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Optimizing Soil–Water Management for Enhanced Water Productivity and Irrigation Efficiency

A special issue of Water (ISSN 2073-4441). This special issue belongs to the section "Soil and Water".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 July 2026 | Viewed by 731

Special Issue Editor


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Guest Editor
Faculty of Modern Agricultural Engineering, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming 650500, China
Interests: irrigation; soil fertility; efficient utilization of water and fertilizer for crops; conven-tional agriculture; soil; crop production

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Soil and water are foundational resources for sustaining both rain-fed and irrigated agriculture, with their coordinated management directly determining water productivity, irrigation efficiency, and long-term agricultural sustainability. Against the backdrop of global water scarcity, climate variability, and growing food demand, optimizing soil–water interactions has become critical to mitigate resource waste, enhance crop resilience, and ensure food security.

This Special Issue,“Optimizing Soil–Water Management for Enhanced Water Productivity and Irrigation Efficiency”, is dedicated to exploring cutting-edge research and practical innovations in soil–water system regulation. Our goal is to address key challenges in sustainable agriculture, examine technological breakthroughs in soil–water management, and explore the broader implications for food security and environmental sustainability.

I invite contributions that cover, but are not limited to, the following topics:

  • Soil moisture retention mechanisms and improvement strategies in rain-fed and irrigated systems;
  • Precision irrigation technologies and their optimization for enhanced water productivity;
  • Water–fertilizer coupling effects and efficient utilization of crop water and fertilizer resources;
  • Soil degradation control and remediation in agricultural systems;
  • Quantitative evaluation methods and improvement pathways of irrigation efficiency;
  • Adaptive soil–water management under climate change and extreme weather events;
  • Sustainable soil management practices for boosting soil fertility and water use efficiency.

I look forward to your submissions and to advancing our understanding and application of soil–water management in driving efficient, resilient, and low-carbon agriculture worldwide.

Prof. Dr. Yue Li
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • soil–water management
  • water productivity
  • irrigation efficiency
  • rain-fed agriculture
  • irrigated agriculture
  • soil moisture
  • precision irrigation
  • water–fertilizer coupling

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

18 pages, 4299 KB  
Article
Effects of High-Rate Organic Amendments Combined with Supporting Management Practices on Topsoil Amelioration and Yield Improvement in Coastal Saline–Alkali Farmland
by Tianyou Liu, Haiwei Wang, Yuzhen Jia, Haishuan Sun, Mengzhu Li, Weifeng Chen and Tianhao Liu
Water 2026, 18(6), 694; https://doi.org/10.3390/w18060694 - 16 Mar 2026
Viewed by 500
Abstract
This study targets key challenges in ameliorating the plow-layer soil of coastal saline soils. A field experiment under a wheat–maize rotation was established with six treatments: CK, control with no organic inputs; A1, 45 t ha−1 organic manure; A2, 45 t ha [...] Read more.
This study targets key challenges in ameliorating the plow-layer soil of coastal saline soils. A field experiment under a wheat–maize rotation was established with six treatments: CK, control with no organic inputs; A1, 45 t ha−1 organic manure; A2, 45 t ha−1 organic manure + microbial inoculant; A3, 45 t ha−1 organic manure + microbial inoculant + plastic-film mulching; A4, 90 t ha−1 organic manure; and A5, 135 t ha−1 organic manure. By applying high rates of organic manure alone or in combination with microbial inoculation and mulching, we aimed to strengthen soil water–salt regulation, improve plow-layer soil quality, and ultimately promote crop growth and yield formation. We further quantified treatment-induced shifts in soil physicochemical properties and linked them to crop growth and yield responses. The results indicated that, compared with CK, plow-layer soil organic carbon increased by 45.56% and 107.91% under A3 and A4, respectively, while soil salinity decreased by 70.57% and 67.42%. All manure-based treatments increased yield relative to CK, with the highest yields achieved under A3 and A4: wheat yield reached 7628.16 and 7888.01 kg ha−1, and maize yield reached 8828.29 and 8716.01 kg ha−1, respectively. Overall, high-rate organic manure—especially when integrated with microbial inoculation and plastic mulching—substantially enhanced soil fertility while alleviating salinity stress, resulting in an integrated “fertility build-up–salinity reduction–yield enhancement” amelioration effect. This technology package offers a feasible pathway for improving coastal saline farmland and stabilizing productivity under rotation systems, with strong potential for further on-farm demonstration and wider adoption. Full article
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