Effects of Conservation Agriculture on Soil N2O Emissions and Crop Yield in Global Cereal Cropping Systems

Yuhao Zhu; Ziyang Li; Dan Zhao; Bowen Zhang; Bo Zhu; Zhisheng Yao; Ralf Kiese; Klaus Butterbach-Bahl; Minghua Zhou

doi:10.1111/gcb.70048

Effects of Conservation Agriculture on Soil N₂O Emissions and Crop Yield in Global Cereal Cropping Systems

Yuhao Zhu, Ziyang Li, Dan Zhao, Bowen Zhang, Bo Zhu, Zhisheng Yao, Ralf Kiese, Klaus Butterbach-Bahl, Minghua Zhou^*

^*Corresponding author af dette arbejde

Institut for Agroøkologi - Center for Landscape Research in Sustainable Agricultural Futures - Land-CRAFT

Publikation: Bidrag til tidsskrift/Konferencebidrag i tidsskrift /Bidrag til avis › Tidsskriftartikel › Forskning › peer review

Abstract

Conservation agriculture, which involves minimal soil disturbance, permanent soil cover, and crop rotation, has been widely adopted as a sustainable agricultural practice globally. However, the effects of conservation agriculture practices on soil N₂O emissions and crop yield vary based on geography, management methods, and the duration of implementation, which has hindered its widespread scientific application. In this study, we assessed the impacts of no-tillage (NT), both individually and in combination with other conservation agriculture principles, on soil N₂O emissions and crop yields worldwide, based on 1270 observations from 86 peer-reviewed articles. Our results showed that conservation agriculture practices significantly increased crop yield by 9.1% while significantly reducing soil N₂O emissions by 6.8% compared to conventional tillage (CT). These mitigation effects were even greater when NT was combined with other conservation agriculture principles, such as crop residue retention and crop rotation, leading to reductions in N₂O emissions of over 15% and yield increases of more than 30%. Additionally, conservation agriculture was more effective at mitigating soil N₂O emissions in dry climates compared to humid regions. Long-term adoption of conservation agriculture practices was found to reduce soil N₂O emissions by up to 26% without compromising crop yields. Smallholder farm in Central Asia, South Asia, and sub-Saharan Africa appear particularly suitable for the adoption of conservation agriculture, whereas, in humid climates, high nitrogen (N) input management and silt-clay loam soil should be applied with caution. Overall, conservation agriculture holds significant potential for mitigating soil N₂O emissions while enhancing grain yields in cereal cropping systems.

Originalsprog	Engelsk
Artikelnummer	e70048
Tidsskrift	Global change biology
Vol/bind	31
Nummer	1
ISSN	1354-1013
DOI	https://doi.org/10.1111/gcb.70048
Status	Udgivet - jan. 2025

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10.1111/gcb.70048

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title = "Effects of Conservation Agriculture on Soil N2O Emissions and Crop Yield in Global Cereal Cropping Systems",

abstract = "Conservation agriculture, which involves minimal soil disturbance, permanent soil cover, and crop rotation, has been widely adopted as a sustainable agricultural practice globally. However, the effects of conservation agriculture practices on soil N2O emissions and crop yield vary based on geography, management methods, and the duration of implementation, which has hindered its widespread scientific application. In this study, we assessed the impacts of no-tillage (NT), both individually and in combination with other conservation agriculture principles, on soil N2O emissions and crop yields worldwide, based on 1270 observations from 86 peer-reviewed articles. Our results showed that conservation agriculture practices significantly increased crop yield by 9.1% while significantly reducing soil N2O emissions by 6.8% compared to conventional tillage (CT). These mitigation effects were even greater when NT was combined with other conservation agriculture principles, such as crop residue retention and crop rotation, leading to reductions in N2O emissions of over 15% and yield increases of more than 30%. Additionally, conservation agriculture was more effective at mitigating soil N2O emissions in dry climates compared to humid regions. Long-term adoption of conservation agriculture practices was found to reduce soil N2O emissions by up to 26% without compromising crop yields. Smallholder farm in Central Asia, South Asia, and sub-Saharan Africa appear particularly suitable for the adoption of conservation agriculture, whereas, in humid climates, high nitrogen (N) input management and silt-clay loam soil should be applied with caution. Overall, conservation agriculture holds significant potential for mitigating soil N2O emissions while enhancing grain yields in cereal cropping systems.",

