Zero-Tillage Effects on Durum Wheat Productivity and Soil-Related Variables in Future Climate Scenarios: A Modeling Analysis

Àngela Puig-Sirera,Nadia Orefice,Marco Botta,Antonio Troccoli,Anna Tedeschi,Antonello Bonfante,Marco Acutis,Roberto De Mascellis,Alessia Perego,Marialaura Bancheri,Angelo Basile,Mario Russo

doi:10.3390/agronomy12020331

Abstract

Adoption of zero-tillage practices with residue retention in field crops has been introduced as an alternative soil-management technique to counteract the resource degradation and high production costs derived from intensive tillage. In this sense, the biophysical models are valuable tools to evaluate and design the most suitable soil-management technique in view of future climate variability. The aim of this study was to use the ARMOSA process-based crop model to perform an assessment of tillage (T) and no-tillage (No-T) practices of durum-wheat-cropping systems in the Campania region (South of Italy) under current and future climate scenarios. First, the model was calibrated using measurements of soil water content at different depths, leaf area index, and aboveground biomass in the T and No-T treatments during the 2013–2014 season. Then, the model was further applied in the T and No-T treatments to future climate data for 2020–2100 that was generated by the COSMO-CLM model using the RCP4.5 and 8.5 paths. Results of the calibration depicted that the model can accurately simulate the soil-crop-related variables of both soil-management treatments, and thus can be applied to identify the most appropriate conservation agricultural practices in the durum-wheat system. The simulation of soil water content at different depths resulted in small relative root mean square errors (RRMSE < 15%) and an acceptable Pearson’s correlation coefficient (r > 0.51); and the goodness-of-fit indicators for simulated LAI and AGB resulted in acceptable RRMSE (RRMSE < 28%), and high r (r > 0.84) in both soil-management treatments. Future climate simulations showed that No-T management will deliver 10% more wheat yield than the T, with an annual average 0.31% year−1 increase of soil organic carbon, and an increase of 3.80% year−1 for N uptake, which can diminish the N leaching. These results suggest that No-T could be implemented as a more resilient management for farming system in view of climate uncertainty and scarcity of resources. Therefore, these findings support the potential of the ARMOSA model to evaluate the soil-crop response of the durum-wheat system under different management conditions and to design appropriate soil-management practices for current and future climate predictions.

Highlights

IntroductionConservation agriculture (CA) is an aggregate of best management practices that is built on three linked principles: minimum soil disturbance (i.e., no-tillage; No-T), preservation of a permanent soil organic cover, and crop rotation and diversification [2]
The degradation of land and ecosystem services caused by intensive tillage agricultural practices has prompted an alternative farming paradigm known as conservation agriculture [1].Conservation agriculture (CA) is an aggregate of best management practices that is built on three linked principles: minimum soil disturbance, preservation of a permanent soil organic cover, and crop rotation and diversification [2]
The simulation of soil water content at different depths resulted in small relative root mean square errors (RRMSE < 15%) and an acceptable Pearson’s correlation coefficient (r > 0.51); and the goodness-of-fit indicators for simulated leaf area index (LAI) and aboveground biomass (AGB) resulted in acceptable RRMSE (RRMSE < 28%), and high r (r > 0.84) in both soil-management treatments

Summary

Introduction

Conservation agriculture (CA) is an aggregate of best management practices that is built on three linked principles: minimum soil disturbance (i.e., no-tillage; No-T), preservation of a permanent soil organic cover, and crop rotation and diversification [2]. These practices are meant to counteract soil degradation and enhance microbial biomass and water infiltration by minimum tillage. No-T practices reduce production costs by decreasing fuel consumption and greenhouse emissions [1,7] All these practices should sustain and increase crop productivity, and water and nutrient use efficiency, which would be translated into raising the farmer’s income. The overall outcomes demonstrated the need to design site-specific soil-management practices to translate their potential into environmental and economic benefits [7]

Objectives

Methods

Results

Discussion

Conclusion