Abstract
Properly managing nitrogen (N) in different climate scenarios is crucial for enhancing plant growth while minimizing N losses to the environment. This study used a modelling approach to elucidate the effects of climate change and N management practices on grain yields and N losses in the winter (Triticum aestivum L.) – rice (Oryza sativa L.) cropping system in China. The aim of the study was to optimize fertilizer management practices through diverse manure types, N application rates and timings and to increase the resilience of the system to climate change. The SPACSYS (v6.0) model was used, calibrated and validated based on a ten–year field experiment, to simulate crop grain yields and soil N balances under three Shared Socioeconomic Pathways (SSP) scenarios for the period 2020 to 2100, so as to identify the optimal basal and topdressing fertilization regimes and timings for both winter wheat and rice. Our results revealed that the practice of splitting N fertilizer applications, as opposed to applying N fertilizers all at once, mitigated yield losses in wheat and rice under climate projections. Moreover, a higher proportion of topdressing, specifically 60% of the total N application amount for wheat and 50% for rice, showed potential in minimizing N loads to the environment. However, compared with local fertilization practices, additional N through manure under future climate scenarios (2061–2100) significantly increased N losses to water by 0.1–1.2 kg N ha−1 and 1.0–1.8 kg N ha−1 during the wheat and rice growing periods, respectively. Thus, the judicious adoption of various manure types alongside sound N management practices holds promise for increasing the resilience of agricultural systems to climate change.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
Explore related subjects
Discover the latest articles, news and stories from top researchers in related subjects.References
Abdalla M, Jones M, Williams M (2010) Simulation of N2O fluxes from Irish arable soils: effect of climate change and management. Biol Fertil Soils 46(3):247–260. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00374-009-0424-5
Bingham IJ, Wu LH (2011) Simulation of wheat growth using the 3D root architecture model SPACSYS: Validation and sensitivity analysis. Eur J Agron 34(3):181–189. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eja.2011.01.003
Butterbach-Bahl K, Baggs EM, Dannenmann M, Kiese R, Zechmeister-Boltenstern S (2013) Nitrous oxide emissions from soils: how well do we understand the processes and their controls? Philos Trans R Soc Lond, B Biol Sci 368(1621):20130122. https://doi.org/10.1098/rstb.2013.0122
Cameron KC, Di HJ, Moir JL (2013) Nitrogen losses from the soil/plant system: a review. Ann Appl Biol 162(2):145–173. https://doi.org/10.1111/aab.12014
Cao X, Zhang J, Yu Y, Ma Q, Kong Y, Pan W, Wu L, Jin Q (2022) Alternate wetting–drying enhances soil nitrogen availability by altering organic nitrogen partitioning in rice-microbe system. Geoderma 424:115993. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geoderma.2022.115993
Carbonell-Silletta L, Cavallaro A, Pereyra DA, Askenazi JO, Goldstein G, Scholz FG, Bucci SJ (2022) Soil respiration and N-mineralization processes in the Patagonian steppe are more responsive to fertilization than to experimental precipitation increase. Plant Soil 479:405–422. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-022-05531-0
