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Research papers on Sustainable agriculture

Recent and highly-cited academic work on sustainable agriculture, gathered from Semantic Scholar, CrossRef and OpenAlex.

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  1. Machine Learning in Agriculture: A Review

    Κωνσταντίνος Λιάκος, Patrizia Busato, Dimitrios Moshou, et al. · 2018 · Sensors · 3,112 citations

    Machine learning has emerged with big data technologies and high-performance computing to create new opportunities for data intensive science in the multi-disciplinary agri-technologies domain. In this paper, we present a comprehensive review of research dedicated to applications of machine learning in agricultural production systems. The works analyzed were categorized in (a) crop management, including applications on yield prediction, disease detection, weed detection crop quality, and species recognition; (b) livestock management, including applications on animal welfare and livestock production; (c) water management; and (d) soil management. The filtering and classification of the presen

  2. Heavy Metals and Pesticides Toxicity in Agricultural Soil and Plants: Ecological Risks and Human Health Implications

    Ahmed Alengebawy, Sara Taha Abdelkhalek, Sundas Rana Qureshi, et al. · 2021 · Toxics · 2,236 citations

    Environmental problems have always received immense attention from scientists. Toxicants pollution is a critical environmental concern that has posed serious threats to human health and agricultural production. Heavy metals and pesticides are top of the list of environmental toxicants endangering nature. This review focuses on the toxic effect of heavy metals (cadmium (Cd), lead (Pb), copper (Cu), and zinc (Zn)) and pesticides (insecticides, herbicides, and fungicides) adversely influencing the agricultural ecosystem (plant and soil) and human health. Furthermore, heavy metals accumulation and pesticide residues in soils and plants have been discussed in detail. In addition, the characterist

  3. Phosphate solubilizing microbes: sustainable approach for managing phosphorus deficiency in agricultural soils

    Seema B. Sharma, R. Z. Sayyed, Mrugesh Trivedi, et al. · 2013 · SpringerPlus · 2,094 citations

    Phosphorus is the second important key element after nitrogen as a mineral nutrient in terms of quantitative plant requirement. Although abundant in soils, in both organic and inorganic forms, its availability is restricted as it occurs mostly in insoluble forms. The P content in average soil is about 0.05% (w/w) but only 0.1% of the total P is available to plant because of poor solubility and its fixation in soil (Illmer and Schinner, Soil Biol Biochem 27:257-263, 1995). An adequate supply of phosphorus during early phases of plant development is important for laying down the primordia of plant reproductive parts. It plays significant role in increasing root ramification and strength thereb

  4. Microbial Phosphorus Solubilization and Its Potential for Use in Sustainable Agriculture

    Elizabeth Temitope Alori, Bernard R. Glick, Olubukola Oluranti Babalola · 2017 · Frontiers in Microbiology · 1,634 citations

    The use of excess conventional Phosphorus (P) fertilizers to improve agricultural productivity, in order to meet constantly increasing global food demand, potentially causes surface and ground water pollution, waterway eutrophication, soil fertility depletion, and accumulation of toxic elements such as high concentration of selenium (Se), arsenic (As) in the soil. Quite a number of soil microorganisms are capable of solubilizing/mineralizing insoluble soil phosphate to release soluble P and making it available to plants. These microorganisms improve the growth and yield of a wide variety of crops. Thus, inoculating seeds/crops/soil with Phosphate Solubilizing Microorganisms (PSM) is a promis

  5. Nanotechnology in Sustainable Agriculture: Recent Developments, Challenges, and Perspectives

    Ram Prasad, Atanu Bhattacharyya, Quang D. Nguyen · 2017 · Frontiers in Microbiology · 1,520 citations

    Nanotechnology monitors a leading agricultural controlling process, especially by its miniature dimension. Additionally, many potential benefits such as enhancement of food quality and safety, reduction of agricultural inputs, enrichment of absorbing nanoscale nutrients from the soil, etc. allow the application of nanotechnology to be resonant encumbrance. Agriculture, food, and natural resources are a part of those challenges like sustainability, susceptibility, human health, and healthy life. The ambition of nanomaterials in agriculture is to reduce the amount of spread chemicals, minimize nutrient losses in fertilization and increased yield through pest and nutrient management. Nanotechno

  6. Nitrogen losses from the soil/plant system: a review

    Keith C. Cameron, Hong J. Di, James L. Moir · 2013 · Annals of Applied Biology · 1,381 citations

