Soil Health and Nutrient Management for Crop Productivity

Topic Information

Dear Colleagues,

Soil health and nutrient management are at the heart of sustaining crop productivity and ensuring food security. As global agricultural demands increase and land resources face the pressures of climate change, it has become essential to understand the intricate relationship between soil health and crop productivity. Healthy soils not only support robust crop yields but also promote environmental sustainability by enhancing nutrient cycling, sequestering carbon, and supporting the biodiversity of the ecosystem.

The complexity of soil health lies in its multifaceted nature, and is influenced by biological, chemical, and physical properties that interact dynamically within various ecosystems. Nutrient management is equally nuanced, requiring innovative strategies to optimize nutrient availability and improve soil organic matter, which ultimately plays critical roles in maintaining soil fertility and resilience against limiting factors such as drought, erosion, and disease.

This Topic invites contributions that explore the latest advancements in soil health and nutrient management practices aimed at enhancing crop productivity in agroecosystems. Submissions may cover a range of research formats, including reviews, original research articles, and datasets, and are encouraged to address emerging challenges, novel approaches, and insights in this field. Areas of interest include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Indicators and assessments of soil health across diverse agricultural systems;
• Nutrient cycling dynamics and their relationship to crop yield and soil resilience;
• Role of organic amendments, cover cropping, and reduced tillage on soil health;
• Soil microbiome interactions, carbon sequestration, and nitrogen management;
• Impacts of climate change on soil health and nutrient availability;
• Technological advances in precision agricultural and sustainable nutrient management;
• Policy implications and economic aspects of soil health management in agricultural ecosystems.

We welcome contributions from researchers and practitioners that deepen our understandings of soil health and provide actionable insights to advance sustainable nutrient management for enhanced crop productivity. Your expertise is invaluable in shaping the future of resilient agricultural systems that can meet the demands of tomorrow's food production while conserving the vital resources we depend on.

Dr. Na Li
Prof. Dr. Dorcas H. Franklin
Topic Editors

Keywords

Participating Journals

Journal Name	Impact Factor	CiteScore	Launched Year	First Decision (median)	APC
Agriculture agriculture	3.3	4.9	2011	19.2 Days	CHF 2600	Submit
Agronomy agronomy	3.3	6.2	2011	17.6 Days	CHF 2600	Submit
Crops crops	-	-	2021	22.1 Days	CHF 1000	Submit
Soil Systems soilsystems	2.9	5.3	2017	39.7 Days	CHF 1800	Submit
Agrochemicals agrochemicals	-	-	2022	16.7 Days	CHF 1000	Submit

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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13 pages, 2309 KiB  

Open AccessArticle

Guinea Pig Manure and Mineral Fertilizers Enhance the Yield and Nutritional Quality of Hard Yellow Maize on the Peruvian Coast

by Emilee Calero-Rios, Miryam Borbor-Ponce, Sphyros Lastra and Richard Solórzano

Agrochemicals 2025, 4(2), 6; https://doi.org/10.3390/agrochemicals4020006 (registering DOI) - 26 Apr 2025

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Abstract

Sustainable fertilization using local resources such as manure is crucial for soil health. This study evaluated the potential of guinea pig manure to replace mineral fertilizers in hard yellow maize (hybrid INIA 619) under Peruvian coastal conditions. A split-plot design tested four doses [...] Read more.

Sustainable fertilization using local resources such as manure is crucial for soil health. This study evaluated the potential of guinea pig manure to replace mineral fertilizers in hard yellow maize (hybrid INIA 619) under Peruvian coastal conditions. A split-plot design tested four doses of guinea pig manure (0, 2, 5, 10 t⋅ha⁻¹) and four levels of mineral fertilization (0%, 50%, 75%, 100%). The study assessed plant height, ear characteristics, yield, and nutritional quality parameters. The results indicated that 100% mineral fertilization led to the highest plant height (229.67 cm) and grain weight (141.8 g). Yields of 9.19 and 9.08 t⋅ha⁻¹ were achieved with 5 and 10 t⋅ha⁻¹ of manure, while 50% mineral fertilization gave 8.8 t⋅ha⁻¹, similar to the full dose (8.7 t⋅ha⁻¹). The protein content was highest with 10 t⋅ha⁻¹ of manure combined with mineral fertilization. However, no significant differences were found between the 50%, 75%, and 100% mineral fertilizer doses. In conclusion, applying guinea pig manure improved nutrient use efficiency, yield, and grain protein quality in maize, reducing the need for mineral fertilizers by up to 50%. This provides a sustainable fertilization strategy for agricultural systems. Full article