Chapuis-Lardy LY, Wrage N, Metay A, Chotte JL, Bernoux M (2007) Soils, a sink for N2O? A review. Global Change Biol 13(1):1–17. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2486.2006.01280.x
Chen Y, Fu X, Liu Y (2022) Effect of farmland scale on farmers’ application behavior with organic fertilizer. Int J Environ Res Public Health 19(9):4967. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19094967
Dong Y, Yang JL, Zhao XR, Yang SH, Mulder J, Dörsch P, Zhang GL (2022) Nitrate leaching and N accumulation in a typical subtropical red soil with N fertilization. Geoderma 407:115559. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geoderma.2021.115559
Elrys AS, Wang J, Meng L, Zhu Q, El-Sawy MM, Chen Z, Tu X, El-Saadony MT, Zhang Y, Zhang J, Cai Z, Müller C, Cheng Y (2023) Integrative knowledge-based nitrogen management practices can provide positive effects on ecosystem nitrogen retention. Nat Food 4(12):1075–1089. https://doi.org/10.1038/s43016-023-00888-6
Fang Y, Nazaries L, Singh BK, Singh BP (2018) Microbial mechanisms of carbon priming effects revealed during the interaction of crop residue and nutrient inputs in contrasting soils. Glob Chang Biol 24(7):2775–2790. https://doi.org/10.1111/gcb.14154
Ferchaud F, Vitte G, Machet JM, Beaudoin N, Catterou M, Mary B (2016) The fate of cumulative applications of 15N-labelled fertiliser in perennial and annual bioenergy crops. Agric Ecosyst Environ 223:76–86. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agee.2016.02.030
He Z, Zhang Y, Liu X, de Vries W, Ros GH, Oenema O, Xu W, Hou Y, Wang H, Zhang F (2023) Mitigation of nitrogen losses and greenhouse gas emissions in a more circular cropping-poultry production system. Resour Conserv Recycl 189:106739. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.resconrec.2022.106739
Janssens C, Havlík P, Krisztin T, Baker J, Frank S, Hasegawa T, Leclère D, Ohrel S, Ragnauth S, Schmid E, Valin H, Van LN, Maertens M (2020) Global hunger and climate change adaptation through international trade. Nat Clim Chang 10(9):829–835. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41558-020-0847-4
Ji XH, Zheng SX, Shi LH, Liu ZB (2011) Systematic Studies of Nitrogen Loss from Paddy Soils Through Leaching in the Dongting Lake Area of China. Pedosphere 21(6):753–762. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1002-0160(11)60179-3
Khoshravesh M, Mostafazadeh-Fard B, Heidarpour M, Kiani AR (2013) AquaCrop model simulation under different irrigation water and nitrogen strategies. Water Sci Technol 67(1):232–238. https://doi.org/10.2166/wst.2012.564
Kim YU, Webber H, Adiku SG, Júnior RD, Deswarte JC, Asseng S, Ewert F (2024) Mechanisms and modelling approaches for excessive rainfall stress on cereals: Waterlogging, submergence, lodging, pests and diseases. Agric For Meteorol 344:109819. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agrformet.2023.109819
Kumar L, Chhogyel N, Gopalakrishnan T, Hasan MK, Jayasinghe SL, Kariyawasam CS, Kogo BK, Ratnayake S, 2022. Chapter 4 - Climate change and future of agri-food production. In: R. Bhat (Editor), Future Foods. Academic Press, 49–79. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-323-91001-9.00009-8.
Lange S, and Büchner M, 2017. ISIMIP2b bias-adjusted atmospheric climate input data (v1.0). ISIMIP Repository. https://doi.org/10.48364/ISIMIP.208515.
Lange S, 2019. EartH2Observe, WFDEI and ERA-Interim data Merged and Bias-corrected for ISIMIP (EWEMBI). V. 1.1. GFZ Data Services. https://doi.org/10.5880/pik.2019.004.
