Diversifying cropping systems enhances productivity, stability,and nitrogen use efficiency

St. Luce, Mervin; Lemke, Reynald; Gan, Yantai; McConkey, Brian; May, William; Campbell, Con; Zentner, Robert; Wang, Hong; Kroebel, Roland; Fernandez, Myriam; Brandt, Kelsey

Diversifying cropping systems enhances productivity, stability,and nitrogen use efficiency

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dc.contributor.author: St. Luce, Mervin; Lemke, Reynald; Gan, Yantai; McConkey, Brian; May, William; Campbell, Con; Zentner, Robert; Wang, Hong; Kroebel, Roland; Fernandez, Myriam; Brandt, Kelsey
dc.date.accessioned: 2023-04-13T17:16:14Z
dc.date.available: 2023-04-13T17:16:14Z
dc.date.issued: 2020-03-16
dc.description.abstract - en: Long-term field experiments are useful for determining cropping system productivity, stability, and resource use efficiency. With 12 yr (2004–2015) of data from five cropping systems on a long-term experiment (> 30 yr) under semiarid conditions in Saskatchewan, Canada, a systems-approach was used to compare grain and protein yield, stability, nitrogen (N) dynamics, N fertilizer (FUEG,P), and available N use efficiency (NUEG,P) for grain and protein. Annualized grain and protein yields for wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)-canola (Brassica napus L.)-wheat-field pea (Pisum sativum L.; W-C-W-P) were 2244 and 372 kg ha−1, respectively, 14 to 38% and 33 to 66% higher, respectively, than continuous wheat (ContW), summer fallow-wheat-wheat-wheat (F-W-W-W), F-W-W, and lentil (Lens culinaris Medik) green manure-wheat-wheat (GM-W-W). Fallow systems were the most stable, but less productive and well-adapted to low-yielding conditions, while GM-W-W was the least stable and poorly adapted. The ContW had below-average stability and was better suited to high-yielding conditions for grain. The W-C-W-P consistently produced above-average yields, and was best suited for high-yielding conditions for grain and protein. The ContW and W-C-W-P had the highest NUEG (26.4 g kg−1) and NUEP (4.1 g kg−1), respectively, with GM-W-W having the lowest (18.1 and 2.7 g kg−1); FUE was the reverse of NUE. This long-term study showed that diversified cropping systems that include pulses can more consistently produce higher grain and protein yields, regardless of growing conditions, than most other systems with lower N fertilizer inputs, thereby potentially reducing the negative environmental consequences associated with N fertilizer application.
dc.identifier.citation: St. Luce, M., Lemke, R., Gan, Y., McConkey, B., May, W., Campbell, C., Zentner, R., Wang, H., Kroebel, R., Fernandez, M., &; Brandt, K. (2020). Diversifying cropping systems enhances productivity, stability, and nitrogen use efficiency. Agronomy Journal, 112(3), 1517–1536. https://doi.org/10.1002/agj2.20162
dc.identifier.doi: https://doi.org/10.1002/agj2.20162
dc.identifier.issn: 1435-0645
dc.identifier.uri: https://open-science.canada.ca/handle/123456789/148
dc.language.iso: en
dc.publisher: Wiley
dc.rights.openaccesslevel - en: Gold
dc.rights.openaccesslevel - fr: Or
dc.subject - en: Agriculture
dc.subject - fr: Agriculture
dc.subject.en - en: Agriculture
dc.subject.fr - fr: Agriculture
dc.title - en: Diversifying cropping systems enhances productivity, stability,and nitrogen use efficiency
dc.title.fosrctranslation - fr: Diversifying cropping systems enhances productivity, stability,and nitrogen use efficiency
dc.type - en: Article
dc.type - fr: Article
local.article.journalissue: 3
local.article.journaltitle: Agronomy Journal
local.article.journalvolume: 112
local.article.pagination: 1517-1536
local.peerreview - en: Yes
local.peerreview - fr: Oui