South African Journal of Plant and Soil

Conservation Agriculture as a Soil-Plant Adaptable System in African Production

Conservation Agriculture (CA), founded on the interlinked principles of minimum soil disturbance, permanent organic soil cover, and crop diversification, has evolved beyond a soil conservation strategy into a systems-based framework for resilient and climate-smart crop production. Across Africa’s highly variable agro-ecological zones, CA must function as an adaptive soil-plant system capable of sustaining productivity, buffering climatic extremes, enhancing soil functionality, and maintaining long-term economic viability.

This special issue seeks to advance mechanistic and systems-level understanding of CA within African production contexts. Contributions should interrogate CA not merely as a set of practices, but as a dynamic soil-plant-management continuum that shapes biophysical processes, crop performance, and system stability over time.

We particularly encourage submissions that integrate agronomic, soil science, ecological, and physiological perspectives and critically evaluate the benefits and trade-offs inherent in CA systems under variable climates.

Topics of interest for this special issue include, but are not limited to:

• Productivity, stability, and trade-offs in CA systems.
• Crop physiological responses to altered soil physical and biological conditions.
• Herbicide resistance and weed growth evolution in CA-dominated landscapes.
• Soil carbon and fertility dynamics in variable climates.
• Mulches, residues, and permanent beds as soil modifiers.

Original research articles, reviews, and short communications are welcome that present original data and conceptual frameworks.

Submission guidelines:

• All manuscripts undergo full peer review per SAJPS standards.

Please indicate “Special Issue: Conservation Agriculture" in both the cover letter and manuscript title page at submission.