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Data extracted in October 2022
Fiche created in November 2023
Note to the reader: This general fiche summarises all the environmental and climate impacts of LEGUMINOUS CROPS found in a review of 73 synthesis papers[1]. These papers were selected from an initial number of 830 obtained through a systematic literature search strategy, according to the inclusion criteria reported in section 4. The impacts reported here are those for which there is scientific evidence available in published synthesis papers, what does not preclude the farming practice to have other impacts on the environment and climate still not covered by primary studies or by synthesis papers.
The synthesis papers review a number of primary studies ranging from 2 to 476. Therefore, the assessment of impacts relies on a large number of results from the primary studies, obtained mainly in field conditions, or sometimes in lab experiments or from model simulations.
1. DESCRIPTION OF THE FARMING PRACTICE
- Description:
- Leguminous crops —Fabaceae— develop symbiosis with bacteria within nodules in their root systems (rhizobia), producing reactive nitrogen compounds from N2, which help the plant to grow and compete with other plants. When the plant dies, the fixed nitrogen is released, making it available to other plants; this helps to fertilize the soil.[2]
- The legume family include taxa such as kudzu, clover, soybean, alfalfa, lupin, peanut and rooibos.[3]
- Key descriptors:
- In this review, the use of Leguminous (nitrogen-fixing) crops in agriculture is considered within the context of different agricultural practices, including: 1) crop rotations involving legumes, 2) leguminous cover crops, 3) intercropping, mixed cropping, practices involving two or more crops in proximity Including legumes, 4) agroforestry systems including leguminous perennials, 5) green fallows including legumes, 6) grassland for leguminous forage production and pastures enriched with legumes.
- Results were derived from two types of pairwise comparisons: 1) direct comparison, where a farming practice with leguminous crops was compared to the same farming practice, but without leguminous crops, e.g. crop rotations with versus without legumes, leguminous versus non-leguminous cover crops, etc.; 2) indirect comparison, where a farming practice (either with or without leguminous crops) was compared to the absence of the practice, e.g. Crop rotations (either with or without leguminous crops) versus monoculture, either leguminous or non-leguminous corver crops versus no cover crops, etc..
- Indirect comparisons are also shown in this set of fiches, because the available results reporting direct comparisons are scarse in the literature.
- This review does not include results obtained from meta-analyses which did not provide clear and well-specified distinctions of leguminous crops from other types of crops, e.g. The general effect of cover crops (either leguminous or non-leguminous).
- This review does not include results regarding crop yield or the environmental/climate impacts of leguminous cash crops (e.g. Soybean), as compared to non-leguminous cash crops (e.g. Cereals).
2. EFFECTS OF THE FARMING PRACTICE ON CLIMATE AND ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS
We reviewed the impacts of leguminous crops including two different types of comparisons: direct comparisons, where the presence of leguminous is compared to the absence of leguminous crops (Table 1. Highlighted in bold characters); indirect comparisons (Table 1), where practices including or excluding leguminous crops (e.g. agroforestry systems with/without legumes, leguminous/non-leguminous cover crops, etc.) are compared to the absence of those practices (e.g. conventional agriculture, no cover crops, etc.).
The table below shows the number of synthesis papers with statistical tests reporting i) a significant difference between the Intervention and the Comparator, that is to say, a significant statistical effect, which can be positive or negative; or ii) a non-statistically significant difference between the Intervention and the Comparator. In addition, we include, if any, the number of synthesis papers reporting relevant results but without statistical test of the effects. Details on the quality assessment of the synthesis papers can be found in the methodology section of this WIKI.
Out of the 73 selected synthesis papers, 39 included studies conducted in Europe, and 68 have a quality score higher than 50%.
Table 1: Summary of effects. Number of synthesis papers reporting positive, negative or non-statistically significant effects on environmental and climate impacts. The number of synthesis papers reporting relevant results but without statistical test of the effects are also provided. When not all the synthesis papers reporting an effect are of high quality, the number of synthesis papers with a quality score of at least 50% is indicated in parentheses. Some synthesis papers may report effects for more than one impact, or more than one effect for the same impact.
