Optimizing crop rotation increases soil carbon and reduces GHG emissions without sacrificing yields

Yang, Yadong; Ti, Jinsong; Zou, Jun; Wu, Yao; Rees, Robert M.; Harrison, Matthew T.; Li, Wenxin; Huang, Wenhai; Hu, Suya; Liu, Ke; Wen, Xinya; Chen, Fu; Yin, Xiaohong

doi:10.1016/j.agee.2022.108220

Cited by 19 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 71 publications

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“…It may also explain the effect of soil physicochemical properties on potential N 2 O production. Several field experiments have been reported that the increase in crop rotation diversity can decrease soil greenhouse gas emissions without sacrificing yields in the NCP [ 64 , 65 ], although we found a reduction in nitrification and denitrification genes at the seedling stage of maize. More samples from different periods are required to reveal the change of functional gene in soil profile.…”

Section: Discussioncontrasting

confidence: 67%

Winter Green Manure Decreases Subsoil Nitrate Accumulation and Increases N Use Efficiencies of Maize Production in North China Plain

Zhao

Zhang

et al. 2023

Plants

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Planting a deep-rooted green manure (GM) (more than 1.0 m depth) greatly improves soil fertility and reduces the loss of nutrients. However, few studies have examined the response of soil nitrogen (N) distribution in the soil profile and subsoil N recovery to the long-term planting and incorporation of deep-rooted GM. Based on a 12-year (2009–2021) experiment of spring maize-winter GMs rotation in the North China Plain (NCP), this study investigated the effects of different GMs that were planted over the winter, including ryegrass (RrG, Lolium L.) (>1.0 m), Orychophragmus violaceus (OrV, Orychophragmus violaceus L.) (>0.8 m), and hairy vetch (VvR, Vicia villosa Roth.) (>1.0 m), on the spring maize yield, N distribution in the deep soil profile, N use efficiencies, functional gene abundances involving soil nitrification–denitrification processes and N2O production. Compared with the winter fallow, the maize yield significantly increased by 11.6% after 10 years of green manuring, and water storage in 0–200 cm soil profile significantly increased by 5.0–17.1% at maize seedling stage. The total N content in the soil layer at 0–90 cm increased by 15.8–19.7%, while the nitrate content in the deep soil layer (80–120 cm) decreased by 17.8–39.6%. Planting GM significantly increased the N recovery rate (10.4–32.7%) and fertilizer N partial productivity (4.6–13.3%). Additionally, the topsoil N functional genes (ammonia-oxidizing archaea amoA, ammonia-oxidizing bacterial amoA, nirS, nirK) significantly decreased without increasing N2O production potential. These results indicated that long-term planting of the deep-rooted GM effectively reduce the accumulation of nitrates in the deep soil and improve the crop yield and N use efficiencies, demonstrating a great value in green manuring to improve the fertility of the soil, increase the crop yield, and reduce the risk of N loss in NCP.

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Section: Discussioncontrasting

confidence: 67%

Winter Green Manure Decreases Subsoil Nitrate Accumulation and Increases N Use Efficiencies of Maize Production in North China Plain

Zhao

Zhang

et al. 2023

Plants

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“…Other studies have demonstrated the positive influence of diversified rotations on soil health. Maize yields and SOC content in diversified rotations were more resilient than those found in monoculture 56 , potentially increasing adaptability to climate change 57 . Diversified agroecosystems are considered an economically viable alternative to business-as-usual maize–soybean rotations in the Midwest US 58 , with cover crops, perennials, and small grain cereals enhancing soil health by 32–49% and crop productivity by 16–29% 59 .…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Diversifying crop rotation increases food production, reduces net greenhouse gas emissions and improves soil health

Yang,

Xiong,

et al. 2024

Nat Commun

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Global food production faces challenges in balancing the need for increased yields with environmental sustainability. This study presents a six-year field experiment in the North China Plain, demonstrating the benefits of diversifying traditional cereal monoculture (wheat–maize) with cash crops (sweet potato) and legumes (peanut and soybean). The diversified rotations increase equivalent yield by up to 38%, reduce N2O emissions by 39%, and improve the system’s greenhouse gas balance by 88%. Furthermore, including legumes in crop rotations stimulates soil microbial activities, increases soil organic carbon stocks by 8%, and enhances soil health (indexed with the selected soil physiochemical and biological properties) by 45%. The large-scale adoption of diversified cropping systems in the North China Plain could increase cereal production by 32% when wheat–maize follows alternative crops in rotation and farmer income by 20% while benefiting the environment. This study provides an example of sustainable food production practices, emphasizing the significance of crop diversification for long-term agricultural resilience and soil health.

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“…Agricultural management activities dominated by cropping systems at certain scales have significant influences on organic C [3,8]. Conservation tillage practices, such as no-till, mulching, and diversified crop rotation, reduce C emissions and increase C inputs on farmland [9,10].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Research shows that the yield of grain crops such as wheat and maize increases with an increase in SOC content in the root system [23]. Theoretically, wheat-maize crop rotation can both maintain perennial soil cover and increase soil C input by returning crop straw to the field in both seasons, thus enhancing soil C sequestration significantly [10]. However, a study showed that the SOC content is higher in rice monocrops than in rice-wheat rotations [3].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Whether Wheat–Maize Rotation Influenced Soil Organic Carbon Content in Sushui River Basin

Jing,

Bi,

Sun

et al. 2024

Land

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Enhancing soil organic carbon (SOC) content in farmland is crucial for soil quality maintenance and food security. However, the relationship between crop rotation and SOC sequestration remains unclear. We used sample data on SOC, collected in September of every year, from cultivated land for quality monitoring from 2017 to 2021, combined with spatially extracted planting system information, and focused on the effects of wheat–maize crop rotation on SOC in the Sushui River Basin. An analysis of variance (ANOVA) indicated that the SOC content was only significantly different between wheat monoculture and maize monoculture. Among the three cropping systems, wheat–maize rotation did not show absolute superiority. The Geodetector analysis showed that the planting system dominated the spatial distribution of soil organic carbon (p = 0.05), but its explanatory factor was only 5%, and the explanatory power was significantly improved after interaction with other factors. Geographically weighted regression showed that wheat–maize rotation had a trade-off effect with elevation and synergistic effects with rainfall and pH. It displayed a synergistic effect with temperature in the southwest and a trade-off effect in the northeast. The degrees of trade-offs and synergy varied spatially among all interacting factors. We focused on the spatial heterogeneity of soil organic carbon in a small watershed, and the results had scientific significance for the layout of planting systems according to local conditions and the improvement in soil organic carbon levels.

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Optimizing crop rotation increases soil carbon and reduces GHG emissions without sacrificing yields

Cited by 19 publications

References 71 publications

Winter Green Manure Decreases Subsoil Nitrate Accumulation and Increases N Use Efficiencies of Maize Production in North China Plain

Winter Green Manure Decreases Subsoil Nitrate Accumulation and Increases N Use Efficiencies of Maize Production in North China Plain

Diversifying crop rotation increases food production, reduces net greenhouse gas emissions and improves soil health

Whether Wheat–Maize Rotation Influenced Soil Organic Carbon Content in Sushui River Basin

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