Call for Papers: Emerging Crop Diversification Strategies for Improving Land Productivity, Food Security and Dryland Agriculture


Land Degradation & Development, Wiley

Submission deadline: Tuesday, 31 March, 2024

Ensuring the food and nutritional demand of a growing population is one of the major sustainability challenges of this twenty-first century as the latest body of evidence indicates that the resilience of agricultural systems, especially the dryland production systems are being adversely affected by changing environmental conditions, including climate change, pollution and over-exploitation of resources. The recent food and nutrition security status shows an upward trajectory of malnutrition across the world as >2 billion people did not have access to affordable and nutritious food even after the completion of the first phase of the UN-Sustainable Development Goals. The COVID-19 pandemic has further exacerbated the situation, with a grave consequence on marginalized and vulnerable people. On other hand, more than 50% of the global agricultural lands are being degraded due to multiple drivers of changes. Therefore, exploring new models of sustainable cropping patterns is critical for maintaining the fertility of agricultural land systems including drylands while preventing malnutrition and also for facilitating the transition towards a planetary healthy food production .

In this context, we are editing a Special Issue in Land Degradation & Development titled “Emerging Crop Diversification Strategies for Improving Land Productivity, Food Security, and Dryland Agriculture” to showcase the emerging crop-diversification patterns across the globe for increasing land productivity, agrobiodiversity, and food and nutrition security, while reducing ecological footprints.


Topics for this call for papers include but not restricted to:


Guest Editors:

Call for Papers: Microplastics Pollution in the Soil Ecosystem: Impact, Challenges for Restoration and Remediation Strategies


Land Degradation & Development, Wiley

Submission deadline: Sunday, 31 December 2023

Plastics were supposed to be boon for mankind during their initial decade of production, however, now they are perceived as a threat to the sustainability of the planet earth. The relatively inexpensive synthesis of plastic polymers, lighter weight, high flexibility, excellent electrical and thermal insulation properties, longevity and resistance to physical, chemical degradation and bio-inert nature made them highly desirable for industrial application and fulfilling various needs of humankind. Plastics have found application in various sectors including agriculture, automobile, building and construction, electrical and electronics, household, leisure and sport and packaging. Since 1950, around 8300 million metric tons (MMT) of plastic have been produced, generating approximately 6300 million metric tons of plastic waste >80% of these of which has reached to landfills or released into environment. The estimated value of plastic waste generated worldwide will reach to 12000 MMT by 2050. Once leaked in the environment large plastic pieces are broken down into smaller particles through fragmentation, weathering and other disintegration processes. Microplastic (plastic particles <5mm in size) are generated through disintegration of plastics disposed on land surfaces and lead to further pollution of soil and water ecosystems (including oceans). Microplastic are one of the most important emerging environmental pollutants. During the past decade marine and aquatic ecosystems have been the focus of microplastic pollution research. However, growing body of evidences suggest that microplastic pollution could be quite widespread in terrestrial ecosystem with consistent increase in microplastic concentration in soil due to its slower degradation. Microplastic pollution has been reported from various terrestrial ecosystem including agricultural fields, urban and industrialized areas and also from remote locations. According an estimate, there could be 4-23 times higher microplastic contamination on land than in the oceans and higher amount of microplastic could be stored in agricultural soils than the oceanic basins. While studies indicating the ubiquitous presence of microplastics in terrestrial environments are gradually accumulating, their potential effects on terrestrial ecosystems are not yet well known. In this backdrop we are organizing a Special Issue in Land Degradation & Development: Microplastics Pollution in the Soil Ecosystem: Impact, Challenges for Restoration and Remediation Strategies to report the current status of microplastics pollution in terrestrial ecosystems, understand the impact of microplastics on soil properties, functions, biology and biochemistry, develop innovative strategies for remediation and restoration of microplastics contaminated lands.


This Special Issue aims to publish original and innovative papers as well as reviews, meta-analyses, and opinion papers on the following topics:


Guest Editors: