Abstract
Contemporary crop production faces dual challenges of increasing crop yield while simultaneously reducing greenhouse gas emission. An integrated evaluation of the mitigation potential of yield-scaled nitrous oxide (N2O) emission by adjusting cropping practices can benefit the innovation of climate smart cropping. This study conducted a meta-analysis to assess the impact of cropping systems and soil management practices on area- and yield-scaled N2O emissions during wheat and maize growing seasons in China. Results showed that the yield-scaled N2O emissions of winter wheat-upland crops rotation and single spring maize systems were respectively 64.6% and 40.2% lower than that of winter wheat-rice and summer maize-upland crops rotation systems. Compared to conventional N fertilizer, application of nitrification inhibitors and controlled-release fertilizers significantly decreased yield-scaled N2O emission by 41.7% and 22.0%, respectively. Crop straw returning showed no significant impacts on area- and yield-scaled N2O emissions. The effect of manure on yield-scaled N2O emission highly depended on its application mode. No tillage significantly increased the yield-scaled N2O emission as compared to conventional tillage. The above findings demonstrate that there is great potential to increase wheat and maize yields with lower N2O emissions through innovative cropping technique in China.
Highlights
Nitrous oxide (N2O) is a long-lasting greenhouse gas that significantly contributes to stratospheric ozone depletion and global warming
The mean annual temperature and precipitation were higher for wheat-rice rotation (W-R) (16–24 ◦C, 1000–2000 mm) compared to wheat-upland crops rotation (W-U) (9–15 ◦C, 520–980 mm) [34], A relatively higher temperature and precipitation might have increased the N2O emission during the wheat season of W-R [35]
Ecological intensification of agronomic practices plays an important role in the sustainable development of future crop production
Summary
Nitrous oxide (N2O) is a long-lasting greenhouse gas that significantly contributes to stratospheric ozone depletion and global warming. Reducing the N2O emission from soil is urgent in contemporary crop production for the mitigation of global warming. Global crop production is facing a great challenge of growing by 70~100% by 2050 to meet an expected 34% increase in world population [3,4]. Meeting this goal will result in increased pressure to use more N fertilizer, thereby potentially increasing N2O emission [5,6,7]. Maize (Zea mays L.) and wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) account for the largest and second largest global consumption of all fertilizer N in major cereal crops [8]. It is necessary and urgent to study how to increase maize and wheat yields with lower N2O emissions in the future
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