The Role of Livestock Manure in Sustainable Agricultural Land Management (Soil Health) in the Context of Climate Change

Dear Colleagues,

Nowadays, agriculture, global food security, and animal nutrition are significantly affected and threatened by a wide range of variables, such as the lack of quality livestock manures, the overapplication of mineral nitrogen (while phosphorus and potassium are neglected), decreases in soil organic carbon, soil contamination, various tillage methods, soil erosion (wind, water, and chemical), and climate change (water deficiency). All of these variables significantly affect soil health, which is defined as the continued capacity of soil to serve as a vital living ecosystem sustaining plants, animals, and humans. Healthy soil can provide clean air and water, supporting diverse wildlife and beautiful landscapes. Maintaining and improving soil fertility, quality, and health is crucial for the overall sustainability of agriculture and ensuring food security. This involves stabilizing yields, reducing the negative environmental impacts of agriculture, and preserving soil quality and health amidst ongoing climate change.

In this Special Issue (SI), we aim to gather papers (original research articles and reviews) that describe the latest findings and new prospects from comprehensive research focused on soil health.

This Special Issue will welcome manuscripts that address the following themes:

• Livestock manure and mineral fertilization: its crucial role in soil management (soil health);
• Physical, chemical, and biological properties of soils;
• The cycling of substances such as water and nutrients like nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), potassium (K), calcium (Ca), and magnesium (Mg);
• Soil organic matter (SOM), humic substances (HSs), carbon sequestration, etc.;
• Soil infiltration, water retention, soil moisture, etc.;
• The effect of fertilization (manures, mineral fertilizers, compost, digestate) on yield stability;
• Relationships between fertilization, crop production, and climate change (changing weather patterns).

We look forward to receiving your original research articles and reviews.

Dr. Ladislav Menšík
Dr. Lukáš Hlisnikovský
Dr. Eva Kunzová
Guest Editors

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• livestock manure
• soil
• soil health
• physical, chemical, and biological properties of soils
• carbon sequestration
• agricultural land
• agronomy
• food security
• climate change
• yield stability