Lemaire G, Tang L, Bélanger G, Zhu Y, Jeuffroy MH (2021) Forward new paradigms for crop mineral nutrition and fertilization towards sustainable agriculture. Eur J Agron 125:126248. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eja.2021.126248
Liang K, Zhong X, Huang N, Lampayan RM, Liu Y, Pan J, Peng B, Hu X, Fu Y (2017) Nitrogen losses and greenhouse gas emissions under different N and water management in a subtropical double-season rice cropping system. Sci Total Environ 609:46–57. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2017.07.118
Liu C, Wang L, Le Cocq K, Chang C, Li Z, Chen F, Liu Y, Wu L (2020) Climate change and environmental impacts on and adaptation strategies for production in wheat-rice rotations in southern China. Agric For Meteorol 292–293:108136. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agrformet.2020.108136
Liu C, Yang H, Gongadze K, Harris P, Huang M, Wu L (2022) Climate Change Impacts on Crop Yield of Winter Wheat (Triticum aestivum) and Maize (Zea mays) and Soil Organic Carbon Stocks in Northern China. Agriculture 12(5):614. https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture12050614
Liu C, Shan Y, Wang Q, Harris P, Liu Y, Wu L (2023) Impacts of measured soil hydraulic conductivity on the space–time simulations of water and nitrogen cycling. CATENA 226:107058. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.catena.2023.107058
Luo W, Chen M, Kang Y, Li W, Li D, Cui Y, Khan S, Luo Y (2022) Analysis of crop water requirements and irrigation demands for rice: Implications for increasing effective rainfall. Agric Water Manage 260:107285. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agwat.2021.107285
Michelsen A, Schmidt IK, Jonasson S, Quarmby C, Sleep D (1996) Leaf 15N abundance of subarctic plants provides field evidence that ericoid, ectomycorrhizal and non-and arbuscular mycorrhizal species access different sources of soil nitrogen. Oecologia 105(1):53–63. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00328791
Minami K (1997) Atmospheric methane and nitrous oxide: sources, sinks and strategies for reducing agricultural emissions. Nutr Cycling Agroecosyst 49:203–211. https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1009730618454
Nature Climate Change (2019) The CMIP6 landscape. Nat Clim Chang 9(10):727–727
Plett DC, Ranathunge K, Melino VJ, Kuya N, Uga Y, Kronzucker HJ (2020) The intersection of nitrogen nutrition and water use in plants: new paths toward improved crop productivity. J Exp Bot 71(15):4452–4468. https://doi.org/10.1093/jxb/eraa049
Quan H, Ding D, Wu L, Qiao R, Zhang T, Feng H, Wu L, Siddique KH (2022) Future climate change impacts on mulched maize production in an arid irrigation area. Agric Water Manage 266:107550. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agwat.2022.107550
Rashid MA, Andersen MN, Wollenweber B, Zhang X, Olesen JE (2018) Acclimation to higher VPD and temperature minimized negative effects on assimilation and grain yield of wheat. Agric For Meteorol 248:119–129. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agrformet.2017.09.018
Ren K, Xu M, Li R, Zheng L, Liu S, Reis S, Wang H, Lu C, Zhang W, Gao H, Duan Y, Gu B (2022) Optimizing nitrogen fertilizer use for more grain and less pollution. J Cleaner Prod 360:132180. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2022.132180
Rodney TV (2012) Challenges and opportunities for mitigating nitrous oxide emissions from fertilized cropping systems. Front Ecol Environ 10(10):562–570. https://doi.org/10.1890/120062
Ryden JC (1981) N2O exchange between a grassland soil and the atmosphere. Nature 292(5820):235–237. https://doi.org/10.1038/292235a0
Sándor R, Ehrhardt F, Grace P, Recous S, Smith P, Snow V, Soussana JF, Basso B, Bhatia A, Brilli L, Doltra J, Dorich CD, Doro L, Fitton N, Grant B, Harrison MT, Kirschbaum MUF, Katja K, Laville P, Léonard J, Martin R, Massad RS, Moore A, Myrgiotis V, Pattey E, Rolinski S, Sharp J, Skiba U, Smith W, Wu L, Zhang Q, Bellocchi G (2020) Ensemble modelling of carbon fluxes in grasslands and croplands. Field Crops Res 252:107791. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fcr.2020.107791
Schindler T, Mander Ü, Machacova K, Espenberg M, Krasnov D, Escuer-Gatius J, Veber G, Pärn J, Soosaar K (2020) Short-term flooding increases CH4 and N2O emissions from trees in a riparian forest soil-stem continuum. Sci Rep 10(1):3204. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-020-60058-7
Schmidhuber J, Tubiello FN (2007) Global food security under climate change. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 104(50):19703–19708. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.0701976104