(This article belongs to the Topic Soil Health and Nutrient Management for Crop Productivity)

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19 pages, 20863 KiB  

Open AccessArticle

The Impact of Cover Crop Biomass Introduction on the Dynamics of Nutrient Changes and Crop Productivity in Sandy-Clay Soils

by Chenyi Li, Xiaohua Shi, Shuo Kong, Liguo Jia, Yonglin Qin, Jing Yu, Kun Liu and Mingshou Fan

Agronomy 2025, 15(4), 856; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy15040856 - 29 Mar 2025

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Abstract

Sandy loam, characterized by inherently poor water retention capacity, necessitates the strategic utilization of fallow periods for soil conservation, with cover cropping serving as an effective ecological measure for nutrient retention. This study was conducted in the northern foothills of the Yinshan Mountains [...] Read more.

Sandy loam, characterized by inherently poor water retention capacity, necessitates the strategic utilization of fallow periods for soil conservation, with cover cropping serving as an effective ecological measure for nutrient retention. This study was conducted in the northern foothills of the Yinshan Mountains in Inner Mongolia, China, where the soil type is predominantly sandy loam. This study was conducted to elucidate the dynamic impacts of cover crops on soil nutrient profiles and their subsequent effects on following cash crops. Cover crops were cultivated during the fallow period and incorporated into the soil prior to spring tillage before planting the subsequent potato crop. Throughout the year following cover crop sowing, monthly measurements of soil organic matter (SOM) and nitrate nitrogen (${\mathrm{NO}}_3^{-}$-N) were performed to track temporal nutrient fluctuations. Concurrently, the biomass and yield of the subsequent potato crop were monitored to evaluate agronomic outcomes. The results indicate that the winter wheat treatment (WW) increased SOM by 2.54% after one year and elevated ${\mathrm{NO}}_3^{-}$-N levels by 110.17% prior to potato planting. Subsequent potato cultivation exhibited yield enhancements of 2.51–3.83 t ha⁻¹ relative to non-cover crop systems. Notably, 20% nitrogen reduction in basal fertilization did not compromise tuber yields while significantly improving nitrogen use efficiency by 8.7–12.3 percentage points and partial factor productivity of nitrogen by 14.6–18.9 kg kg⁻¹, indicating optimized nitrogen stewardship under cover crop-mediated soil improvement regimes. Full article

(This article belongs to the Topic Soil Health and Nutrient Management for Crop Productivity)

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16 pages, 31477 KiB  

Open AccessArticle

Impact of Saline Water Irrigation on Soil Salinity, Growth, and Productivity of Triticale in Sandy Soil

by Hassan M. Abd El Baki, Haruyuki Fujimaki, Kristina Toderich, Jean Bosco Nana and Asad S. Qureshi

Soil Syst. 2025, 9(2), 28; https://doi.org/10.3390/soilsystems9020028 - 24 Mar 2025

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Abstract

Salinity and water scarcity are among the major environmental challenges requiring the use of non-conventional water sources and the adoption of salt-tolerant crops. We assessed the impact of irrigation with different concentrations of NaCl: 50 mM and 150 mM on the growth parameters [...] Read more.

Salinity and water scarcity are among the major environmental challenges requiring the use of non-conventional water sources and the adoption of salt-tolerant crops. We assessed the impact of irrigation with different concentrations of NaCl: 50 mM and 150 mM on the growth parameters and yield of triticale, soil salinity, distribution of active root density, and concentrations of Na⁺ and NO₃⁻ ions at harvest compared to freshwater under zero leaching conditions. Irrigation was applied on a daily basis based on weight measurements of micro-lysimeter pots. Growth parameters, including plant height, LAI, number of leaves, number of tillers, and soil salinity, were observed across the growing season. Spatial distributions of soil salinity, normalized root length density (NRLD), concentrations of Na⁺ and NO₃⁻ in soil profile were measured in two dimensions. The results indicate that irrigating with 150 mM of NaCl H₂O significantly affected the crop growth, causing salts, particularly Na⁺, to reside in the topsoil, reducing NRLD with soil depth, crop water demand, and NO₃⁻ uptake. The application of 150 mM and 50 mM of NaCl H₂O reduced crop water use by 4 and 2.6 times as well as grain yield by 97% and 42%, respectively, compared to freshwater. This shows that irrigation with concentration equal to or higher than 150 mM NaCl will result in very low production. To achieve higher yield and crop water productivity, irrigation with NaCl concentration of 50 mM or less is recommended to grow triticale in marginal regions with limited freshwater resources. Full article

(This article belongs to the Topic Soil Health and Nutrient Management for Crop Productivity)

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