2022-04-01 Traditionally, livestock manure has been used to provide nutrients for plant growth and to improve soil conditions. However, the increase in concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs) results in high levels of plant nutrients, such as nitrogen and phosphorus, in the proximal crop and...
2020-01-01 Global crop production must substantially increase to meet the needs of a rapidly growing population. This is constrained by the availability of nutrients, water, and land. There is also an urgent need to reduce the negative environmental impacts of crop production. Collectively, these issues...
2020-01-01 The growing world population exerts tremendous pressure on our finite food resources. Since the lion's share of the global calorie intake is reliant upon a handful of plant species like rice, wheat, maize, soybean, and potato, it is the need of the hour to expand our dietary reliance to...
2021-01-01 Soil fauna plays a key role in many soil functions, such as organic matter decomposition, humus formation, and nutrient release, modifying soil structure, and improving its fertility. Soil invertebrates play key roles in determining soil suitability for agricultural production and realizing...
2021-01-01 The papers included in this Special Issue address a variety of important aspects of plant biodiversity and genetic resources, including definitions, descriptions, and illustrations of different components and their value for food and nutrition security, breeding, and environmental services....
2021-01-01 Plant-soil interactions play an important role in the functioning of ecosystems. This book presents recent research advances on the effects of soil factors on plant communities and the role of ecological complementarity and species diversity in soil properties and ecosystem services. It addresses...
2021-01-01 Satisfying consumer needs through the production of healthy and nutritious agricultural products is a substantial challenge facing modern agriculture. However, agricultural production should be carried out with care for plant health, biological safety of products, and environmental safety while...
2021-01-01 Soil degradation is one of the most topical environmental threats. A number of processes causing soil degradation, specifically erosion, compaction, salinization, pollution, and loss of both organic matter and soil biodiversity, are also strictly connected to agricultural activity and its...
2021-01-01 Water scarcity is a critical issue for agriculture, and, hence, efficient management and conservation practices for agricultural water use are essential for adapting to and mitigating the impacts of current and future discrepancy between water supplies and water demands. This Special Issue...
2021-01-01 Herbaceous field crops include several hundred plant species worldly widespread for different end-uses, from food to no-food applications. Among them are included cereals, grain legumes, sugar beet, potato, cotton, tobacco, sunflower, safflower, rape, flax, soybean, alfalfa, clover spp. and other...