Sustainable Fertilization to Enhance Soil Fertility and Improve Crop Quality

Dear Colleagues,

Land degradation and food shortage persist in numerous regions, with an estimated 700 million people globally facing hunger, according to the FAO. Sustainable fertilization presents a practical solution to alleviate these risks by enhancing soil fertility, improving crop quality, and minimizing environmental impact. Recent advancements in sustainable fertilization technologies and products, such as crop fertigation, precision and smart agriculture, integrated nutrient management, and biochar, hold significant potential for enhancing land sustainability and crop quality. Thus, a profound comprehension of how to effectively utilize these technologies and products to maintain soil fertility, optimize crop yield, and improve quality is of paramount importance.

This Special Issue aims to further address these issues and attempts to provide a comprehensive perspective. Potential topics include the effects of organic fertilizers, controlled-release fertilizers, cover crop, and biochar on land sustainability and crop quality. The application of new and traditional techniques of sustainable fertilization is welcome. These include, but are not limited to, soil testing and plant analysis, precision fertilization, unmanned aerial vehicle and GPS-guided fertilizer spreader, conservation tillage, crop fertigation, crop rotation and diversity, and integrated nutrient management. Theoretical mechanisms and field data, especially data from long-term field experiments, are preferred.

Prof. Dr. Jiuquan Zhang
Guest Editor

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• soil fertility
• crop quality
• compost
• manure
• biochar
• cover crop
• organic fertilizer
• controlled release fertilizer
• soil testing
• precision fertilization
• conservation tillage
• crop fertigation
• unmanned aerial vehicle
• integrated nutrient management