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| Statistically tested | Non-statistically tested | ||
Impact | Metric | Intervention | Comparator | Significantly positive | Significantly negative | Non-significant | |
Decrease Air pollutants emissions | Ammonia emission | Legumes in intercropping/mixed cropping | No intercropping | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Increase Animal production | Livestock products yield | Legumes in improving grassland for forage or grazing | No grassland improvement | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Increase Carbon sequestration | SOC | Legume cover crops/green manure | No cover crop | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
Legumes in agroforestry | No agroforestry | 3 (2) | 0 | 1 | 0 | ||
Legumes in improving grassland for forage or grazing | No grassland improvement | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | ||
Legumes in intercropping/mixed cropping | No intercropping | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
Legumes in rotations | Non-legumes in rotations | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
Legumes in rotations | Simplified rotation | 2 | 0 | 3 (2) | 0 | ||
Legumes-rich fallow | No fallow | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
Non-legume cover crops/green manure | No cover crop | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
Non-legume in agroforestry | No agroforestry | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | ||
Non-legumes in improving grassland for forage or grazing | No grassland improvement | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | ||
Non-legumes in rotations | Simplified rotation | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | ||
Decrease GHG emissions | CH4 emission | Legume cover crops/green manure | No cover crop | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
Decrease GHG emissions | N2O emission | Legume cover crops/green manure | No cover crop | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 |
Legumes in rotations | Simplified rotation | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | ||
Non-legume cover crops/green manure | No cover crop | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | ||
Decrease Global warming potential (LCA) | GHG emissions | Legumes in rotations | Simplified rotation | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
Increase Grassland production | Grassland productivity | Legumes in agroforestry | No agroforestry | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
Legumes in agroforestry | Non-legumes in agroforestry | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | ||
Legumes in improving grassland for forage or grazing | No grassland improvement | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
Non-legume in agroforestry | No agroforestry | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | ||
Non-legumes in improving grassland for forage or grazing | No grassland improvement | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
Decrease Nutrient leaching and run-off | Nutrient leaching and run-off | Legume cover crops/green manure | No cover crop | 3 | 0 | 5 | 0 |
Non-legume cover crops/green manure | No cover crop | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
Decrease Pests and diseases | Pests and diseases | Legume cover crops/green manure | No cover crop | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Legumes in intercropping/mixed cropping | No intercropping | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | ||
Non-legume cover crops/green manure | No cover crop | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
Non-legumes in intercropping/mixed cropping | No intercropping | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
Increase Plant nutrient uptake | Nutrient uptake | Legumes in intercropping/mixed cropping | No intercropping | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Increase Plant nutrient uptake | Nutrient use efficiency | Legume cover crops/green manure | No cover crop | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Non-legume cover crops/green manure | No cover crop | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | ||
Increase Soil biological quality | Soil biological quality | Legume cover crops/green manure | No cover crop | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Legumes in rotations | Simplified rotation | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | ||
Non-legume cover crops/green manure | No cover crop | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | ||
Non-legumes in rotations | Simplified rotation | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | ||
Decrease Soil erosion | Soil erosion | Legume cover crops/green manure | No cover crop | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Legumes in agroforestry | No agroforestry | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
Legumes in intercropping/mixed cropping | No intercropping | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
Non-legume cover crops/green manure | No cover crop | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
Non-legume in agroforestry | No agroforestry | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
Increase Soil nutrients | Soil nutrients | Legume cover crops/green manure | No cover crop | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Legumes in agroforestry | No agroforestry | 4 (3) | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
Legumes in improving grassland for forage or grazing | No grassland improvement | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | ||
Legumes in intercropping/mixed cropping | No intercropping | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
Legumes in rotations | Simplified rotation | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | ||
Legumes-rich fallow | No fallow | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | ||
Non-legume cover crops/green manure | No cover crop | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | ||
Non-legume in agroforestry | No agroforestry | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
Non-legumes in improving grassland for forage or grazing | No grassland improvement | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | ||
Increase Soil physico-chemical quality | Water infiltration or drainage | Legume cover crops/green manure | No cover crop | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
Legumes in intercropping/mixed cropping | No intercropping | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
Non-legume cover crops/green manure | No cover crop | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | ||
Non-legume in agroforestry | No agroforestry | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | ||
Increase Soil water retention | Soil water retention | Legume cover crops/green manure | No cover crop | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Legumes in agroforestry | No agroforestry | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
Legumes in intercropping/mixed cropping | No intercropping | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | ||
Non-legume cover crops/green manure | No cover crop | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | ||
Increase Crop yield | Crop yield | Legume cover crops/green manure | No cover crop | 14 (13) | 1 | 6 | 0 |
Legumes in agroforestry | No agroforestry | 4 (3) | 0 | 2 (1) | 2 (0) | ||
Legumes in intercropping/mixed cropping | No intercropping | 12 | 0 | 3 | 0 | ||
Legumes in intercropping/mixed cropping | Non-legumes in intercrop/mixed cropping | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | ||
Legumes in rotations | Non-legumes in rotations | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
Legumes in rotations | Simplified rotation | 7 | 0 | 1 | 1 | ||
Legumes-rich fallow | No fallow | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
Non-legume cover crops/green manure | No cover crop | 1 | 5 | 9 | 0 | ||
Non-legume in agroforestry | No agroforestry | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
Non-legumes in intercropping/mixed cropping | No intercropping | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | ||
Non-legumes in rotations | Simplified rotation | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | ||
3. FACTORS INFLUENCING THE EFFECTS ON CLIMATE AND ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS
The factors significantly influencing the size and/or direction of the effects on the impacts, according to the synthesis papers included in this review, are reported below. Details about the factors can be found in the summaries of the meta-analyses available in this WIKI.
