Stable water isotopes reveal modification of cereal water uptake strategies in agricultural co-cropping systems

Agricultural co-cropping is being evaluated in temperate environments as a potential nature-based solution to the changing climate. However, the understanding of underlying physiological processes in co-cropping and its potential to provide climate resilience in temperate agroecosystems remains limi...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Agriculture, ecosystems & environment ecosystems & environment, 2025-04, Vol.381, p.109439, Article 109439
Main Authors: Durodola, Oludare S., Rothfuss, Youri, Hawes, Cathy, Smith, Jo, Valentine, Tracy A., Geris, Josie
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Intercropping
Plant water uptake
Soil–plant-water interactions
Stable isotopes
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Summary:Agricultural co-cropping is being evaluated in temperate environments as a potential nature-based solution to the changing climate. However, the understanding of underlying physiological processes in co-cropping and its potential to provide climate resilience in temperate agroecosystems remains limited. This study investigated water sources for plants in five distinct cereal-legume co-cropping systems and four of their corresponding cereal monocultures at four main growth stages, under contrasting temperate hydro-climatological conditions in Scotland. Stable water isotope compositions (δ2H and δ18O) for soil water and xylem water were established. Based on the isotope compositions, a Bayesian multi-source mixing model was used to explore proportional soil water uptake patterns for cereal crop plants. Cereals grown in monocultures in this environment took more than 60 % of their water from the upper topsoil (soil depth
ISSN:0167-8809
DOI:10.1016/j.agee.2024.109439