Lei Xinhui, Liang Bing, Feng Liang, Zhao Xuyang, Pu Tian, Yu Changbing, Wang Shubin, Wei Yafeng, Ma Shumei, Wang Xiaochun, Yang Wenyu
College of Agronomy, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, China.
Sichuan Engineering Research Center for Crop Strip Intercropping System, Key Laboratory of Crop Ecophysiology and Farming System in Southwest China (Ministry of Agriculture), Chengdu, China.
Front Plant Sci. 2024 Nov 8;15:1454130. doi: 10.3389/fpls.2024.1454130. eCollection 2024.
Excessive agricultural investment brought about by increased multiple-cropping index may compromise environmental sustainability. There are few studies on the sustainability of diversified multi-cropping systems in the Yangtze River Basin (YRB). Therefore, this study selected five representative locations in the YRB. According to the local climate characteristics and food demand, diversified multi-cropping systems were designed, and the main local winter crops were selected as the previous crops of the corn-soybean strip compound cropping system, with the local traditional double-cropping model as the control (CK). The emergy evaluation method was introduced to quantitatively compare the efficiency and sustainability of diversified multi-cropping systems in the YRB. The results showed that by incorporating soybean by intercropping with corn, compared with the CK, the total energy input, annual energy output, and annual economic output increased by 15.80%, 9.78%, and 33.12% on average, respectively. The unit emergy value (UEV) and unit non-renewable value (UNV) increased by 6.03% and 5.98%, respectively; the emergy yield ratio (EYR) and environmental loading ratio (ELR) decreased by 0.91% and 0.44%, respectively; the emergy sustainability index (ESI) was the same. In the third mature crop selection, compared with that of corn, the ELR of soybean decreased by 14.32%, and the ESI increased by 18.55%. In addition, the choice of winter crops plays a vital role in the system's efficiency and sustainability. Compared with those of other winter crops, the annual economic outputs of potato (upper reaches of the YRB), potato or forage rape (middle reaches of the YRB), and wheat (lower reaches of the YRB) increased by 51.02%, 32.27%, and 0.94%, respectively; their ESI increased by 71.21%, 47.72%, and 12.07%, respectively. Potato-corn/soybean or potato/corn/soybean (upper reaches of the YRB), forage rape-corn/soybean or potato/corn/soybean (middle reaches of the YRB), and wheat-corn/soybean (lower reaches of the YRB) were chosen to facilitate the coexistence of high economic benefits and environmental sustainability. Additionally, promoting mechanization and reducing labor input were essential to improve the efficiency and sustainability of multi-cropping systems. This study would provide a scientific basis and theoretical support for the development of efficient and sustainable multiple-cropping systems in the dryland of the YRB.
复种指数增加带来的过度农业投入可能会损害环境可持续性。关于长江流域多样化多熟种植系统可持续性的研究较少。因此，本研究在长江流域选取了五个有代表性的地点。根据当地气候特点和粮食需求，设计了多样化多熟种植系统，并选择当地主要冬季作物作为玉米 - 大豆带状复合种植系统的前茬作物，以当地传统双季种植模式作为对照（CK）。引入能值评价方法，定量比较长江流域多样化多熟种植系统的效率和可持续性。结果表明，通过玉米间作大豆，与对照相比，总能量投入、年能量产出和年经济产出平均分别增加了15.80%、9.78%和33.12%。单位能值（UEV）和单位不可更新能值（UNV）分别增加了6.03%和5.98%；能值产出率（EYR）和环境负载率（ELR）分别下降了0.91%和0.44%；能值可持续性指数（ESI）相同。在第三季成熟作物选择中，与玉米相比，大豆的ELR下降了14.32%，ESI增加了18.55%。此外，冬季作物的选择对系统效率和可持续性起着至关重要的作用。与其他冬季作物相比，马铃薯（长江上游）、马铃薯或饲用油菜（长江中游）和小麦（长江下游）的年经济产出分别增加了51.02%、32.27%和0.94%；它们的ESI分别增加了71.21%、47.72%和12.07%。选择马铃薯 - 玉米/大豆或马铃薯/玉米/大豆（长江上游）、饲用油菜 - 玉米/大豆或马铃薯/玉米/大豆（长江中游）和小麦 - 玉米/大豆（长江下游），以促进高经济效益和环境可持续性的共存。此外，推进机械化和减少劳动力投入对于提高多熟种植系统的效率和可持续性至关重要。本研究将为长江流域旱地高效可持续多熟种植系统的发展提供科学依据和理论支持。
