Abstract
ABSTRACT Producers in the semiarid Canadian prairies have begun to extend and diversify their cropping systems. These newer cropping systems are often considered to be more sustainable. We examine the agronomic, environmental, and economic effects of reducing summerfallow use and including grain lentil (Lens culinaris Medikus) in rotation with spring wheat (Triticum aestivum L.). Data from a long-term crop rotation experiment conducted on a medium texture soil at Swift Current, Saskatchewan were analyzed. Four cropping systems were evaluated over the 1979 to 1997 period; namely, fallow-wheat (F-W), fallow-wheat-wheat (F-W-W), continuous wheat (W), and wheat-lentil (W-L). Nitrate leaching below the 120 cm rooting depth of wheat was lower under continuously cropped systems than under fallow-based rotations, and was lowest overall for W-L. Wheat, whether grown on fallow or stubble, used almost all of the available water in the 0–120 cm depth soil profile, but lentil extracted about 1.5 cm less water than wheat. On average, wheat yield was unaffected by inclusion of lentil in the rotation; however, grain protein content was higher in 11 of 18 years. The incidence of leaf spotting diseases in wheat was lowest for wheat grown after lentil and highest for wheat grown on fallow. Soil quality (soil organic carbon, mineralizable N and C, light fraction organic C, and water stable aggregates) increased with cropping intensity in the order of W-L ≥ W > F-W-W > F-W. Although inputs of non-renewable energy and CO2 emissions were higher for the continuous compared to fallow-based rotations, including lentil in the rotation lowered the energy requirements for N fertilizer and provided an overall 19% reduction in CO2 emissions. The economics favored the W-L system whenever lentil price was above $350 t−1. The level of financial risk was lowest for F-W and F-W-W, intermediate for W-L, and highest for W. Our findings confirm the recent changes in land use practices being adopted by producers, and clearly show that extending and diversifying crop rotations by reducing fallow and including pulse crops in the rotation will improve the overall sustainability of agricultural production in this semiarid region.
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Claims 10
Claim · model-written summary
Nitrate leaching was lower under continuous cropping and lowest under wheat-lentil rotation.
- Taxon
- wheat
Triticum aestivume0 - Outcome
- Nitrate leachinge0
- Direction
- lowere0
- Comparator
- fallow-based rotationse0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Nitrate leaching below the 120 cm rooting depth of wheat was lower under continuously cropped systems than under fallow-based rotations, and was lowest overall for W-L.”
Claim · model-written summary
Lentil extracted about 1.5 cm less soil water than wheat.
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“lentil extracted about 1.5 cm less water than wheat.”
Claim · model-written summary
Adding lentil to the rotation did not affect mean wheat yield.
- Taxon
- wheatTriticum aestivume0
- Treatment
- inclusion of lentil in the rotatione0
- Outcome
- wheat yielde0
- Direction
- unaffectede0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“On average, wheat yield was unaffected by inclusion of lentil in the rotation”
Claim · model-written summary
Adding lentil increased wheat grain protein in 11 of 18 years.
Not reportedTaxonTreatmentComparator
Verbatim
e0“grain protein content was higher in 11 of 18 years.”
Claim · model-written summary
Leaf spotting disease incidence in wheat was lowest after lentil and highest after fallow.
- Taxon
- wheatTriticum aestivume0
- Outcome
- incidence of leaf spotting diseasese0
- Direction
- loweste0
- Comparator
- wheat grown on fallowe0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“The incidence of leaf spotting diseases in wheat was lowest for wheat grown after lentil and highest for wheat grown on fallow.”
Claim · model-written summary
Soil quality increased with cropping intensity.
Not reportedTaxon
Verbatim
e0“Soil quality (soil organic carbon, mineralizable N and C, light fraction organic C, and water stable aggregates) increased with cropping intensity in the order of W-L ≥ W > F-W-W > F-W.”
Claim · model-written summary
Continuous rotations used more nonrenewable energy and emitted more CO2 than fallow rotations.
Not reportedTaxon
Verbatim
e0“inputs of non-renewable energy and CO2 emissions were higher for the continuous compared to fallow-based rotations”
Claim · model-written summary
Lentil inclusion reduced overall CO2 emissions by 19%.
- Taxon
- lentil
Lens culinarise0 - Outcome
- CO2 emissionse0
- Direction
- reductione0
- Value
- 19%e0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“including lentil in the rotation lowered the energy requirements for N fertilizer and provided an overall 19% reduction in CO2 emissions.”
Claim · model-written summary
Wheat-lentil rotation was economically favored above a lentil price of $350 t−1.
- Taxon
- lentilLens culinarise0
- Outcome
- economicse0
- Direction
- favorede0
- Qualifier
- above $350 t−1e0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“The economics favored the W-L system whenever lentil price was above $350 t−1.”
Claim · model-written summary
Financial risk ranked lowest for fallow-wheat and fallow-wheat-wheat, intermediate for wheat-lentil, and highest for continuous wheat.
Not reportedTaxon
Verbatim
e0“The level of financial risk was lowest for F-W and F-W-W, intermediate for W-L, and highest for W.”
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