Trade-offs between agronomic yields and sustainability in winter wheat cropping systems under climate change mediated by soil organic matter content

Summary

This controlled Ecotron study examined winter wheat performance across three climate scenarios (current to 2085 projections) in soil monoliths from two agricultural fields differing in organic matter history. Low-organic-matter soils consistently produced higher yields, particularly under future climates, whilst high-organic-matter soils showed reduced plant growth potentially due to increased nutrient immobilisation and microbial competition. The findings suggest potential sustainability trade-offs: low-organic-matter systems had lower greenhouse gas emissions, but high-organic-matter systems offered reduced nitrate leaching risk, indicating that soil management strategy optimisation requires balancing multiple environmental and agronomic objectives.

UK applicability

The findings are directly relevant to UK arable farming policy and practice, particularly regarding soil carbon initiatives and climate adaptation strategies. However, the controlled Ecotron conditions may not fully replicate UK field-scale heterogeneity, rainfall patterns, and rotational complexity, so field validation and consideration of diverse UK soil types and management histories would strengthen applicability to temperate maritime conditions.

Key measures

Wheat grain yield; CO₂ and N₂O emissions; nitrate leaching risk; plant biomass; root growth; proline levels; soil food web complexity; nutrient immobilisation

Outcomes reported

The study measured wheat grain yields, soil greenhouse gas emissions (CO₂ and N₂O), nitrate leaching risk, plant nutrient uptake, and root development across three climate scenarios (2013, 2068, 2085) in soils with contrasting organic matter histories. It assessed how soil organic matter content mediates trade-offs between agronomic productivity and environmental sustainability metrics under climate change conditions.

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