Smith P, Smith JU, Powlson DS, McGill WB, Arah JR, Chertov OG, Coleman K, Franko U, Frolking S, Jenkinson DS, Jensen LS (1997) A comparison of the performance of nine soil organic matter models using datasets from seven long-term experiments. Geoderma 81(1–2):153–225. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0016-7061(97)00087-6
Somma F, Hopmans JW, Clausnitzer V (1998) Transient three-dimensional modeling of soil water and solute transport with simultaneous root growth, root water and nutrient uptake. Plant Soil 202(2):281–293. https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1004378602378
Song Y, Cheng X, Song C, Li M, Gao S, Liu Z, Gao J, Wang X (2022) Soil CO2 and N2O emissions and microbial abundances altered by temperature rise and nitrogen addition in active-layer soils of permafrost peatland. Front Microbiol 13:1093487. https://doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2022.1093487
Song J, Bao S, Bai J, Dang Y, Zeng X, Zhou J, Shen Y, Yue S, Li S (2024) Modelling future climate effects on N2O emission and soil carbon storage in maize fields under controlled-release urea and straw incorporation. J Environ Manage 351:119854. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2023.119854
Taylor AE, Camille O, Frank C (2021) Implications of the thermodynamic response of soil mineralization, respiration, and nitrification on soil organic matter retention. Front Microbiol 12:651210. https://doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2021.651210
Uribe N, Corzo G, Quintero M, van Griensven A, Solomatine D (2018) Impact of conservation tillage on nitrogen and phosphorus runoff losses in a potato crop system in Fuquene watershed, Colombia. Agric Water Manage 209:62–72. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agwat.2018.07.006
van Groenigen JW, Kuikman PJ, de Groot WJ, Velthof GL (2005) Nitrous oxide emission from urine-treated soil as influenced by urine composition and soil physical conditions. Soil Biol Biochem 37(3):463–473. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.soilbio.2004.08.009
Vrugt JA, Gupta HV, Bastidas LA, Bouten W, Sorooshian S (2003) Effective and efficient algorithm for multiobjective optimization of hydrologic models. Water Resour Res 39(8):1214. https://doi.org/10.1029/2002WR001746
Wang L, Yuan X, Liu C, Li Z, Chen F, Li S, Wu L, Liu Y (2019) Soil C and N dynamics and hydrological processes in a maize-wheat rotation field subjected to different tillage and straw management practices. Agric Ecosyst Environ 285:106616. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agee.2019.106616
Wang ZH, Li SX, 2019. Chapter Three - Nitrate N loss by leaching and surface runoff in agricultural land: A global issue (a review). In: D.L. Sparks (Editor), Adv Agron. Academic Press, 159-217. https://doi.org/10.1016/bs.agron.2019.01.007.
Wu L, McGechan MB, Neil McRoberts, Baddeley JA, Watson CA (2007) SPACSYS: integration of a 3D root architecture component to carbon, nitrogen and water cycling—model description. Ecol Model 200(3–4):343–359. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolmodel.2006.08.010
Wu L, Rees RM, Tarsitano D, Xubo Z, Jones SK, Whitmore AP (2015) Simulation of nitrous oxide emissions at field scale using the SPACSYS model. Sci Total Environ 530:76–86. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2015.05.064
Wu A, Doherty A, Farquhar GD, Hammer GL (2018) Simulating daily field crop canopy photosynthesis: an integrated software package. Funct Plant Biol 45(3):362–377. https://doi.org/10.1071/fp17225
Wu L, Curceac S, Atkinson PM, Milne A, Harris P (2021) A case study on the effects of data temporal resolution on the simulation of water flux extremes using a process-based model at the grassland field scale. Agric Water Manage 255:107049. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agwat.2021.107049
Wu L, Harris P, Misselbrook TH, Lee MRF (2022a) Simulating grazing beef and sheep systems. Agric Syst 195:103307. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agsy.2021.103307
Wu L, Wu L, Bingham IJ, Misselbrook TH (2022b) Projected climate effects on soil workability and trafficability determine the feasibility of converting permanent grassland to arable land. Agric Syst 203:103500. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agsy.2022.103500
Wu L. and Shepherd A., 2011. Special features of the SPACSYS modeling package and procedures for parameterization and validation. In: L.R. Ahuja and L. Ma (Editors), Methods of Introducing System Models into Agricultural Research. Advances in Agricultural Systems Modeling. American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America, Soil Science Society of America, Madison, WI, 117–154. https://doi.org/10.2134/advagricsystmodel2.c4.
