteristics, farming practices, select preferences, and whether or not they used manure on their own cropland. For example, we found that livestock producers who grow feed for their own cattle value manure differently compared to crop producers who do not manage cattle, most likely due to perceived need. Added years of experience in farming lowered the farmer’s perception of manure’s value. Additionally, extra tillage required when using manure was seen by farmers not as a burden but rather as a benefit. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Animal Manure and Sustainable Soil Fertility)
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Article
Patterns of Nutrient Dynamics within and below the Rootzone of Collard Greens Grown under Different Organic Amendment Types and Rates
Sustainability 2021, 13(12), 6857; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13126857 - 17 Jun 2021
Viewed by 484
Abstract
The knowledge about nutrient dynamics in the soil is pivotal for sustainable agriculture. A comprehensive research trial can retort unanswered questions. Dynamics of nutrients sourced from organic amendment types (chicken manure, dairy manure, and MilorganiteTM) applied at different rates (0, 168, [...] Read more.
The knowledge about nutrient dynamics in the soil is pivotal for sustainable agriculture. A comprehensive research trial can retort unanswered questions. Dynamics of nutrients sourced from organic amendment types (chicken manure, dairy manure, and MilorganiteTM) applied at different rates (0, 168, 336, 672 kg total N/ha) were monitored within and below the rootzone of collard greens cultivated on a sandy loam soil in Prairie View, TX, USA. Macro- and micronutrients (e.g., TN: total nitrogen, P: phosphorous, K: potassium, Na: sodium, Ca: calcium, Mg: magnesium, B: boron, Cu: copper, Fe: iron, and Zn: zinc) were analyzed from soil solution samples collected during six sampling periods from within and below the rootzone. As hypothesized, the organic amendment types and rates significantly (p < 0.05 and/or 0.01) affected nutrient dynamics within and below the crop rootzone. Chicken manure released significantly more TN, P, K, Na, Ca, Mg, B, Cu, and Fe than the other two amendments. The application of chicken manure and MilorganiteTM resulted in higher below-the-rootzone leachate concentration of TN, Na, Mg, and Ca than in the leachates of dairy manure. Dairy manure treatments had the lowest concentrations of TN, Ca, and Mg; whereas, MilorganiteTM had the lowest concentrations of P, K, Na, B, and Cu in the collected leachates. The higher level of P (i.e., 4% in MilorganiteTM as compared to 2 and 0.5% in chicken and dairy manures, respectively, might have reduced the formation of Vesicular-Arbuscular (VA) mycorrhizae—a fungus with the ability to dissolve the soil P, resulting in slow release of P from MilorganiteTM treatment than from the other two treatments. Patterns of nutrient dynamics varied with rain and irrigation events under the effects of the soil water and time lapse of the amendment applications’ rates and types. All the macronutrients were present within the rootzone and leached below the rootzone, except Na. The dynamic of nutrients was element-specific and was influenced by the amendments’ type and application rate. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Animal Manure and Sustainable Soil Fertility)
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