Global systematic review with meta-analysis reveals yield advantage of legume-based rotations and its drivers
Diversified cropping systems, especially those including legumes, have been proposed to enhance food production with reduced inputs and environmental impacts. However, the impact of legume pre-crops on main crop yield and its drivers has never been systematically investigated in a global context. Here, we synthesize 11,768 yield observations from 462 field experiments comparing legume-based and non-legume cropping systems and show that legumes enhanced main crop yield by 20%. These yield advantages decline with increasing N fertilizer rates and crop diversity of the main cropping system. The yield benefits are consistent among main crops (e.g., rice, wheat, maize) and evident across pedo-climatic regions. Moreover, greater yield advantages (32% vs. 7%) are observed in low- vs. high-yielding environments, suggesting legumes increase crop production with low inputs (e.g., in Africa or organic agriculture). In conclusion, our study suggests that legume-based rotations offer a critical pathway for enhancing global crop production, especially when integrated into low-input and low-diversity agricultural systems.
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | article biblioteca |
| Language: | eng |
| Subjects: | F08 - Systèmes et modes de culture, U30 - Méthodes de recherche, C30 - Documentation et information, culture intercalaire, culture en mélange, légume, rendement des cultures, méthode statistique, fertilisation, traitement de l'information, traitement des données, article de revue, http://aims.fao.org/aos/agrovoc/c_3910, http://aims.fao.org/aos/agrovoc/c_4871, http://aims.fao.org/aos/agrovoc/c_8174, http://aims.fao.org/aos/agrovoc/c_10176, http://aims.fao.org/aos/agrovoc/c_7377, http://aims.fao.org/aos/agrovoc/c_10795, http://aims.fao.org/aos/agrovoc/c_3862, http://aims.fao.org/aos/agrovoc/c_10289, http://aims.fao.org/aos/agrovoc/c_05ceb781, |
| Online Access: | http://agritrop.cirad.fr/601788/ http://agritrop.cirad.fr/601788/1/Global_systematic_review_with_meta-analysis_reveal.pdf |
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| Summary: | Diversified cropping systems, especially those including legumes, have been proposed to enhance food production with reduced inputs and environmental impacts. However, the impact of legume pre-crops on main crop yield and its drivers has never been systematically investigated in a global context. Here, we synthesize 11,768 yield observations from 462 field experiments comparing legume-based and non-legume cropping systems and show that legumes enhanced main crop yield by 20%. These yield advantages decline with increasing N fertilizer rates and crop diversity of the main cropping system. The yield benefits are consistent among main crops (e.g., rice, wheat, maize) and evident across pedo-climatic regions. Moreover, greater yield advantages (32% vs. 7%) are observed in low- vs. high-yielding environments, suggesting legumes increase crop production with low inputs (e.g., in Africa or organic agriculture). In conclusion, our study suggests that legume-based rotations offer a critical pathway for enhancing global crop production, especially when integrated into low-input and low-diversity agricultural systems. |
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