Abstract
Under Mediterranean rainfed areas, no-till cereal-based systems have been adopted to cope with water availability and increasing input costs. However, the increased risk of biotic stresses, high N-fertilizer dependence, and current EU policies warrant cropping systems re-design. Evaluate diversification and N fertilization as strategies to improve N use efficiency at the cropping system level and quantify its productivity. Four crop sequences combined with four levels of N fertilization were assessed in a three-year field experiment in semiarid rainfed north-eastern Spain. Crop sequences were continuous winter wheat (WCS) and three-year diversified rotations with pea (PCS), faba bean (FCS), or a multi-service cover crop (MSCS) and two years of cereals. Crop, pre-crop and cropping system levels were considered. Agronomic evaluation included crops above-ground biological N fixation (Ndfa), net N balance (Ndfa minus N removed by grain), soil N mineralisation productivity, energy to N tradeoff (ENT), and N use efficiency of protein (NUEp) production. Pea yields ranged from 0 to 766 kg ha−1 and Ndfa from 24% to 54%. Faba bean yield ranged from 1378 to 4251 kg ha−1 and Ndfa from 32% to 72%. Net N balance was close to neutral for pea while in faba bean it ranged from 41 to −21 kg N ha−1. Alternative pre-crops led to greater soil N mineralisation (51 kg N ha−1, on average) and higher wheat yield (564 kg ha−1, on average) compared to wheat as the pre-crop. N fertilization increased protein yields, with FCS presenting the highest yields at all N fertilizer rates. This effect led to a stable NUEp (1.69 kg protein kg N supply−1), as the protein yield increased proportionally to N supply. Diversification improved the succeeding wheat performance and grain legumes N fixation exceeded grain N removal. Introducing legumes into cropping systems led to a decrease in energy productivity compared to the cereal-based system. However, protein production in the FCS was higher than in any other cropping system regardless of the N fertilizer rate. Crop diversification adds challenges and risks in dry Mediterranean areas. However, the study shows that crop diversification with faba bean can decrease cropping system’s N-fertilizer dependence and increase protein productivity, contributing to cropping systems' sustainability.
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Claims 18
Claim · model-written summary
Pea yield ranged from 0 to 766 kg ha−1.
- Taxon
- Pea
Lathyrus oleraceuse0 - Outcome
- yieldse0
- Value
- 0 to 766 kg ha−1e0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Pea yields ranged from 0 to 766 kg ha−1”
Claim · model-written summary
Pea Ndfa ranged from 24% to 54%.
- Taxon
- PeaLathyrus oleraceuse0
- Outcome
- Ndfae0
- Value
- 24% to 54%e0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Pea yields ranged from 0 to 766 kg ha−1 and Ndfa from 24% to 54%.”
Claim · model-written summary
Faba bean yield ranged from 1378 to 4251 kg ha−1.
- Taxon
- Faba bean
Vicia fabae0 - Outcome
- yielde0
- Value
- 1378 to 4251 kg ha−1e0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Faba bean yield ranged from 1378 to 4251 kg ha−1”
Claim · model-written summary
Faba bean Ndfa ranged from 32% to 72%.
- Taxon
- Faba beanVicia fabae0
- Outcome
- Ndfae0
- Value
- 32% to 72%e0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Faba bean yield ranged from 1378 to 4251 kg ha−1 and Ndfa from 32% to 72%.”
Claim · model-written summary
Pea net nitrogen balance was close to neutral.
- Taxon
- peaLathyrus oleraceuse0
- Outcome
- Net N balancee0
- Direction
- close to neutrale0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Net N balance was close to neutral for pea”
Claim · model-written summary
Faba bean net nitrogen balance ranged from 41 to −21 kg N ha−1.
- Taxon
- faba beanVicia fabae0
- Outcome
- Net N balancee1
- Value
- 41 to −21 kg N ha−1e0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“in faba bean it ranged from 41 to −21 kg N ha−1”
e1“Net N balance was close to neutral for pea”
Claim · model-written summary
Alternative precrops increased soil nitrogen mineralisation compared with wheat precrop.
- Taxon
- wheat
Triticum aestivume0 - Treatment
- Alternative pre-cropse0
- Outcome
- soil N mineralisatione0
- Direction
- greatere0
- Value
- 51 kg N ha−1e0
- Comparator
- wheat as the pre-crope0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Alternative pre-crops led to greater soil N mineralisation (51 kg N ha−1, on average) and higher wheat yield (564 kg ha−1, on average) compared to wheat as the pre-crop.”