Table 2: List of factors reported to significantly affect the size and/or direction of the effects on environmental and climate impacts, according to the synthesis papers reviewed. The reference number of the synthesis papers where those factors are explored is given in parentheses.
Impact | Factors |
Carbon sequestration | Agroforestry type (Ref30), Cash crop (Ref16), Climatic conditions (Ref2), Cover crop in the rotation (Ref62), Cover crop residue management (Ref25), Cover crop type (Ref25), Crop type (Ref33), Distance from trees (Ref51), Elevation (Ref33), Fertilisation management (Ref2), Latitude (Ref33), Mean annual precipitation (Ref40), N application rate (Ref33), Number of crops in rotation (Ref2), Number of rotation cycles (Ref2), Pedo-climatic zone (Ref47), Precipitation (Ref47), Residues retention (Ref2), Shrub species (Ref47), Site-level SOC concentration (Ref33), Soil bulk density (Ref47), Soil depth (Ref10, Ref16), Soil nitrogen (Ref47), Soil nutrients content (Ref51), Soil texture (Ref16), Soil type (Ref18, Ref24, Ref30, Ref47, Ref2), Temperature (Ref47) and Tillage management (Ref2) |
GHG emissions | Cover crop residue management (Ref25), Cover crop type (Ref25), N application rates (Ref60), N fertilisation rate (Ref59), No factor reported (Ref67) and Period of Nitrous Oxide Measurement (Ref59) |
Global warming potential (LCA) | Climate (Ref50), Duration of experiment (Ref50) and Soil texture (Ref50) |
Grassland production | Fertilisation rate (Ref29), Irrigation (Ref29), Number of legumes in association (Ref29), Perennial/annual legumes (Ref29), Photosynthetic pathway of grasses (Ref29), Precipitation (Ref65) and Seeding technique (Ref29) |
Nutrient leaching and run-off | Cover crop biomass production (Ref38), Cover crop species (Ref38), Mean annual precipitation (Ref9, Ref38), Mean annual temperature (Ref9), N cover crop input to soil (Ref71), Planting dates (Ref38), Slope gradient (Ref9), Soil texture (Ref38), Soil type (Ref4) and Tillage management (Ref4) |
Pests and diseases | N dose*time of survey (Ref28), N fertilizer input (Ref28), Pathogens (Ref28) and Time after plantation (Ref28) |
Plant nutrient uptake | Crop type (Ref13), Intercrop composition (Ref20), Legume species (Ref20), N fertilization (Ref13), P fertilization (Ref13), Previous cash crop (Ref39), Temporal niche differentiation (Ref22), Temporal niche differentiation between species (Ref13) and Time after plantation (Ref39) |
Soil biological quality | Annual precipitation (Ref11), Soil pH (Ref11), Soil texture (Ref11) and Termination method (Ref11) |
Soil erosion | Slope gradient (Ref9), Soil type (Ref18) and Vegetation coverage (Ref9) |
Soil nutrients | Cover crop in the rotation (Ref62), Cover crop residue management (Ref25), Cover crop type (Ref25), Distance from trees (Ref51), Mean annual precipitation (Ref40), Number of crops in the rotation (Ref62), Pedo-climate (Ref24), Soil nutrients content (Ref51), Soil organic carbon (Ref24) and Soil type (Ref18, Ref24) |
Soil physico-chemical quality | Pedo-climatic zone (Ref24), Soil type (Ref24 and Ref4) |
Soil water retention | Pedo-climatic zone (Ref24), Soil depth (Ref15) and Soil type (Ref24) |
