Archives of Agronomy and Soil Science

Nitrogen Cycling in the Soil-Plant System

Nitrogen (N) is a fundamental nutrient driving productivity in soil–plant systems, yet its cycling involves complex interactions among physical, chemical, and biological processes. This Article Collection, “Nitrogen Cycling in the Soil-Plant System” seeks to advance understanding of N dynamics across agricultural and natural ecosystems. Key processes-including N fixation, mineralization, nitrification, denitrification, and leaching-govern N availability, loss pathways, and environmental impacts. However, gaps remain in quantifying these fluxes under changing climates, land-use practices, and management strategies. This Collection will synthesize cutting-edge research on N cycling, from microbial-scale mechanisms to landscape-level N budgets, providing insights for sustainable N management in a resource-constrained world.

Improving nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) is critical for global food security and environmental sustainability. Large amount of applied N fertilizer is lost to the environment, contributing to greenhouse gas emissions (e.g., N₂O), water pollution (e.g., nitrate leaching), and ecosystem degradation (e.g., N saturation). With rising demand for food and bioenergy, optimizing N cycling is essential to meet Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) on zero hunger (SDG 2) and climate action (SDG 13). This Collection addresses urgent challenges, such as reconciling high crop yields with reduced N losses, mitigating N-driven biodiversity decline, and adapting N management to climate extremes. By integrating multidisciplinary approaches-from molecular biology to agroecosystem modeling-this issue will guide policymakers, farmers, and researchers toward science-based solutions for the global N crisis.

This Article Collection welcomes original research papers and reviews focusing on recent advances in N cycling dynamics within soil-plant systems, with emphasis on sustainable solutions under global environmental change. Investigations of novel interactions between microbial communities, plant root exudates, and soil physicochemical properties affecting NUE and loss pathways are strongly encouraged. Multidisciplinary approaches (e.g., isotope tracing coupled with process-based modeling) are particularly valued, but specific studies addressing individual components-such as microbial functional genes, agroecosystem N budgets, or policy-driven N mitigation strategies-are equally welcome.

Keywords: Nitrogen use efficiency (NUE), Soil-plant-microbe interactions, Reactive nitrogen losses, ¹⁵N Isotope tracing, Sustainable nitrogen management

Guest Advisors: 

Dr. Jinyang Wang Ph.D. is an expert in agricultural greenhouse gas emissions and carbon sequestration, with a focus on CH₄ and N₂O modelling, soil denitrification processes, and sustainable mitigation strategies. His research integrates global observational data to improve emission factor models, assess nitrogen fertilizer impacts on soil denitrification, and evaluate biochar, optimized irrigation, and organic amendments for emission reduction and carbon sequestration. The findings advance IPCC methodologies and support climate-smart agricultural policies worldwide. Here is the link to his ORCID page: Jinyang Wang (0000-0003-0668-336X) - ORCID

Prof. Xiaoxuan Su Ph.D. works in the College of Resources and Environment, Southwest University, China. His research efforts have been focused on microbially-mediated nitrogen biogeochemical cycling and N₂O emission. Specifically, his research interests are (1) Microbial ecology in soil and sediment ecosystems, (2) denitrification process and associated N₂O emission, (3) Microbial metabolism in denitrifiers, (4) Isotopic tracing and abundances.

Prof. Ahmed Salah Elrys Ph.D. is a professor from Hainan University, China, specializing in soil nutrient cycling and greenhouse gas emissions. His research explores the interplay between anthropogenic and natural nitrogen dynamics, with a strong focus on sustainable agriculture and food system management. Dr. Elrys has published extensively in leading journals such as Nature Food and Global Change Biology, integrating fieldwork, modeling, and data analytics at global scales. Here is the link to his ORCID page: Ahmed Elrys (0000-0003-0373-888X) - ORCID

Dr. Andreas Pacholski Ph.D. focuses on monitoring and mitigating ammonia emissions in agriculture, particularly from nitrogen fertilization and point sources (e.g., biogas plants). His work combines measurement techniques and modeling to study ammonia dynamics, interactions with other trace gases (e.g., N₂O), and strategies to improve nitrogen use efficiency for sustainable farming. Here is the link to his ORCID page: Andreas Siegfried Pacholski (0000-0003-1615-5122) - ORCID

Prof. Longlong Xia Ph.D. specializes in soil carbon and nitrogen cycling under climate change, with a focus on reducing greenhouse gas emissions from agroecosystems. His work integrates biochar application, optimized nitrogen management, and sustainable farming practices to enhance soil carbon sequestration while maintaining crop productivity. He also investigates climate-agriculture interactions, including elevated CO₂ and ozone effects, to develop mitigation strategies for carbon-neutral agriculture. His research bridges fundamental mechanisms and large-scale modelling to support global food security and environmental sustainability. Here is the link to his ORCID page: Longlong Xia (0000-0003-4026-4265) - ORCID

Prof. Yi Cheng Ph.D. primarily focuses on soil nitrogen cycling and its environmental effects. His work spans multiple scales, from examining fine-scale microbial nitrogen transformations and their fates in soils to studying global-scale nitrogen cycles in response to various global change factors.  Here is the link to his ORCID page: Yi Cheng (0000-0002-0559-1319) - ORCID

Disclosure statement: All Guest Advisors declare no conflict of interest.

All manuscripts submitted to this Article Collection will undergo desk assessment and peer-review as part of our standard editorial process; the Guest Advisor for this Collection will not be handling the manuscripts (unless they are an Editorial Board member).

Please review the journal scope  and author submission instructions  prior to submitting a manuscript.

The deadline for submitting manuscripts is March 31st, 2026.

Please contact Ruby Ru at ruby.ru@taylorandfrancis.com  with any queries and discount codes regarding this Article Collection.

To submit your papers to this Article Collection, please:

1. Check "yes" for the question, "Are you submitting your paper for a specific special issue or article collection?"
2. Select the relevant Article Collection from the drop-down menu under the question, "Special Issue or Article Collection Name."