Stagnating crop yields: An overlooked risk for the carbon balance of agricultural soils?

Wiesmeier, Martin; Hübner, Rico; Kögel‐Knabner, Ingrid

doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2015.07.064

Cited by 56 publications

(33 citation statements)

References 71 publications

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“…Pore water DOC concentrations are presented in Fig 4. We found that with the exception of SW-planted soils, DOC increased significantly in soil pore waters (Fig 4; Table S1) which may offer some concern for future reserves of carbon, as any processes that lead to a reduction of organic carbon in agricultural soils may be critical in terms of soil fertility, global food security and climate change (Wiesmeier et al, 2015). Copper concentrations were also significantly elevated in biochar-treated pore waters compared to controls (Fig S3; Table S1), probably due to mobilisation by DOC.…”

Section: Micronutrient Mobility and Dissolved Organic Carbonmentioning

confidence: 98%

Effects of three different biochars on aggregate stability, organic carbon mobility and micronutrient bioavailability

Hartley

Riby

Waterson

2016

Journal of Environmental Management

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Abstract. Previous studies have demonstrated both beneficial and detrimental effects on soil properties from biochar incorporation. Several biochars, with different feedstock origins, were evaluated for their effectiveness at improving soil quality of a sandy agricultural soil. A pot trial was used to investigate aggregate stability and microbial activity, pore water trace element mobility and micronutrient concentrations in grain of spring wheat after incorporation of three biochars. The feedstocks for biochar production were selected because they were established UK waste products, namely oversize woody material from green waste composting facilities, and rhododendron and soft wood material from forest clearance operations. Biochars were incorporated into the soil at a rate of 5% v/v. Aggregate stability was improved following addition of oversize biochar whilst microbial activity increased in all treatments. Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) concentrations in soil pore water from biochartreated soils were raised, whilst micronutrient concentrations in wheat grain grown in the treated soils were significantly reduced. It was concluded that incorporation of biochar to temperate agricultural soils requires caution as it may result in reductions of essential grain micronutrients required for human health, whilst the effect on aggregate stability may be linked to organic carbon functional groups on biochar surfaces and labile carbon released from the char into the soil system.

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Section: Micronutrient Mobility and Dissolved Organic Carbonmentioning

confidence: 98%

Effects of three different biochars on aggregate stability, organic carbon mobility and micronutrient bioavailability

Hartley

Riby

Waterson

2016

Journal of Environmental Management

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“…However, the growth rates of rice and wheat yields have become stagnated in some major production areas of China since 2000 (Wei et al 2015). The stagnation of crop yield has also documented in South Asia and Northern Europe (Timsina and Humphreys 2006;Wiesmeier et al 2015). The slowdown in crop productivity growth has raised concerns on the long-term sustainability of intensive rice and wheat production system.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Attribution of yield change for rice-wheat rotation system in China to climate change, cultivars and agronomic management in the past three decades

et al. 2015

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Using the detailed field experiment data from 1981 to 2009 at four representative agro-meteorological experiment stations in China, along with the Agricultural Production System Simulator (APSIM) rice-wheat model, we evaluated the impact of sowing/transplanting date on phenology and yield of rice-wheat rotation system (RWRS). We also disentangled the contributions of climate change, modern cultivars, sowing/ transplanting density and fertilization management, as well as changes in each climate variables, to yield change in RWRS, in the past three decades. We found that change in sowing/transplanting date did not significantly affect rice and wheat yield in RWRS, although alleviated the negative impact of climate change to some extent. From 1981 to 2009, climate change jointly caused rice and wheat yield change by −17.4 to 1.5 %, of which increase in temperature reduced yield by 0.0-5.8 % and decrease in solar radiation reduced it by 1.5-8.7 %. Cultivars renewal, modern sowing/transplanting density and fertilization management contributed to yield change by 14.4-27.2, −4.7-−0.1 and 2.3-22.2 %, respectively. Our findings highlight that modern cultivars and agronomic management compensated the negative impacts of climate change and played key roles in yield increase in the past three decades.