Wu L, 2019. SPACSYS (v6.00) - Installation and operation manual. Rothamsted Research. North Wyke, UK. http://www.rothamsted.ac.uk.
Yang H, Song X, Zhao Y, Wang W, Cheng Z, Zhang Q, Cheng D (2021) Temporal and spatial variations of soil C, N contents and C: N stoichiometry in the major grain-producing region of the North China Plain. PLOS ONE 16(6):e0253160. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0253160
Yin X, Struik PC (2017) Can increased leaf photosynthesis be converted into higher crop mass production? A simulation study for rice using the crop model GECROS. J Exp Bot 68(9):2345–2360. https://doi.org/10.1093/jxb/erx085
Yuan M, Na M, Hicks LC, Rousk J (2022) Will a legacy of enhanced resource availability accelerate the soil microbial response to future climate change? Soil Biol Biochem 165:108492. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.soilbio.2021.108492
Zhang X, Xu M, Liu J, Sun N, Wang B, Wu L (2016) Greenhouse gas emissions and stocks of soil carbon and nitrogen from a 20-year fertilised wheat-maize intercropping system: A model approach. J Environ Manage 167:105–114. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2015.11.014
Zhang X, Sun Y, Wang W, Yuan M, Wu G, Hu P, Yang Y (2018a) Organic manure partial replacing chemical fertilizer: effect on supply ability and apparent budget of rice soil nitrogen. J Agric 8(12):28–34. https://doi.org/10.11923/j.issn.2095-4050.cjas18020005
Zhang X, Sun Z, Liu J, Ouyang Z, Wu L (2018b) Simulating greenhouse gas emissions and stocks of carbon and nitrogen in soil from a long-term no-till system in the North China Plain. Soil tillage res 178:32–40. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.still.2017.12.013
Zhang K, Maltais-Landry G, Liao HL (2021) How soil biota regulate C cycling and soil C pools in diversified crop rotations. Soil Biol Biochem 156:108219. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.soilbio.2021.108219
Zhang J, Ru J, Song J, Li H, Li X, Ma Y, Li Z, Hao Y, Chi Z, Hui D, Wan S (2022) Increased precipitation and nitrogen addition accelerate the temporal increase in soil respiration during 8-year old-field grassland succession. Glob Chang Biol 28(12):3944–3959. https://doi.org/10.1111/gcb.16159
Acknowledgements
This research was financially supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Project No. NSFC 32201409) and National High–end Foreign Expert Project of China (G2022019020L). Chuang Liu was supported by the Young Backbone Talents Project of Anhui Academy of Agricultural Sciences (QNYC-202210), and he receives financial support from the China Scholarship Council (China – UK Joint Research and Innovation Partnership Fund PhD Placement Programme, No. 201802527008).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Contributions
C.Liu, Z.Sun, X.Wang and Y.Sun conducted the study including literture search, data evaluation, and manuscript writing; G.Wu, M.Yuan and J.Wang prepared figures and tables; Y.Liu and L.Wu improved the manuscript, and C.Liu and Y.Sun had the idea for the study. All authors reviewed the manuscript.
Corresponding authors
Ethics declarations
Competing interests
The authors declare no competing interests.
Additional information
Publisher's Note
Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.
Supplementary Information
Below is the link to the electronic supplementary material.
Rights and permissions
Springer Nature or its licensor (e.g. a society or other partner) holds exclusive rights to this article under a publishing agreement with the author(s) or other rightsholder(s); author self-archiving of the accepted manuscript version of this article is solely governed by the terms of such publishing agreement and applicable law.
About this article
Cite this article
Liu, C., Sun, Z., Wang, X. et al. Optimizing fertilization strategies for a climate-resilient rice – wheat double cropping system. Nutr Cycl Agroecosyst 129, 21–35 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10705-024-10353-w
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10705-024-10353-w