The agricultural sector is at a crossroads, as it faces several intersecting risks. Scrutiny of the environmental impacts of chemical fertilizer production and its application to soil has intensified in recent times, while the global security of key soil inputs such as phosphorus is uncertain. These challenges are intertwined with an ever-changing climate which is necessitating changes to “business-as-usual” farming practices. Hence, crop production strategies that adopt resilient methods of operation will be urgently sought in the coming years. The aim of this Special Issue is to highlight emerging opportunities for the development of sustainable and robust crop-soil management practices that can address these looming global challenges. Although the Issue welcomes all work relating to this topic, contributions that respond to the following subject areas are particularly encouraged: Developments in our understanding of the soil microbial community in cycling nutrients and water under changing climates; Recoupling the geosphere with soil environments to support viable agricultural systems; New advances in repurposing waste materials as soil amendments for fertilization and climate change adaptation, with the goal of decreasing reliance on chemically produced soil inputs; Identification of ecological management practices that enhance soil agricultural productivity.
Keywords: agriculture; drought; ecology; fertilizer; geosphere; microbiology; restoration; soil.