Sustainable agricultural practices are needed to provide food security for a growing global population. Food production is usually associated with high nutrient inputs in the form of mineral fertilizers. Since the beginning of agriculture, such practices have led to soil degradation and the release of environmental contaminants. In this Special Issue, we will focus on innovations in organic and inorganic fertilizer production. We welcome studies concerning new approaches for smart fertilizer development, including bioformulations with mineral particles, nanomaterials, and plant growth promoting microorganisms. We especially encourage authors taking advantage of ecological interactions to improve plant nutrient-use efficiency. Moreover, we would like to include contributions that focus on organic amendments to increase or propitiate the terrestrial C sequestration and stabilization, in order to contribute to mitigating climate change at the same time increasing food security by soil fertility, thus making win-win-win scenarios. Such techniques may concern, but are not limited to, innovative organic waste recycling procedures and new applications of mycorrhizae, rhizobioms, or free living soil bacteria and fungi.

Sustainable agriculture; Soil fertility; Organic manures; Biological nitrogen fixation; Integrated plant nutrients; Plant nutrients from mineral fertilizers; The enviromental impact of fertilizer use; Improving the efficiency of nutrient use and facilitating the transfer of technology; Epilogue;

This book, Organic Fertilizers - From Basic Concepts to Applied Outcomes, is intended to provide an overview of emerging researchable issues related to the use of organic fertilizers that highlight recent research activities in applied organic fertilizers toward a sustainable agriculture and environment. We aimed to compile information from a diversity of sources into a single volume to give some real examples extending the concepts in organic fertilizers that may stimulate new research ideas and trends in the relevant fields.

This book, Organic Fertilizers - History, Production and Applications, aims to provide an update on research issues related to organic fertilizers, highlighting their importance in sustainable agriculture and the environment. We aimed to compile information from diverse sources into a single volume and to give some real-life examples, extending the appreciation of organic fertilizers that may stimulate new research ideas and trends in relevant fields. The contributions in this field of research are gratefully acknowledged. The publication of this book is of great importance for those researchers, scientists, engineers, teachers, graduate students, agricultural agronomists, farmers and crop producers who can use these different investigations to understand the advantages of using organic fertilizers.

Soil and Fertilizers: Managing the Environmental Footprint presents strategies to improve soil health by reducing the rate of fertilizer input while maintaining high agronomic yields. It is estimated that fertilizer use supported nearly half of global births in 2008. In a context of potential food insecurity exacerbated by population growth and climate change, the importance of fertilizers in sustaining the agronomic production is clear. However, excessive use of chemical fertilizers poses serious risks both to the environment and to human health. Highlighting a tenfold increase in global fertilizer consumption between 2002 and 2016, the book explains the effects on the quality of soil, water, air and biota from overuse of chemical fertilizers. Written by an interdisciplinary author team, this book presents methods for enhancing the efficiency of fertilizer use and outlines agricultural practices that can reduce the environmental footprint. Features: Includes a thorough literature review on the agronomic and environmental impact of fertilizer, from degradation of ecosystems to the eutrophication of drinking water Devotes specific chapters to enhancing the use efficiency and effectiveness of the fertilizers through improved formulations, time and mode of application, and the use of precision farming technology Reveals geographic variation in fertilizer consumption volume by presenting case studies for specific countries and regions, including India and Africa Discusses the pros and cons of organic vs. chemical fertilizers, innovative technologies including nuclear energy, and the U.N.’s Sustainable Development Goals Part of the Advances in Soil Sciences series, this solutions-focused volume will appeal to soil scientists, environmental scientists and agricultural engineers.