Fertilizer and Abiotic Stress

A special issue of Plants (ISSN 2223-7747). This special issue belongs to the section "Plant Response to Abiotic Stress and Climate Change".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 1 July 2025 | Viewed by 1829

Special Issue Editor

Department of Crop Science and Technology, College of Agriculture, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China
Interests: environmental effects on crop growth and production; crop physiology and ecology; crop cultivation and management
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

This Special Issue on "Fertilizer and Abiotic Stress" is designed to explore the intricate relationship between fertilizer application and plant responses to abiotic stresses such as drought, salinity, extreme temperatures, and nutrient deficiencies. This issue will delve into the latest research on fertilizer management strategies that can mitigate the negative impacts of abiotic stress on crop productivity. We aim to publish studies that investigate the effects of different fertilizer types, rates, and application methods on plant stress tolerance and yield. Additionally, we welcome submissions that address the role of soil amendments, nutrient management, and the use of biostimulants in enhancing plant resilience. This issue will also consider the environmental implications of fertilizer use, including nutrient leaching and greenhouse gas emissions, and how sustainable practices can be integrated into modern agricultural systems. By fostering a comprehensive understanding of the complex interactions between fertilizers and abiotic stress, this Special Issue seeks to contribute to the development of more sustainable and efficient agricultural practices.

Dr. Zhaowen Mo
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • fertilizer management
  • abiotic stress
  • plant stress tolerance
  • nutrient use efficiency
  • soil amendments
  • drought tolerance
  • salinity stress

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

21 pages, 5518 KiB  
Article
Soil Amendments and Slow-Release Urea Improved Growth, Physiological Characteristics, and Yield of Salt-Tolerant Rice Under Salt Stress Conditions
by Rongyi Li, Xiayu Guo, Yucheng Qi, Yuyuan Wang, Jianbo Wang, Pengfei Zhang, Shenghai Cheng, Wenli He, Tingcheng Zhao, Yusheng Li, Lin Li, Junchao Ji, Aibin He and Zhiyong Ai
Plants 2025, 14(4), 543; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants14040543 - 10 Feb 2025
Viewed by 415
Abstract
The present study aimed to investigate the effects of different soil amendments coupled with nitrogen fertilizer on the morpho-physiological characteristics and yield of salt-tolerant rice under saline conditions. The soil amendments, i.e., S1: zeolite amendment, S2: coconut coir amendment, S3: humic acid amendment, [...] Read more.
The present study aimed to investigate the effects of different soil amendments coupled with nitrogen fertilizer on the morpho-physiological characteristics and yield of salt-tolerant rice under saline conditions. The soil amendments, i.e., S1: zeolite amendment, S2: coconut coir amendment, S3: humic acid amendment, and S0: no amendment, and fertilizer treatments, i.e., N1: urea, N2: slow-release urea, and N0: no N fertilizer, were kept in main plots and sub-plots, respectively, in a split-plot design. The salt-tolerant variety ‘Shuangliangyou 138’ was exposed to 0.3% salt irrigation water. The results showed that during the entire growth period, compared to S0, the S1 and S3 treatments increased the SPAD values by an average of 6.3%and 5.5%, respectively, the leaf area index by an average of 24.5% and 19.8%, the canopy interception rate by an average of 11.5% and 4.1%, and the aboveground biomass by an average of 36.8% and 13.9%, respectively. Moreover, under S1 and S3 conditions, the tiller number per square meter, leaf water potential, leaf water content, and chlorophyll contents were also improved under the slow-release urea than urea. Moreover, slow-release urea promoted root vitality and nutrient absorption as well as enhanced the activity of antioxidant and nitrogen metabolism enzymes than urea under the S1 and S3 conditions. In sum, the rational application of soil amendments and slow-release urea could improve the rice productivity on saline-alkali land. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Fertilizer and Abiotic Stress)
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21 pages, 2975 KiB  
Article
Patterns and Mechanisms of Legume Responses to Nitrogen Enrichment: A Global Meta-Analysis
by Juan Tang, Wei Li, Ting Wei, Ruilong Huang and Zhuanfei Zeng
Plants 2024, 13(22), 3244; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants13223244 - 19 Nov 2024
Viewed by 1147
Abstract
Nitrogen (N), while the most abundant element in the atmosphere, is an essential soil nutrient that limits plant growth. Leguminous plants naturally possess the ability to fix atmospheric nitrogen through symbiotic relationships with rhizobia in their root nodules. However, the widespread use of [...] Read more.
Nitrogen (N), while the most abundant element in the atmosphere, is an essential soil nutrient that limits plant growth. Leguminous plants naturally possess the ability to fix atmospheric nitrogen through symbiotic relationships with rhizobia in their root nodules. However, the widespread use of synthetic N fertilizers in modern agriculture has led to N enrichment in soils, causing complex and profound effects on legumes. Amid ongoing debates about how leguminous plants respond to N enrichment, the present study compiles 2174 data points from 162 peer-reviewed articles to analyze the impacts and underlying mechanisms of N enrichment on legumes. The findings reveal that N enrichment significantly increases total legume biomass by 30.9% and N content in plant tissues by 13.2% globally. However, N enrichment also leads to notable reductions, including a 5.8% decrease in root-to-shoot ratio, a 21.2% decline in nodule number, a 29.3% reduction in nodule weight, and a 27.1% decrease in the percentage of plant N derived from N2 fixation (%Ndfa). Legume growth traits and N2-fixing capability in response to N enrichment are primarily regulated by climatic factors, such as mean annual temperature (MAT) and mean annual precipitation (MAP), as well as the aridity index (AI) and N fertilizer application rates. Correlation analyses show that plant biomass is positively correlated with MAT, and tissue N content also exhibits a positive correlation with MAT. In contrast, nodule numbers and tissue N content are negatively correlated with N fertilizer application rates, whereas %Ndfa shows a positive correlation with AI and MAP. Under low N addition, the increase in total biomass in response to N enrichment is twice as large as that observed under high N addition. Furthermore, regions at lower elevations with abundant hydrothermal resources are especially favorable for total biomass accumulation, indicating that the responses of legumes to N enrichment are habitat-specific. These results provide scientific evidence for the mechanisms underlying legume responses to N enrichment and offer valuable insights and theoretical references for the conservation and management of legumes in the context of global climate change. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Fertilizer and Abiotic Stress)
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