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Background and aims <p>Legume covercrops can partially offset synthetic N inputs by returning N-rich residues to soil for wheat production in arid regions. However, the outcomes of reducing N fertilizer remain underexplored across agronomic, nutritional, economic, and environmental dimensions.</p> Methods <p>This study was conducted from 2022 to 2024 in arid northwest China to evaluate the effects of rotating a mixed-legume cover crop (hairy vetch: common vetch = 1:5) with two consecutive spring wheat (<i>Triticum aestivum</i> L.) under six N management strategies: conventional spring wheat without cover crops receiving 225&#xa0;kg N ha<sup>−1</sup> (TN100), and spring wheat after cover crop incorporation receiving 100% (CN100), 85% (CN85), 70% (CN70), 55% (CN55), and 0% (CN0) of the conventional N rate.</p> Results <p>Across the two wheat seasons, CN85 maintained grain yield and economic benefit comparable to TN100 (7,895 vs 7,451&#xa0;kg&#xa0;ha<sup>–1</sup>; 10,309 vs 11,045 CNY ha<sup>−1</sup>) and did not compromise grain quality, with 5.7% higher protein and similar wet gluten (~ 32%) and sodium dodecyl sulfate sedimentation (~ 17&#xa0;mL). Total non-CO<sub>2</sub> greenhouse gas emissions during spring wheat growing season (soil N<sub>2</sub>O and CH<sub>4</sub> plus upstream emissions from agricultural inputs) were 9% and 17% lower under CN85 and CN70, respectively, compared to TN100. The CN100, CN85 and CN70 maintained water use efficiency (~ 1.7&#xa0;kg&#xa0;m<sup>−3</sup>) comparable to TN100, while CN85 and CN70 improved fertilizer-based N-use efficiencies by 24–36%. Entropy-TOPSIS identified CN85 as the optimal fertilizer strategy, with CN70 as a strong alternative.</p> Conclusions <p>Overall, moderate N reductions (15–30%) after legume cover crops incorporation maintained productivity and grain quality while reducing non-CO<sub>2</sub> climate impacts.</p> Graphical Abstract <p></p>

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Moderate nitrogen reduction following legume cover crops delivers multifunctional benefits in arid spring wheat

  • 期刊论文

  • 发表日期：

    2026年5月20日

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  • Mingming Zong,
  • Xiaolin Yang,
  • Taisheng Du,
  • Kadambot H. M. Siddique,
  • Diego Abalos

摘要

Background and aims

Legume covercrops can partially offset synthetic N inputs by returning N-rich residues to soil for wheat production in arid regions. However, the outcomes of reducing N fertilizer remain underexplored across agronomic, nutritional, economic, and environmental dimensions.

Methods

This study was conducted from 2022 to 2024 in arid northwest China to evaluate the effects of rotating a mixed-legume cover crop (hairy vetch: common vetch = 1:5) with two consecutive spring wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) under six N management strategies: conventional spring wheat without cover crops receiving 225 kg N ha−1 (TN100), and spring wheat after cover crop incorporation receiving 100% (CN100), 85% (CN85), 70% (CN70), 55% (CN55), and 0% (CN0) of the conventional N rate.

Results

Across the two wheat seasons, CN85 maintained grain yield and economic benefit comparable to TN100 (7,895 vs 7,451 kg ha–1; 10,309 vs 11,045 CNY ha−1) and did not compromise grain quality, with 5.7% higher protein and similar wet gluten (~ 32%) and sodium dodecyl sulfate sedimentation (~ 17 mL). Total non-CO2 greenhouse gas emissions during spring wheat growing season (soil N2O and CH4 plus upstream emissions from agricultural inputs) were 9% and 17% lower under CN85 and CN70, respectively, compared to TN100. The CN100, CN85 and CN70 maintained water use efficiency (~ 1.7 kg m−3) comparable to TN100, while CN85 and CN70 improved fertilizer-based N-use efficiencies by 24–36%. Entropy-TOPSIS identified CN85 as the optimal fertilizer strategy, with CN70 as a strong alternative.

Conclusions

Overall, moderate N reductions (15–30%) after legume cover crops incorporation maintained productivity and grain quality while reducing non-CO2 climate impacts.

Graphical Abstract