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“…Socio-economic, biophysical, and technological drivers affect soil management in terms of changing intensity (quantitative changes) and in five categories of qualitative changes. The pressures together affect soil processes, which in turn affect the interaction between the soil productivity function and the other soil functions Godfray and Robinson 2015;Foresight 2011;Tilman et al 2011;Valin et al 2014;Alexander et al 2015;Kastner et al 2012 Increasing demand for animal products per capita ↑ Gardi et al 2015;Smith et al 2016;Lambin et al 2013;Watson et al 2014;Alexandratos and Bruinsma 2012 No significant conversion of land to cropland → FAO 2013a; Hansen et al 2013;Foley et al 2011;Garnett et al 2013;FAO and ITPS 2015;Ray et al 2013;Laurance et al 2014 Converting land to cropland ↓ Alexandratos and Bruinsma 2012 Technology: Wiesmeier et al 2015;Ray et al 2012 Closing yield gaps (and reallocating production) ↓ Alexander et al 2015;Kastner et al 2012;Foley et al 2011;Mauser et al 2015 Overall globally ↑ to ↗ Germany Factor costs:…”

Section: Quantitative Changes In Pressures On Soil Functionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Europe on the whole, and Germany in particular, have very low yield gaps (van Grinsven et al 2015), and thus, very low potential biomass production increases (Mauser et al 2015: 4) compared to many other world regions. Because of the low yield gap and the yield stagnation in Central and Northern European countries (Wiesmeier et al 2015), marginal utilities of additional inputs are much lower than in other areas of the world, so the economic incentives to intensify are low. Price relations between inputs and outputs are expected to decrease between 2015 and 2025 in the EU despite increased demand for agricultural products due to higher resource prices (European Commission 2015b).…”

Section: Quantitative Changes In Pressures On Soil Functionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Pressures on soil functions from soil management in Germany. A foresight review

Techen

Helming

2017

Agron. Sustain. Dev.

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Global trends in demand for biomass-based food, feed, energy, and fiber call for a sustainable intensification of agricultural production. From the perspective of sustaining soil functions, this implies the integration of soil productivity with the other soil functions and services, namely carbon sequestration, water purification and retention, and nutrient and matter cycling as well as biodiversity. Soil management is the key to this integration. The proper anticipation of future opportunities and challenges for sustainable soil management requires an analysis of drivers and trends affecting soil management. Here, we review drivers and trends of soil management and their relevance for soil functions taking Germany as an example of industrialized agricultural systems with low yield gaps. We analyzed socio-economic, biophysical and technological drivers and identified two types of future management changes: (1) Quantitative changes, i.e., more or less of the same input factors, such as fertilizers, as part of a moderate intensification. (2) Qualitative changes: There, we found the strongest signals for the following practices: higher precision and lightweight machines triggered by information and communication technology (ICT) and robotics; diversification of crop rotations, including the integration of lignocellulosic crops; inoculation with biota; and new crop varieties. Positive practices may be reinforced by a behavioral trend towards sustainable soil management, driven by increasing awareness, knowledge, and consumer demand. They offer opportunities for relieving mechanical pressures from weight and contact stress, chemical pressures from pesticides and fertilizers and promoting soil biodiversity without compromising the soil's production function. We also found threats, such as increased removal of organic residues and potentially harmful organisms. This foresight study is the first to delineate opportunities and challenges for sustainable soil management and intensification. It informs researchers who intend to improve the knowledge base for reinforcement of positive and mitigation of negative trends of soil management.

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Stagnating crop yields: An overlooked risk for the carbon balance of agricultural soils?

Cited by 56 publications

References 71 publications

Effects of three different biochars on aggregate stability, organic carbon mobility and micronutrient bioavailability

Effects of three different biochars on aggregate stability, organic carbon mobility and micronutrient bioavailability

Attribution of yield change for rice-wheat rotation system in China to climate change, cultivars and agronomic management in the past three decades

Pressures on soil functions from soil management in Germany. A foresight review

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