    Abstract Losses of nitrogen from the soil/plant system not only reduce soil fertility and plant yield but can also create adverse impacts on the environment. Ammonia emissions into the atmosphere contribute to acid rain and represent an indirect source of nitrous oxide greenhouse gas emissions. Nitrate leaching losses into rivers and lakes can cause eutrophication resulting in excessive growth of aquatic weeds and algae, which can reduce fish populations and the recreational value of the water. Nitrate contamination of drinking water supplies can cause health risks. Legislation that is designed to limit nitrate leaching losses from land has become a constraint on agricultural land use in man

  9. How sustainable agriculture can address the environmental and human health harms of industrial agriculture.

    Leo Horrigan, Robert S. Lawrence, Polly Walker · 2002 · Environmental Health Perspectives · 1,184 citations

    The industrial agriculture system consumes fossil fuel, water, and topsoil at unsustainable rates. It contributes to numerous forms of environmental degradation, including air and water pollution, soil depletion, diminishing biodiversity, and fish die-offs. Meat production contributes disproportionately to these problems, in part because feeding grain to livestock to produce meat--instead of feeding it directly to humans--involves a large energy loss, making animal agriculture more resource intensive than other forms of food production. The proliferation of factory-style animal agriculture creates environmental and public health concerns, including pollution from the high concentration of an

  10. Soil health in agricultural systems

    Mark Kibblewhite, Karl Ritz, M. J. Swift · 2007 · Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B Biological Sciences · 1,120 citations

    Soil health is presented as an integrative property that reflects the capacity of soil to respond to agricultural intervention, so that it continues to support both the agricultural production and the provision of other ecosystem services. The major challenge within sustainable soil management is to conserve ecosystem service delivery while optimizing agricultural yields. It is proposed that soil health is dependent on the maintenance of four major functions: carbon transformations; nutrient cycles; soil structure maintenance; and the regulation of pests and diseases. Each of these functions is manifested as an aggregate of a variety of biological processes provided by a diversity of interac

  11. Soil Health and Sustainable Agriculture

    Monther Mohumad Tahat, Kholoud M. Alananbeh, Yahia A. Othman, et al. · 2020 · Sustainability · 678 citations

    A healthy soil acts as a dynamic living system that delivers multiple ecosystem services, such as sustaining water quality and plant productivity, controlling soil nutrient recycling decomposition, and removing greenhouse gases from the atmosphere. Soil health is closely associated with sustainable agriculture, because soil microorganism diversity and activity are the main components of soil health. Agricultural sustainability is defined as the ability of a crop production system to continuously produce food without environmental degradation. Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF), cyanobacteria, and beneficial nematodes enhance water use efficiency and nutrient availability to plants, phytohorm

  12. Biochar Production and Characteristics, Its Impacts on Soil Health, Crop Production, and Yield Enhancement: A Review

    Shahbaz Khan, S. Irshad, K. Mehmood, et al. · 2024 · Plants · 227 citations

    Rapid urban expansion and a booming population are placing immense pressure on our agricultural systems, leading to detrimental impacts on soil fertility and overall health. Due to the extensive use of agrochemicals in agriculture, the necessity to meet the expanding demand for food has also resulted in unsustainable farming practices. Around the world, biochar, a multipurpose carbonaceous material, is being used to concurrently solve issues with enhancing soil fertility, plant growth, and development under both normal and stressful circumstances. It improves water retention, fosters nutrient absorption, and promotes microbial activity, creating a fertile environment that supports sustainabl

  14. Conservation agriculture improves soil health and sustains crop yields after long-term warming

    Jialing Teng, Ruixing Hou, Jennifer A. J. Dungait, et al. · 2024 · Nature Communications · 125 citations

    Climate warming threatens global food security by exacerbating pressures on degraded soils under intensive crop production. Conservation agriculture is promoted as a sustainable solution that improves soil health and sustains crop yields in a changing climate, but these benefits may be affected by long-term warming. Here, we investigate the effects of conservation agriculture compared to conventional agriculture on 17 soil properties, microbial diversity and crop yields, during eight-years' experimental warming. An overall positive effect of warming on soil health over time under conservation agriculture is characterized by linear increases in soil organic carbon and microbial biomass carbon

  15. The Role of Nano-Fertilizers in Sustainable Agriculture: Boosting Crop Yields and Enhancing Quality

    Mcholomah Annalisa Kekeli, Quanlong Wang, Yukui Rui · 2025 · Plants · 66 citations

