Soil Carbon Management for Crop Production

Dear Colleagues,

Soils have a huge carbon reservoir, which is seen as a potential solution to mitigate the drawbacks of global changes. Carbon losses have major impacts on soil health as it controls soil fertility, aggregate stability, microbial activity and plant growth. Soil carbon turnover is dynamic, and rapidly changing paradigms due to intensive agricultural practices make carbon management challenging. Specially that, our knowledge about factors and processes controlling the dynamics of carbon under cultivated management practices aiming for yield and environmental profits is still primitive. It is a win-win strategy not only for increasing soil and plant productivity but also bringing the environmental benefits in a changing climate. Hence, this special issue invites original research, technology reports, modeling approaches and methods, opinions, perspectives, and reviews on carbon management in the plant-soil system. Contributions are welcome, but not limited to the following topics:

• Soil’s carbon chemistry and its turnover in agricultural systems depending on soil types, properties, and crops;
• The effects of land management practices on degradation and transformation of soil carbon and consequences for soil microorganisms, soil health, and crop productivity;
• The contribution and consequences of losses in soil’s organic and inorganic carbon for climate change, soil health, and crop growth;
• Quantifying the influence of coupling of the soil carbon cycle with nitrogen and phosphorus cycles and understanding the microbial mechanisms that meet the crops’ demands;
• Processes, driving factors, and management practices that control the trade-offs of soil organic and inorganic carbon and high crop yields;
• Best management practices and technological innovations to reduce carbon loss in soil and increase crop yields;
• Management practices to maintain soil health and carbon contents and improve crop growth in soils that are contaminated by microplastics, antibiotics, heavy metals, pesticides, insecticides, etc.

Prof. Dr. Xiaoning Zhao
Dr. Kazem Zamanian
Dr. Pujia Yu
Prof. Dr. Xiangping Guo
Guest Editors

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• soil carbon management
• ecosystem services
• soil productivity
• soil health