Application of Organic Amendments in Agricultural Production—3rd Edition

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 December 2026 | Viewed by 2446

Special Issue Editor

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Soil is an essential resource for plant growth and yield. It undergoes a rapid degradation process in intensive agricultural areas, but it has extremely slow formation and regeneration mechanisms. As a consequence, soils of agroecosystems are severely depleted of organic matter and macro-/micronutrient pools. In addition, the production of urban and industrial organic waste is increasing worldwide, and environmentally friendly strategies for their disposal, e.g., compost production, have been developed. Furthermore, the application of organic fertilizers could help to mitigate the negative effect of the increase in atmospheric carbon dioxide, since they can sequester C into the soil. The necessity of bringing together economic and ecological issues has led to an increase in the use of organic fertilizers worldwide since, in addition to their positive effects on soil chemical, physical, and biological properties, they also improve plant performance.

The aim of this Special Issue is to highlight the effect of different organic amendments on plant performance, soil quality, and the environment. Manuscripts dealing with the effect of organic amendment supply on plant performances, soil chemical, physical, and biological properties, and carbon sequestration will be considered.

Dr. Elena Baldi
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 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

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 semimonthly 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

  • soil organic matter
  • carbon sequestration
  • plant performances
  • soil fertility
  • nutrient availability

Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue

  • Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
  • Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
  • Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
  • External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
  • Reprint: MDPI Books provides the opportunity to republish successful Special Issues in book format, both online and in print.

Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Related Special Issue

Published Papers (2 papers)

Order results
Result details
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

15 pages, 2470 KB  
Article
Effect of Different Organic Amendment Supply on Young Bearing Walnut Trees Nutritional Status and Soil Fertility
by Elena Baldi, Maurizio Quartieri, Maddalena Messini, Adriele Tassinari, Fatih Buyukfiliz and Moreno Toselli
Agronomy 2026, 16(2), 262; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy16020262 - 22 Jan 2026
Viewed by 418
Abstract
Fertilization management is crucial mainly during the walnut training phase in order to obtain good plant formation, which is essential for guaranteeing future optimal yield. The aim of the present experiment was to evaluate the effect of different organic amendments on plant nutritional [...] Read more.
Fertilization management is crucial mainly during the walnut training phase in order to obtain good plant formation, which is essential for guaranteeing future optimal yield. The aim of the present experiment was to evaluate the effect of different organic amendments on plant nutritional status and soil fertility in young bearing walnut trees. The experiment was conducted in 2023 and 2024 on walnut trees of the cultivar Chandler grafted on Juglans regia, planted in 2021. Since 2023, plants were yearly treated as follows: 1. non-fertilized control; 2. mineral fertilization; 3. application of municipal solid waste compost; and 4. application of compost from agri-food chain scraps. Soil amendments were supplied at the same rate as mineral fertilizer (120 kg N ha−1) in spring on the tree row on a 1.5 m wide strip, while mineral fertilizer was split in two applications (50% in spring and 50% in summer). Plant growth, measured with trunk diameter and pruning wood weight, was enhanced by mineral fertilization, followed by compost, in comparison to the control. Soil mineral N was too high in relation to plant needs, with a consequent increase in the risk of nitrate leaching. Organic amendments increased soil nutrient availability, microbial activity, and carbon concentration, which, in the long term, could provide a positive environmental effect related to its sequestration into the soil. Full article
Show Figures

Figure 1

22 pages, 2402 KB  
Article
Influence of Organic Mulching Strategies on Apple Tree (Mallus domestica BORKH.) Development, Fruit Quality and Soil Enzyme Dynamics
by Ioana Maria Borza, Cristina Adriana Rosan, Daniela Gitea, Manuel Alexandru Gitea, Alina Dora Samuel, Carmen Violeta Iancu, Ioana Larisa Bene, Daniela Padilla-Contreras, Cristian Gabriel Domuta and Simona Ioana Vicas
Agronomy 2025, 15(9), 2021; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy15092021 - 22 Aug 2025
Viewed by 1233
Abstract
Mulching is a sustainable agronomic practice that can improve soil quality and fruit characteristics in crops. This study investigated the influence of sheep wool mulch and a soil conditioner on growth, the accumulation of bioactive compounds, and soil enzymatic activity in apple orchards. [...] Read more.
Mulching is a sustainable agronomic practice that can improve soil quality and fruit characteristics in crops. This study investigated the influence of sheep wool mulch and a soil conditioner on growth, the accumulation of bioactive compounds, and soil enzymatic activity in apple orchards. A two-year field experiment (2023–2024) was conducted using three experimental methods: mulching with sheep wool (V2), application of a soil conditioner, corn starch-based polymer (V3), and a combination of sheep wool and corn starch-based polymer (V4) along with a control (V1). Tree growth parameters, fruit physicochemical properties, total phenolic and flavonoid content, and soil enzyme activities (dehydrogenase, catalase, phosphatase) were assessed. Data were analyzed using Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and Pearson’s correlation. PCA showed that the combined variant (V4) improved fruit size, weight, and bioactive compound content, while wool mulch alone (V2) was associated with higher fruit yield and better vegetative growth. Catalase activity correlated positively and consistently with bioactive compounds in both years, while phosphatase activity showed an intensified positive relationship in 2024. Dehydrogenase activity was negatively correlated with phenolic content in both seasons. Organic and integrated mulching practices can beneficially modulate both aboveground and belowground plant–soil interactions. The combined variant proved to be the most effective strategy, enhancing fruit nutritional quality and supporting sustainable apple orchard management. Full article
Show Figures

Figure 1

Back to TopTop