    With the rising need for sustainable agricultural practices, nano-fertilizers have emerged as an innovative alternative to traditional fertilizers. These advanced fertilizers enhance nutrient use efficiency, promote crop growth, and minimize environmental harm by enabling precise nutrient delivery. This review evaluates various nano-fertilizer application techniques and their influence on plant growth, yield, and quality. Additionally, it explores their interactions with soil composition and microbial communities, emphasizing their role in enzymatic activity and nutrient cycling. While nano-fertilizers offer significant benefits, challenges such as proper dosage regulation, potential toxicit

  18. Soil microbiomes: a promising strategy for boosting crop yield and advancing sustainable agriculture

    Komal Pandey, Prof. (Dr.) Baljeet Singh Saharan · 2025 · Discover Agriculture · 38 citations

    Agricultural intensification, driven by the excessive use of agrochemicals (e.g., fertilizers and pesticides), simplified cropping systems (e.g., monocropping, tillage, and heavy machinery), and exacerbated by climate-related stressors (e.g., drought, salinity, and flooding), has led to profound and long-lasting negative effects on soil health and ecosystem balance. In contrast, soil microbiomes present a promising avenue for sustainable agriculture, offering the potential to increase crop yields, enhance nutrient use efficiency, bolster plant resistance to environmental stresses, and improve overall plant health. Recent innovations in this field focus on leveraging soil microbiomes through

  20. Internet of Things Assisted Plant Disease Detection and Crop Management Using Deep Learning for Sustainable Agriculture

    Eman A. Al-Shahari, G. Aldehim, Mohammed Aljebreen, et al. · 2025 · IEEE Access · 29 citations

    The integration of Internet of Things (IoT) technology with deep learning (DL) algorithms has revolutionized plant disease detection and crop management and paved the way for sustainable agricultural practices. Real-time information on soil moisture, plant health, and environmental conditions can be collected by deploying a network of connected devices and sensors in agricultural fields. DL algorithms, specifically convolutional neural networks (CNN), analyze this massive dataset, facilitating timely and accurate recognition of plant diseases. This early detection allows farmers to implement targeted interventions, like adjustment to irrigation or precision application of pesticides, maximiz

  21. Bio-stimulant In Improving Crop Yield And Soil Health

    Kadam Sharad Rajesaheb, Suganya Subramanian, P. Boominathan, et al. · 2024 · Communications in Soil Science and Plant Analysis · 24 citations

    ABSTRACT Bio-stimulant has emerged as promising tool in modern agriculture, offering potential solution to enhance the crop productivity in addition to promoting sustainable soil management practices. Bio-stimulants represent natural formulation that enhance the overall well-being, vitality, and development of plants while, safe guarding them from biotic and abiotic stresses. They had successfully used in both Agri-horticultural crops. A variety of bio-stimulants, such as extracts from seaweed, humic acids (HA), fulvic acids (FA), enzymes, amino acids, protein hydrolyzates, nitrogen-containing compounds, beneficial microorganisms and small organic molecules, have been utilized to augment bot

  22. Advancing biofertilizers: the evolution from single-strain formulations to synthetic microbial communities (SynCom) for sustainable agriculture

    Malini Singh, Supriya Jha, Devashish Pathak, et al. · 2025 · Discover Plants · 24 citations

    The concept of the microbiome has transformed the approach to biofertilizers, offering a sustainable and eco-friendly alternative to chemical fertilizers. Biofertilizers enhance plant growth, improve soil health, and protect crops from pests and diseases, making them central to modern agriculture. This review discussed the biofertilizer evolution from early single-strain products to advanced multistrain formulations to the hypothesis of synthetic microbial communities (SynCom). Microbes play a crucial role in agriculture by fixing nitrogen, recycling nutrients like carbon and phosphorus, improving soil fertility, and managing organic waste. They also reduce environmental pollutants and suppo

  24. Effect of Irrigation Water Quality and Soil Compost Treatment on Salinity Management to Improve Soil Health and Plant Yield

    Subanky Suvendran, David Johnson, Miguel F. Acevedo, et al. · 2024 · Water · 20 citations

    Increasing soil salinity and degraded irrigation water quality are major challenges for agriculture. This study investigated the effects of irrigation water quality and incorporating compost (3% dry mass in soil) on minimizing soil salinization and promoting sustainable cropping systems. A greenhouse study used brackish water (electrical conductivity of 2010 µS/cm) and agricultural water (792 µS/cm) to irrigate Dundale pea and clay loam soil. Compost treatment enhanced soil water retention with soil moisture content above 0.280 m3/m3, increased plant carbon assimilation by ~30%, improved plant growth by >50%, and reduced NO3− leaching from the soil by 16% and 23.5% for agricultural and brack

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