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Review

Integrated Nutrient Management of Fruits, Vegetables, and Crops through the Use of Biostimulants, Soilless Cultivation, and Traditional and Modern Approaches—A Mini Review

1
Department of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, Università degli Studi di Milano, Via Celoria 2, 20133 Milano, MI, Italy
2
Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Extension Center, Dallas, TX 75252, USA
3
Institute of Crop Science, Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna, Piazza Martiri della Libertà 33, 56127 Pisa, PI, Italy
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Agriculture 2024, 14(8), 1330; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture14081330
Submission received: 24 June 2024 / Revised: 2 August 2024 / Accepted: 6 August 2024 / Published: 9 August 2024

Abstract

The increasing population, its requirements for food, and the environmental impact of the excessive use of inputs make crop production a pressing challenge. Integrated nutrient management (INM) has emerged as a critical solution by maximizing nutrient availability and utilization for crops and vegetables. This review paper highlights the potential benefits of INM for various vegetables and field crops and explores the conceptual strategies, components, and principles underlying this approach. Studies have shown that a wide range of vegetables and field crops benefit from INM, in terms of increased yield and improvements in yield attributes, nutrient contents and uptake, growth parameters, and various physiological and biochemical characteristics. This paper discusses biostimulants, their categories, and their impact on plant propagation, growth, photosynthesis, seed germination, fruit set, and quality. Additionally, this review explores modern sustainable soilless production techniques such as hydroponics, aeroponics, and aquaponics. These cultivation methods highlight the advancements of controlled-environment agriculture (CEA) and its contribution to nutrient management, food security and minimizing the environmental footprint. The review concludes by proposing methods and fostering discussions on INM’s future development, while acknowledging the challenges associated with its adoption. Finally, this review emphasizes the substantial evidence supporting INM as a novel and ecologically sound strategy for achieving sustainable agricultural production worldwide.
Keywords: aeroponics; aquaponics; hydroponics; soil improvement; sustainable agriculture aeroponics; aquaponics; hydroponics; soil improvement; sustainable agriculture

Share and Cite

MDPI and ACS Style

Ali, A.; Niu, G.; Masabni, J.; Ferrante, A.; Cocetta, G. Integrated Nutrient Management of Fruits, Vegetables, and Crops through the Use of Biostimulants, Soilless Cultivation, and Traditional and Modern Approaches—A Mini Review. Agriculture 2024, 14, 1330. https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture14081330

AMA Style

Ali A, Niu G, Masabni J, Ferrante A, Cocetta G. Integrated Nutrient Management of Fruits, Vegetables, and Crops through the Use of Biostimulants, Soilless Cultivation, and Traditional and Modern Approaches—A Mini Review. Agriculture. 2024; 14(8):1330. https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture14081330

Chicago/Turabian Style

Ali, Awais, Genhua Niu, Joseph Masabni, Antonio Ferrante, and Giacomo Cocetta. 2024. "Integrated Nutrient Management of Fruits, Vegetables, and Crops through the Use of Biostimulants, Soilless Cultivation, and Traditional and Modern Approaches—A Mini Review" Agriculture 14, no. 8: 1330. https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture14081330

APA Style

Ali, A., Niu, G., Masabni, J., Ferrante, A., & Cocetta, G. (2024). Integrated Nutrient Management of Fruits, Vegetables, and Crops through the Use of Biostimulants, Soilless Cultivation, and Traditional and Modern Approaches—A Mini Review. Agriculture, 14(8), 1330. https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture14081330

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