keywords = "climate condition, conservation agriculture, crop yield, nitrous oxide, no-tillage",

author = "Yuhao Zhu and Ziyang Li and Dan Zhao and Bowen Zhang and Bo Zhu and Zhisheng Yao and Ralf Kiese and Klaus Butterbach-Bahl and Minghua Zhou",

year = "2025",

month = jan,

doi = "10.1111/gcb.70048",

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journal = "Global change biology",

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AU - Zhu, Yuhao

AU - Li, Ziyang

AU - Zhao, Dan

AU - Zhang, Bowen

AU - Zhu, Bo

AU - Yao, Zhisheng

AU - Kiese, Ralf

AU - Butterbach-Bahl, Klaus

AU - Zhou, Minghua

PY - 2025/1

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N2 - Conservation agriculture, which involves minimal soil disturbance, permanent soil cover, and crop rotation, has been widely adopted as a sustainable agricultural practice globally. However, the effects of conservation agriculture practices on soil N2O emissions and crop yield vary based on geography, management methods, and the duration of implementation, which has hindered its widespread scientific application. In this study, we assessed the impacts of no-tillage (NT), both individually and in combination with other conservation agriculture principles, on soil N2O emissions and crop yields worldwide, based on 1270 observations from 86 peer-reviewed articles. Our results showed that conservation agriculture practices significantly increased crop yield by 9.1% while significantly reducing soil N2O emissions by 6.8% compared to conventional tillage (CT). These mitigation effects were even greater when NT was combined with other conservation agriculture principles, such as crop residue retention and crop rotation, leading to reductions in N2O emissions of over 15% and yield increases of more than 30%. Additionally, conservation agriculture was more effective at mitigating soil N2O emissions in dry climates compared to humid regions. Long-term adoption of conservation agriculture practices was found to reduce soil N2O emissions by up to 26% without compromising crop yields. Smallholder farm in Central Asia, South Asia, and sub-Saharan Africa appear particularly suitable for the adoption of conservation agriculture, whereas, in humid climates, high nitrogen (N) input management and silt-clay loam soil should be applied with caution. Overall, conservation agriculture holds significant potential for mitigating soil N2O emissions while enhancing grain yields in cereal cropping systems.

AB - Conservation agriculture, which involves minimal soil disturbance, permanent soil cover, and crop rotation, has been widely adopted as a sustainable agricultural practice globally. However, the effects of conservation agriculture practices on soil N2O emissions and crop yield vary based on geography, management methods, and the duration of implementation, which has hindered its widespread scientific application. In this study, we assessed the impacts of no-tillage (NT), both individually and in combination with other conservation agriculture principles, on soil N2O emissions and crop yields worldwide, based on 1270 observations from 86 peer-reviewed articles. Our results showed that conservation agriculture practices significantly increased crop yield by 9.1% while significantly reducing soil N2O emissions by 6.8% compared to conventional tillage (CT). These mitigation effects were even greater when NT was combined with other conservation agriculture principles, such as crop residue retention and crop rotation, leading to reductions in N2O emissions of over 15% and yield increases of more than 30%. Additionally, conservation agriculture was more effective at mitigating soil N2O emissions in dry climates compared to humid regions. Long-term adoption of conservation agriculture practices was found to reduce soil N2O emissions by up to 26% without compromising crop yields. Smallholder farm in Central Asia, South Asia, and sub-Saharan Africa appear particularly suitable for the adoption of conservation agriculture, whereas, in humid climates, high nitrogen (N) input management and silt-clay loam soil should be applied with caution. Overall, conservation agriculture holds significant potential for mitigating soil N2O emissions while enhancing grain yields in cereal cropping systems.

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