Cover Crop and Compost in Vegetable Cultivation
A special issue of Horticulturae (ISSN 2311-7524). This special issue belongs to the section "Vegetable Production Systems".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (20 September 2021) | Viewed by 3761
Special Issue Editors
Interests: cover cropping; greenhouse; vegetable; renewable energy use; market-in; global warming effect
Interests: Global warming; Greenhouse gas; Carbon sequestration; No tillage; Sustainability; Long term field Practice
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Cover crops and compost have been evaluated as biological tools for the establishment of a sustainable agriculture systems.
Many various sources of organic materials, from manures to agricultural by-products, are being converted into soil amendments through the composting process. When row organic matter is added to the soil, it has stabilized considerably through decomposition and humification, and can contribute most effectively to the soil fertility-building process.
Cover cropping, where a plant is grown specifically to produce plant matter for incorporation as a green manure into the soil, provides an important source of organic matter. Cover crop plants are usually grown in rotation with a crop or during a time of the year that the crops can not be grown. When legumes are used as cover crops, either alone or in combination with non-legume species, the quality of the biomass can be greatly improved. The resultant biomass can be incorporated into the soil or left on the surface as a protective mulch until it decomposes. Incorporated cover crops have shown some impact and benefit in soil structure and fertility and have shown an allelopathy effect.
Recently, some advanced researchers have been conducted: an analysis of cover crop function through molecular technology and an evaluation of the release and absorbance of GHG in the crop with compost or cover crops.
This Special Issue of Horticulturae will provide a current overview of the most significant research carried out on the vegetable cultivation systems with cover crops and compost. You are warmly invited to submit your work to this Special Issue, which will focus on the following aspects: new materials for cover crops and compost; the impact and benefit to soil properties; cropping systems and production; the reduction of the negative effects of global warming; elements dynamics and function in soil; and sustainability assessment.
Prof. Dr. Hajime Araki
Prof. Dr. Masakazu Komatsuzaki
Dr. Rafael Alexandre Muchanga
Guest Editors
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. Horticulturae 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 2200 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
- biomass
- decomposition
- carbon
- nitrogen
- soil properties and nutrition
- field environment
- bio-diversity
- microorganism
- sustainability
- field practice
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.
- e-Book format: Special Issues with more than 10 articles can be published as dedicated e-books, ensuring wide and rapid dissemination.
Further information on MDPI's Special Issue polices can be found here.
