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Agronomy
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Improving Fertilizer Use Efficiency - Volume II
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Improving Fertilizer Use Efficiency - Volume II

A special issue of Agronomy (ISSN 2073-4395). This special issue belongs to the section "Soil and Plant Nutrition".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 May 2024 | Viewed by 1902

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Peng Zhang

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Guest Editor
1. College of Agronomy, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, China
2. Institute of Water Saving Agriculture in Arid Areas of China, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, China
Interests: soil fertility; soil and water conservation; crop yield; dryland farming; biochar/straw returning; film mulching; crop production; CO2; CH4; N2O; global warming; nitrogen cycling; nitrate leaching; carbon cycling; soil carbon sequestration; agriculture management practices
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium are essential nutrients for crops and are applied as chemical fertilizers to maintain soil fertility and safeguard crop growth. Under the modern agricultural system, about 50% to 70% of fertilizers applied in the field are lost to the environment, and only a small portion of nutrients are absorbed by plants. Further, the in-season utilization rate of fertilizers does not exceed 50%, which not only increases the cost of fertilizers but also seriously pollutes the environment. Therefore, improving fertilizer utilization is of great significance for sustainable agricultural development. Excessive fertilizer application, the underutilization of the crop yield potential, and nutrient loss from farmland are the main reasons for low fertilizer utilization. At present, various studies have been carried out focusing on the above reasons, such as new doses of fertilizers, precision fertilization, planting methods, field management, tillage patterns, and crop varieties. Our Special Issue aims to reveal the mechanisms of these studies on fertilizer use efficiency and to elucidate the combined effects of fertilizer application on crops, soils, and the environment. We welcome high-quality interdisciplinary research in crop science to resolve the conflict between fertilizer application, crop yield, and soil quality.

Dr. Peng Zhang
Guest Editor

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 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. Agronomy is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly 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 2600 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

