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Horticulturae
Special Issues
Sustainable Soil Improvers for Enhanced Soil Health and Horticultural Systems
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Sustainable Soil Improvers for Enhanced Soil Health and Horticultural Systems

A special issue of Horticulturae (ISSN 2311-7524). This special issue belongs to the section "Plant Nutrition".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 25 November 2026 | Viewed by 967

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Zhuang Ge

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
College of Life and Health, Dalian University, Dalian 116622, China
Interests: soil health; soil improvement; soil organic carbon; soil microbes; biogeochemistry; soil aggregate
Prof. Dr. Shuangyi Li

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Key Laboratory of Arable Land Conservation (Northeast China), College of Land and Environment, Shenyang Agricultural University, Shenyang 110866, China
Interests: soil amendments; soil fertility; soil carbon sequestration; plastic film mulching effects; microbial-driven nutrient cycling
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Prof. Dr. Fayong Li

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Key Laboratory of Tarim Oasis Agriculture (Tarim University), Minsitry of Education, Alaer 843300, China
Interests: soil amendments; carbon sequestration; saline-alkali soil reclamation
Dr. Yi Zhao

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Chemistry and Environmental Engineering, Liaoning University of Technology, Jinzhou 121001, China
Interests: soil organic carbon; carbon sequestration; isotopic analysis; soil aggregate; carbon-nitrogen-oxygen cycle; plant response to environmental stress caused by potentially toxic substances
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The Special Issue “Sustainable Soil Improvers for Enhanced Soil Health and Horticultural Systems” focuses on innovative approaches to improve soil health, fertility, and productivity in horticultural systems (such as fruits, vegetables, flowers, ornamental plants, etc.). In the face of increasing challenges, including soil degradation, climate change, and the need for sustainable agricultural practices, this issue aims to explore the development, application, and impact of sustainable soil amendments. These include organic amendments (e.g., compost, biochar, and plant-based materials), microbial inoculants, and other biostimulants that enhance soil structure, nutrient availability, and microbial activity. Contributions may encompass field/glasshouse trials, mechanistic laboratory studies, meta-analyses, and critical reviews that address the efficacy of these soil improvers in mitigating abiotic stresses (e.g., drought, salinity), reducing dependency on synthetic inputs, and promoting horticultural crop resilience. The issue also welcomes research on the effects of these amendments on soil biodiversity, carbon sequestration, and food security in horticultural production systems.

Dr. Zhuang Ge
Prof. Dr. Shuangyi Li
Prof. Dr. Fayong Li
Dr. Yi Zhao
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 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. 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

  • soil health
  • sustainable soil amendments
  • organic amendments
  • biostimulants
  • nutrient cycling
  • carbon sequestration
  • abiotic stress mitigation

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

21 pages, 4650 KB  
Article
Effects of Water and Nitrogen Coupling on Yield, Quality, and Water Use Efficiency of Drip-Irrigated Watermelon Under Organic Fertilizer Application
by Yufei Wu, Muhammad S. Ahmed, Shengnan Zhang, Qi Yang, Tianhao Zhao, Mengen Ru and Fayong Li
Horticulturae 2026, 12(1), 105; https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae12010105 - 18 Jan 2026
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 579
Abstract
A two-factor experiment was conducted using the cultivar ‘Xin you No. 2’ (Citrullus lanatus) to identify an efficient and green production model for drip-irrigated watermelon under plastic mulch in Southern Xinjiang. A basal organic fertilizer was applied at 2250 kg·ha−1 [...] Read more.
A two-factor experiment was conducted using the cultivar ‘Xin you No. 2’ (Citrullus lanatus) to identify an efficient and green production model for drip-irrigated watermelon under plastic mulch in Southern Xinjiang. A basal organic fertilizer was applied at 2250 kg·ha−1. The experimental design comprised three irrigation levels, maintaining soil moisture at 60–70% (W1), 70–80% (W2), and 80–90% (W3) of field capacity, and three nitrogen application rates: 180 (N1), 240 (N2), and 300 (N3) kg·ha−1. This study systematically investigated the effects of water–nitrogen coupling on watermelon yield, quality, water use efficiency, and nitrogen partial factor productivity. The W2N2 treatment achieved the highest yield of 64,617.59 kg·ha−1. Vine length, stem diameter, and dry matter accumulation increased with increasing nitrogen application under the W1 and W2 irrigation levels, but exhibited an initial increase followed by a decrease under the W3 condition. Water restriction combined with increased nitrogen application significantly enhanced the central sugar content, with the W1N3 treatment increasing it by 15.69% compared to CK. Conversely, the W1N1 treatment was most conducive to vitamin C accumulation, showing a 49.88% increase over CK. The total water consumption across the different treatments ranged from 362.12 to 493.92 mm. Both water use efficiency and irrigation water use efficiency reached their maximum values under the W1N3 treatment, at 21.94 kg·m−3 and 35.05 kg·m−3, respectively. In contrast, the highest partial factor productivity of nitrogen (NPFP) was observed under W3N1, reaching 239.33 kg·kg−1. A comprehensive multi-index evaluation using the Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to an Ideal Solution (TOPSIS) method indicated that the W1N3 treatment achieved the highest relative closeness (0.669), identifying it as the optimal water–nitrogen combination. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Soil Improvers for Enhanced Soil Health and Horticultural Systems)
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