Preface

The International Conference on the Impacts of Soil Amendments on Dryland Agro-Ecosystems Drylands, covering 41% of the Earth’s land surface, play a crucial role in global food production. However, they face significant challenges, such as soil degradation and water scarcity, issues that are further exacerbated by the effects of climate change. Healthy soils in these regions are essential for maintaining ecosystem services, such as agricultural production, and water and nutrient cycles regulation. Soil amendments can be an effective solution to enhance the sustainability of dryland agro-ecosystems by enriching the soil and improve its production potential. However, amendments vary in terms of origin, composition, application practices, and frequency, and their effects are not always easily measurable. From October 28 to 30, 2024, over one hundred researchers from 33 different countries attended the International Conference on the Impacts of Soil Amendments on Dryland Agro-Ecosystems (ISADAE 2024) held by the University of Reims Champagne-Ardenne, France. This scientific event provided a unique platform for researchers, PhD students, and policymakers to exchange research results and experiences and assess current approaches on soil amendment production and application, but also to promote international cooperation for sustainable soil management in dryland agro-ecosystems. Over the course of these three days of intense scientific exchanges, six internationally renowned keynote speakers presented their most up-to-date research activities as an introduction to the conference topics that included soil degradation, conservation strategies, crop productivity optimization, hydrological processes and water management, and the link between soil biological processes and carbon/nutrient cycling. List of Conference Committees are available in this Pdf.