  • fertilizer
  • crop yield
  • soil quality
  • field management

Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

24 pages, 3924 KiB  
Article
Application of Urea and Ammonium Nitrate Solution with Potassium Thiosulfate as a Factor Determining Macroelement Contents in Plants
by Marzena S. Brodowska, Mirosław Wyszkowski and Monika Karsznia
Agronomy 2024, 14(6), 1097; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/agronomy14061097 - 22 May 2024
Viewed by 322
Abstract
The following research hypotheses were established in this study: the applied urea and ammonium nitrate solution with potassium thiosulfate (UAN-KTS) has a positive effect on the chemical composition of spring wheat, spring rape and maize; fertilization with nitrogen, potassium and sulfur increases their [...] Read more.
The following research hypotheses were established in this study: the applied urea and ammonium nitrate solution with potassium thiosulfate (UAN-KTS) has a positive effect on the chemical composition of spring wheat, spring rape and maize; fertilization with nitrogen, potassium and sulfur increases their contents in the usable parts of plants; the forms of applied fertilizers reduce the antagonistic effect of nitrogen and potassium on the content of other elements in plants. Two doses of nitrogen (N 1—optimal dose of nitrogen for a plant species; N 2—25% lower dose of nitrogen) and different ratios of N:K:S elements (N:K:S—without K and S; N:K1:S1—a narrowed ratio; N:K2:S2—the optimal ratio; N:K3:S3—an expanded ratio) were applied. The experiment was carried out on two soils of different quality. The improved soil quality resulted in a significant increase in the calcium (as opposed to magnesium) content of the three crops, in the nitrogen and sulfate–sulfur (VI) content of spring wheat grain and spring rapeseed, and in the phosphorus content of spring rapeseed and maize aerial parts. Reducing the dose (N 2) had a negative effect on the nitrogen content of spring wheat and on the sulfate–sulfur (VI) content of spring rape, maize and especially spring wheat. Increasing the N:K:S ratio had a small but usually antagonistic effect on the nitrogen content of all plant species, but a synergistic one on the potassium content of spring wheat, maize and partly of spring rape, and especially on the content of sulfate–sulfur (VI) in the crops. The effect of type of soil and fertilizers with different N:K:S ratios on the content of other macronutrients was related to plant species. The new fertilizer with the N:K2:S2 ratio had the greatest effect on the content of the tested macronutrients in spring wheat, spring rape and maize. In order to confirm the obtained relationships, it seems justified to carry out field experiments and studies with other plant species. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Improving Fertilizer Use Efficiency - Volume II)
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21 pages, 5231 KiB  
Article
Influence of the Depth of Nitrogen-Phosphorus Fertilizer Placement in Soil on Maize Yielding and Carbon Footprint in the Loess Plateau of China
by Hua Huang, Qi Wu, Fu Liu, Zihui Zhang, Benzheng Liu, Guoxia Zhou, Bingbing Cao, Kemoh Bangura, Tie Cai, Zhiqiang Gao, Peng Zhang, Zhikuan Jia and Peng Wu
Agronomy 2024, 14(4), 805; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/agronomy14040805 - 12 Apr 2024
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Abstract
Deep fertilization is a beneficial approach for reducing nitrogen losses. However, the effects of various fertilization depths on maize (Zea mays L.) productivity and environmental footprints have not been thoroughly understood. Therefore, a field experiment was conducted to investigate the effects of [...] Read more.
Deep fertilization is a beneficial approach for reducing nitrogen losses. However, the effects of various fertilization depths on maize (Zea mays L.) productivity and environmental footprints have not been thoroughly understood. Therefore, a field experiment was conducted to investigate the effects of different fertilization depths of 5 cm (D5), 15 cm (D15), 25 cm (D25), and 35 cm (D35) on maize productivity and environmental footprints. Reactive nitrogen (Nr) losses and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions were assessed using life cycle analysis. We hypothesized that deep fertilization can obtain lower carbon and nitrogen footprint. The results indicated that deep fertilization decreased the N2O and NH3 emissions while increasing the CH4 uptake. Compared with D5, D15 resulted in an increase in total GHG emissions and carbon footprint (CF), whereas D25 decreased by 13.0% and 23.6%, respectively. Compared with D5, the Nr losses under D15, D25, and D35 conditions was reduced by 11.3%, 17.3%, and 21.0%, respectively, and the nitrogen footprint (NF) was reduced by 16.0%, 27.4%, and 19.0%, respectively. The maize yield under D15 and D25 increased by 5.7% and 13.8%, respectively, compared with the D5 treatment, and the net economic benefits of the ecosystem increased by 7.1% and 17.1%, respectively. In summary, applying fertilizer at a depth of 25 cm can significantly reduce the environmental footprints and increase maize productivity, making it an effective fertilization strategy in the Loess Plateau region of China. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Improving Fertilizer Use Efficiency - Volume II)
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15 pages, 2635 KiB  
Article
Soil Ecoenzymatic Stoichiometry Reveals Microbial Metabolic Limitations in Apple Orchards with Cover Crop and Organic Fertilizer Incorporation
by Shibiao Cai, Bangyu Zheng, Zhiyuan Zhao, Zhaoxia Zheng, Na Yang and Bingnian Zhai
Agronomy 2024, 14(3), 581; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/agronomy14030581 - 14 Mar 2024
Viewed by 624
Abstract
Understanding the stoichiometry of extracellular enzymes in soil, particularly in relation to nutrient acquisition (e.g., carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus), provides valuable insights into microorganisms’ resource requirements. This study investigates the metabolic constraints of soil microorganisms in response to different growth stages of apple trees [...] Read more.
Understanding the stoichiometry of extracellular enzymes in soil, particularly in relation to nutrient acquisition (e.g., carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus), provides valuable insights into microorganisms’ resource requirements. This study investigates the metabolic constraints of soil microorganisms in response to different growth stages of apple trees under various soil management practices. A 14-year long-term experiment with a split-plot design was conducted, where the main plots received different cover crop treatments (bare vs. cover crop), and subplots were subjected to four fertilizer treatments (CK, M, NPK, MNPK). The significant main and interactive effects of cover crops, fertilizer treatment, and growth period on soil nutrients were observed (p < 0.001). Both cover crop and fertilizer treatments significantly increased the soil organic matter content, with implications for orchard resilience to drought. However, the cover factor alone did not notably influence soil carbon–nitrogen ratios or microbial communities. Microbial carbon limitations were driven by soil water dynamics and microbial biomass, while microbial phosphorus limitations were closely linked to total nitrogen levels. The results underscore the combination of cover crops and MNPK fertilizer-enhanced soil nutrient levels and enzyme activities, mitigating microbial carbon and phosphorus limitations. These findings suggest practical strategies for optimizing fertilization practices to improve soil fertility and address nutrient constraints in orchard ecosystems. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Improving Fertilizer Use Efficiency - Volume II)
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