Claim · model-written summary
Alternative precrops increased wheat yield by an average 564 kg ha−1.
- Taxon
- wheatTriticum aestivume0
- Treatment
- Alternative pre-cropse0
- Outcome
- wheat yielde0
- Direction
- highere0
- Value
- 564 kg ha−1e0
- Comparator
- wheat as the pre-crope0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Alternative pre-crops led to greater soil N mineralisation (51 kg N ha−1, on average) and higher wheat yield (564 kg ha−1, on average) compared to wheat as the pre-crop.”
Claim · model-written summary
Nitrogen fertilization increased protein yield.
- Taxon
- Faba beanVicia fabat0
- Treatment
- N fertilizatione0
- Outcome
- protein yieldse0
- Direction
- increasede0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“N fertilization increased protein yields, with FCS presenting the highest yields at all N fertilizer rates.”
t0“Faba bean”
Claim · model-written summary
Faba bean rotation had the highest protein yield at all nitrogen fertilizer rates.
- Taxon
- Faba beanVicia fabat0
- Outcome
- protein yieldse1
- Direction
- higheste0
- Qualifier
- all N fertilizer ratese0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“FCS presenting the highest yields at all N fertilizer rates.”
e1“N fertilization increased protein yields”
t0“Faba bean”
Claim · model-written summary
Protein production NUE remained stable at 1.69 kg protein kg N supply−1.
- Taxon
- Faba beanVicia fabat0
- Outcome
- NUEpe0
- Direction
- stablee0
- Value
- 1.69 kg protein kg N supply−1e0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“This effect led to a stable NUEp (1.69 kg protein kg N supply−1)”
t0“Faba bean”
Claim · model-written summary
Protein yield increased proportionally to nitrogen supply.
- Taxon
- Faba beanVicia fabat0
- Treatment
- N supplye0
- Outcome
- protein yielde0
- Direction
- increasede0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“the protein yield increased proportionally to N supply.”
t0“Faba bean”
Claim · model-written summary
Diversification improved succeeding wheat performance.
- Taxon
- wheatTriticum aestivume0
- Treatment
- Diversificatione0
- Outcome
- succeeding wheat performancee0
- Direction
- improvede0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Diversification improved the succeeding wheat performance”
Claim · model-written summary
Grain legume nitrogen fixation exceeded nitrogen removal in grain.
- Taxon
- Faba beanVicia fabat0
- Outcome
- N fixatione0
- Direction
- exceedede0
- Comparator
- grain N removale0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“grain legumes N fixation exceeded grain N removal.”
t0“Faba bean”
Claim · model-written summary
Introducing legumes decreased energy productivity relative to the cereal system.
- Taxon
- Faba beanVicia fabat0
- Treatment
- Introducing legumese0
- Outcome
- energy productivitye0
- Direction
- decreasee0
- Comparator
- cereal-based systeme0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Introducing legumes into cropping systems led to a decrease in energy productivity compared to the cereal-based system.”
t0“Faba bean”
Claim · model-written summary
Faba bean rotation produced more protein than any other system regardless of nitrogen rate.
- Taxon
- Faba beanVicia fabat0
- Outcome
- protein productione0
- Direction
- highere0
- Qualifier
- regardless of the N fertilizer ratee0
- Comparator
- any other cropping systeme0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“protein production in the FCS was higher than in any other cropping system regardless of the N fertilizer rate.”
t0“Faba bean”
Claim · model-written summary
The authors conclude that faba bean diversification can decrease fertilizer dependence.
- Taxon
- faba beanVicia fabae0
- Outcome
- decrease cropping system’s N-fertilizer dependencee0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“crop diversification with faba bean can decrease cropping system’s N-fertilizer dependence”
Claim · model-written summary
The authors conclude that faba bean diversification can increase protein productivity.
- Taxon
- faba beanVicia fabae0
- Outcome
- increase protein productivitye0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“crop diversification with faba bean can decrease cropping system’s N-fertilizer dependence and increase protein productivity”
The same questions in other papers
fertilization · quality: protein · Vicia faba (faba bean)Positive and negative results
22 papers in the same direction as this paper · 4 in the opposite direction
- no effect
- no effect
- no effect
23 papers more in this group
See all 27 papers →Claims are grouped by organism, treatment and what was measured or targeted. A paper counts as positive when any of its claims in the group is positive.