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Improving farming practices reduces the carbon footprint of spring wheat production

Author

Listed:
  • Yantai Gan

    (Gansu Provincial Key Laboratory for Aridland Crop Science, Gansu Agricultural University
    Semiarid Prairie Agricultural Research Centre, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada)

  • Chang Liang

    (Environment Canada)

  • Qiang Chai

    (Gansu Provincial Key Laboratory for Aridland Crop Science, Gansu Agricultural University)

  • Reynald L. Lemke

    (Saskatoon Research Centre, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada)

  • Con A. Campbell

    (Eastern Cereal and Oilseed Research Centre, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada)

  • Robert P. Zentner

    (Semiarid Prairie Agricultural Research Centre, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada)

Abstract

Wheat is one of the world’s most favoured food sources, reaching millions of people on a daily basis. However, its production has climatic consequences. Fuel, inorganic fertilizers and pesticides used in wheat production emit greenhouse gases that can contribute negatively to climate change. It is unknown whether adopting alternative farming practices will increase crop yield while reducing carbon emissions. Here we quantify the carbon footprint of alternative wheat production systems suited to semiarid environments. We find that integrating improved farming practices (that is, fertilizing crops based on soil tests, reducing summerfallow frequencies and rotating cereals with grain legumes) lowers wheat carbon footprint effectively, averaging −256 kg CO2 eq ha−1 per year. For each kg of wheat grain produced, a net 0.027–0.377 kg CO2 eq is sequestered into the soil. With the suite of improved farming practices, wheat takes up more CO2 from the atmosphere than is actually emitted during its production.

Suggested Citation

  • Yantai Gan & Chang Liang & Qiang Chai & Reynald L. Lemke & Con A. Campbell & Robert P. Zentner, 2014. "Improving farming practices reduces the carbon footprint of spring wheat production," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 5(1), pages 1-13, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:5:y:2014:i:1:d:10.1038_ncomms6012
    DOI: 10.1038/ncomms6012
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    Cited by:

    1. Jie Zhao & Ji Chen & Damien Beillouin & Hans Lambers & Yadong Yang & Pete Smith & Zhaohai Zeng & Jørgen E. Olesen & Huadong Zang, 2022. "Global systematic review with meta-analysis reveals yield advantage of legume-based rotations and its drivers," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-9, December.
    2. Zhao, Rongqin & Liu, Ying & Tian, Mengmeng & Ding, Minglei & Cao, Lianhai & Zhang, Zhanping & Chuai, Xiaowei & Xiao, Liangang & Yao, Lunguang, 2018. "Impacts of water and land resources exploitation on agricultural carbon emissions: The water-land-energy-carbon nexus," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 72(C), pages 480-492.
    3. Nisar, Shahida & Benbi, Dinesh Kumar & Toor, Amardeep Singh, 2021. "Energy budgeting and carbon footprints of three tillage systems in maize-wheat sequence of north-western Indo-Gangetic Plains," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 229(C).
    4. Ymène Fouli & Margot Hurlbert & Roland Kröbel, 2021. "Greenhouse Gas Emissions From Canadian Agriculture: Estimates and Measurements," SPP Briefing Papers, The School of Public Policy, University of Calgary, vol. 14(35), November.
    5. Valerii Havrysh & Antonina Kalinichenko & Edyta Szafranek & Vasyl Hruban, 2022. "Agricultural Land: Crop Production or Photovoltaic Power Plants," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(9), pages 1-23, April.
    6. Singh, Pritpal & Singh, Gurdeep & Sodhi, G.P.S. & Sharma, Sandeep, 2021. "Energy optimization in wheat establishment following rice residue management with Happy Seeder technology for reduced carbon footprints in north-western India," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 230(C).
    7. O’Keeffe, Adam & Shrestha, Dev & Dunkel, Chad & Brooks, Erin & Heinse, Robert, 2023. "Modeling moisture redistribution from selective non-uniform application of biochar on Palouse hills," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 277(C).
    8. Xiaolong Wang & Yun Chen & Xiaowei Chen & Rongrong He & Yueshan Guan & Yawen Gu & Yong Chen, 2019. "Crop Production Pushes up Greenhouse Gases Emissions in China: Evidence from Carbon Footprint Analysis Based on National Statistics Data," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(18), pages 1-18, September.
    9. Shirley LAMPTEY & Lingling LI & Junhong XIE, 2018. "Impact of nitrogen fertilization on soil respiration and net ecosystem production in maize," Plant, Soil and Environment, Czech Academy of Agricultural Sciences, vol. 64(8), pages 353-360.
    10. Rebecca F. Graham & Sam E. Wortman & Cameron M. Pittelkow, 2017. "Comparison of Organic and Integrated Nutrient Management Strategies for Reducing Soil N 2 O Emissions," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 9(4), pages 1-14, March.
    11. Bai, Youshuai & Zhang, Hengjia & Jia, Shenghai & Huang, Caixia & Zhao, Xia & Wei, Huiqin & Yang, Shurui & Ma, Yan & Kou, Rui, 2022. "Plastic film mulching combined with sand tube irrigation improved yield, water use efficiency, and fruit quality of jujube in an arid desert area of Northwest China," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 271(C).
    12. Li, Jinkai & Gao, Ming & Luo, Erga & Wang, Jingyi & Zhang, Xuebiao, 2023. "Does rural energy poverty alleviation really reduce agricultural carbon emissions? The case of China," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 119(C).
    13. Jianguo Li & Wenhui Yang & Yi Wang & Qiang Li & Lili Liu & Zhongqi Zhang, 2018. "Carbon Footprint and Driving Forces of Saline Agriculture in Coastally Reclaimed Areas of Eastern China: A Survey of Four Staple Crops," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(4), pages 1-16, March.
    14. Xiaolin Yang & Jinran Xiong & Taisheng Du & Xiaotang Ju & Yantai Gan & Sien Li & Longlong Xia & Yanjun Shen & Steven Pacenka & Tammo S. Steenhuis & Kadambot H. M. Siddique & Shaozhong Kang & Klaus But, 2024. "Diversifying crop rotation increases food production, reduces net greenhouse gas emissions and improves soil health," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-14, December.
    15. Ymène Fouli & Margot Hurlbert & Roland Kröbel, 2022. "Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Canadian Agriculture: Policies and Reduction Measures," SPP Briefing Papers, The School of Public Policy, University of Calgary, vol. 15(13), May.

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