Title: Soil Management for Sustainable Agriculture
Abstract: The soil sustains most living organisms, being the ultimate source of their mineral nutrients.Good management of soils ensures that mineral elements do not become deficient or toxic to plants, and that appropriate mineral elements enter the food chain.Soil management is important, both directly and indirectly, to crop productivity, environmental sustainability, and human health.Because of the projected increase in world population and the consequent necessity for the intensification of food production, the management of soils will become increasingly important in the coming years.To achieve future food security, the management of soils in a sustainable manner will be the challenge, through proper nutrient management and appropriate soil conservation practices.Research will be required to avoid further degradation of soils, through erosion or contamination, and to produce sufficient safe and nutritious food for healthy diets.The aim of this special issue is to present current research to assure food security whilst preserving natural resources.It comprises 16 papers arising from the Soil Management for Sustainable Agro-Food Systems Session at the European Geosciences Union General Assembly in April 2011.These range from reviews of the effects of different soil management practices on the sustainability of agricultural systems to papers reporting the influence of specific organic and inorganic amendments on the productivity and quality of particular crops.The Special issue begins with an overview by P. J. White et al. of the role of plant mineral nutrition in food production, the delivery of essential mineral elements to the human diet, and the prevention of harmful mineral elements entering the food chain.The authors describe our progress towards global