Soil Fertility Management and Sustainable Agriculture

Dear Colleagues,

Plant diseases caused by soil-borne pathogens have been recognized worldwide as a crucial factor for agricultural production, and soils have been rapidly degraded under continuous crop systems, due to frequent tillage and intensive cultivation, which may enhance the outbreak of soil-borne diseases. However, some soils are able to suppress diseases. While abiotic soil characteristics such as soil pH, moisture, organic matter, nutrient and clay content may play a role in suppressiveness, the main reason for suppressiveness is attributed to antagonistic mechanisms. The suppressiveness of soils against plant diseases can be affected in various land management options, e.g., through organic and mineral amendments, such as compost, crop rotation and tillage.

In the past, researchers and farmers were mostly concerned with soil quality and crop production. However, more attention has been paid recently to the concept of soil health assessment focused on specific soil physicochemical and biological properties and their ability to maintain a range of ecological functions in the appropriate ecosystem, supporting long-term sustainable cropping systems. Soil microorganisms can control soil-borne pathogens through competition, antibiosis, hyper-parasitism and the induction of plant disease resistance, so soil microbiota provides an important function in disease-suppressive soils, along with increased plant productivity.

The aim of this Special Issue is to show sustainability in soil management, focused on the relation between soil degradation or management and plant soil-borne diseases. The purpose of this research collection is to add information on:

• the underlying mechanisms influencing soil suppressiveness
• the interaction between plant roots and soil microbiota and their influence on soil-borne diseases
• relation of soil degradation and outbreak of disease
• plant disease control by soil amendments

The keywords listed below provide an outline of some of the possible areas of interest.

soil suppressiveness; soil health; soil degradation; soil-borne disease; soil amendment; continuous crop system; soil management

Prof. Dr. Yuanhua Dong
Guest Editor

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• soil suppressiveness
• soil health
• soil degradation
• soil-borne disease
• soil amendment
• continuous crop system
• soil management