Abstract
Diversifying the summer fallow (F)-winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) (W) cropping system by replacing summer fallow with forage crops could increase forage yield and precipitation use efficiency in the Loess Plateau region of China. However, its influence on protein productivity is unclear and it is unknown whether improvement in protein productivity will increase soil water extraction and economic input. A three-year (2011–2013) field experiment was conducted to investigate the rotational effect on system productivity, economic benefit, and sustainability when summer fallow was replaced with forage rape (Brassica napus L.) (R) and common vetch (Vicia sativa L.) (V). Results showed that the rotation system with forage crops did not alter soil water storage of subsequent winter wheat. Compared with the FWFW rotation system, the rotation system with forage crops improved precipitation use efficiency of crude protein yield (PUECP) and system water use efficiency of crude protein yield (WUECP) by 20 and 28% respectively. The greatest crude protein productivity (CPyield) was achieved with the RWRW rotation system, followed by the FWRW and RWVW systems, and CPyield with these systems was 51, 21, and 36% greater than that with the FWFW system, respectively (P < 0.05). In contrast, net income in the FWFW rotation system had the greatest value (U.S. $2,005 ha−1), 27, 20, 34, and 29% greater than that in the FWVW, RWVW, FWRW, and RWRW systems, respectively (P < 0.05). Consequently, the alternate rotation system of FWFW and RWRW is recommended for local farmers when considering both profitability and sustainability.
Original language | English (US) |
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Article number | 105980 |
Journal | Agricultural Water Management |
Volume | 230 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Mar 1 2020 |
Bibliographical note
Funding Information:The research was financed by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant NO. 31872416 ), the Program for Changjiang Scholars and Innovative Research Team in University (Grant NO. IRT17R50 ), the Program for Gansu Provincial Agriculture and Animal Husbandry Department-pattern and Key Technology Research Program on crop-annual forage rotation systems on the Longdong Loess Plateau (Grant NO. 160230 ), the Key Science and Technology Project of the Ministry of Education (Grant NO. 313028 ), and improving high level capacity through collaboration with American-Oceanian countries, CSC (Grant NO. 2018 ). The authors are grateful to Yuanbo Liu for his help with field data collection.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2019 Elsevier B.V.
Keywords
- Annual forage
- Farming systems
- Net income
- Rainfed
- Summer fallow
- Water use
- Yield