Field Crops Research ( IF 5.8 ) Pub Date : 2023-04-17 , DOI: 10.1016/j.fcr.2023.108928 Shuo Li, Shujuan Wang, Jianglan Shi, Xiaohong Tian, Xinxin Ye
Context
Ridge-furrow with plastic film mulching (RPM) has been promoted to improve water use efficiency and crop productivity. However, limited information exists regarding the effects of substituting adding irrigation (AI) with the RPM on economic benefit, carbon footprint (CF) and the sustainability of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) production, especially under optimizing nitrogen (N) fertilization on the Loess Plateau of China.
Objectives
An eight-year field experiment was conducted to evaluate the economic feasibility, soil organic carbon (SOC) sequestration and the CF for wheat production under shifting the adding irrigation with a higher N application rate to the water–efficient field management strategies with a lower N application rate, and to assess the sustainability of wheat production under different N application rates and planting patterns.
Methods
A factorial experiment was arranged in a split-plot design with four replications. The main plots were two N levels (i.e., 120 and 240 kg N ha−1), while four planting patterns [i.e., conventional rainfed flat planting (CRF), AI, RPM, and straw mulching (SM)] were assigned to subplots. After measurement of plant-derived biomass and SOC analysis, we evaluated wheat grain yields and economic performance, and calculated SOC sequestration rate (Cseq rate) and the CF during the eight-year experiment periods. Finally, considering the aspects of crop yields, economic benefit, SOC concentration, and GHG emissions, the integrated sustainable evaluation index (SEI) of each field management strategy was calculated.
Results
Reducing the N application rate significantly decreased grain yields (4.3%), Cseq rate (31.6%), the intensity of CO2-eq emissions produced per unit of grain yields (CFGY, 26.6%) and per unit of economic profit (CFEP, 26.4%), while had no significant effect on economic profit and SEI. Compared with the CRF, the RPM significantly enhanced grain yields (11.2%) and Cseq rate (48.1%), and SEI (10.6%), while exerting no significant effect on economic profit, CFGY and CFEP. The RPM significantly reduced grain yields (7.2%), CFGY (13.9%) and CFEP (26.7%), but increased the SEI (8.5%) relative to the AI. The SEI value was also enhanced by 7.2% under RPM than that under SM.
Conclusions
The integrated strategies of plastic film mulching in combination with a low N application rate might enhance grain yields, economic profit, and soil C sequestration, ultimately achieving sustained wheat production in the studied region.
Implications
The integrated strategies of plastic film mulching in combination with a low N application rate represented an economically and C-friendly optimal field management practice for wheat production on the Loess Plateau of China or other regions with similar environmental conditions in the world.