Response of soil CO2 emissions and water‐carbon use efficiency of winter wheat to different straw returning methods and irrigation scenarios

• Published in: Journal of the science of food and agriculture 2024-03, Vol.104 (4), p.2449-2457
• Main Authors: Liu, Fuying, Gao, Mingliang, Zhang, Haoze, Yuan, Huabin, Zong, Rui, Liu, Zhendong, Wei, Shiyu, Li, Quanqi
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Agricultural development; Carbon dioxide; Carbon dioxide emissions; Carbon sequestration; Crop yield; Efficiency; Emission analysis; Emissions; Emissions control; Farm buildings; Greenhouse effect; Greenhouse gases; Growing season; Irrigation; Jointing; Moisture content; Respiration; soil CO2 emissions; Soil moisture; Soil water; Straw; straw returning; Sustainable development; Triticum aestivum; water consumption; Water resources; Water use; Water use efficiency; Wheat; Winter; Winter wheat
• ISSN: 0022-5142; 1097-0010
• DOI: 10.1002/jsfa.13126

BACKGROUND The shortage of water resources and the increase of greenhouse gas emissions from soil seriously restrict the sustainable development of agriculture. Under the premise of ensuring a stable yield of winter wheat through a reasonable irrigation scenario, identifying a suitable straw returning method will have a positive effect on agricultural carbon sequestration and emission reduction in North China Plain. RESULTS Straw burying (SR) and straw mulching (SM) were adopted based on traditional tillage under in the winter wheat growing season of 2020–2021 and 2021–2022. Three irrigation scenarios were used for each straw returning method: no irrigation (I0), irrigation 60 mm at jointing stage (I1), and irrigation of 60 mm each at the jointing and heading stages (I2). Soil moisture, soil respiration rate, cumulative soil CO2 emissions, yield, water use efficiency (WUE) and soil CO2 emission efficiency (CEE) were mainly studied. The results showed that, compared to SM, SR improved the utilization of soil water and enhanced soil carbon sequestration. SR reduced soil respiration rate and cumulative soil CO2 emissions in two winter wheat growing seasons, and increased yield by increasing spike numbers. In addition, with an increase in the amount of irrigation, soil CO2 emissions and yield increased. Under SR‐I1 treatment, WUE and CEE were the highest. SR‐I1 increases crop yields at the same time as reducing soil CO2 emissions. CONCLUSION The combination of SR and irrigation 60 mm at jointing stage is a suitable straw returning irrigation scenario, which can improve water use and reduce soil CO2 emission in NCP. © 2023 Society of Chemical Industry.