Crop yield | Agro-ecological areas (Ref32), Altitude (Ref70), Cash crop seeding time (Ref14), Climate (Ref57, Ref71), Climatic zone (Ref45), Conditions for crop productivity (Ref51), Cover crop biomass production (Ref14), Cover crop phenology (Ref71), Cover crop type (Ref72), Crop diversity (Ref6), Crop species (Ref66, Ref63), Crop type (Ref15, Ref23, Ref34, Ref32, Ref55, Ref13), Crop/cultivar combinations (Ref61), Distance from trees (Ref51), Fallow stage (Ref5), Fertilisation rate (Ref31, Ref6), Fertiliser application (Ref17), Fertilization (Ref5), Fertilizer amendment (Ref70), Fertilizer*treatment length (Ref70), Fruit tree age (Ref7), Geographical location (Ref3), Intercrop composition (Ref17), Intercrop design (Ref45), Intercropping pattern (Ref15), Legume management (Ref70), Management system of cover crops (Ref1), Mean yield (Ref32, Ref45), Mineral fertilisation rate (Ref71), Mineral fertiliser addition (Ref32, Ref57), Monocrop yield (Ref6), N application rate (Ref48), N fertilisation rate (Ref8, Ref58), N fertilization (Ref55, Ref63, Ref13), N fertilization * sowing date (Ref55), Nitrogen fertilisation rates (Ref44), Number of break crops in the sequence (Ref56), P fertilization (Ref13), P uptake (Ref13), Pedo-climatic zone (Ref7, Ref14), Plant density (Ref55), Rainfall (Ref66, Ref70), Relative density (Ref15), Site productivity (Ref66), Soil nutrients (Ref24), Soil organic matter (Ref22), Soil type (Ref14, Ref27, Ref24, Ref39, Ref58, Ref69, Ref71), Sowing date (Ref55), Sowing timing (Ref8), Species combination (Ref36), Temporal niche differentiation (Ref22), Termination method (Ref27), Termination of cover crop before main crop (Ref44), Tillage (Ref57, Ref71), Time after tree establishment (Ref68), Timing of cover crop termination (Ref1), Tree species (Ref66), Type of cover and cash crop species (Ref1), Type of intercropping (Ref3), Type of legume (Ref3) and Yield potential (Ref70) |
4. SYSTEMATIC REVIEW SEARCH STRATEGY
Table 3: Systematic review search strategy - methodology and search parameters.
Parameter | Details |
Keywords | WOS: |
Time reference | No time restriction. |
Databases | Web of Science and Scopus: run on 18 October 2022 |
Exclusion criteria | The main criteria that led to the exclusion of a synthesis paper are: |
5. SYNTHESIS PAPERS INCLUDED IN THE REVIEW
Table 4: List of synthesis papers included in this review. More details can be found in the summaries of the meta-analyses.
Ref Num | Author(s) | Year | Title | Journal | DOI |
Ref1 | Bourgeois B., Charles A., Van Eerd L.L., Tremblay N., Lynch D., Bourgeois G., Bastien M., Bélanger V., Landry C., Vanasse A. | 2022 | Interactive effects between cover crop management and the environment modulate benefits to cash crop yields: a meta-analysis | CANADIAN JOURNAL OF PLANT SCIENCE, 102, 656-678. | 10.1139/cjps-2021-0177 |
Ref2 | Liu X., Tan S., Song X., Wu X., Zhao G., Li S., Liang G. | 2022 | Response of soil organic carbon content to crop rotation and its controls: A global synthesis | Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment 335, 108017 | 10.1016/j.agee.2022.108017 |
Ref3 | Mudare S., Kanomanyanga J., Jiao X., Mabasa S., Lamichhane J.R., Jing J., Cong W.-F. | 2022 | Yield and fertilizer benefits of maize/grain legume intercropping in China and Africa: A meta-analysis | Agronomy for Sustainable Development 42, 5, 81 | 10.1007/s13593-022-00816-1 |
Ref4 | Nouri A., Lukas S., Singh S., Singh S., Machado S. | 2022 | When do cover crops reduce nitrate leaching? A global meta-analysis | Global Change Biology 28, 15, 4736 - 4749 | 10.1111/gcb.16269 |
Ref5 | Rodenburg J., Mollee E., Coe R., Sinclair F. | 2022 | Global analysis of yield benefits and risks from integrating trees with rice and implications for agroforestry research in Africa | FIELD CROPS RESEARCH, 281, 108504 | 10.1016/j.fcr.2022.108504 |
Ref6 | Zhao J., Chen J., Beillouin D., Lambers H., Yang Y., Smith P., Zeng Z., Olesen J.E., Zang H. | 2022 | Global systematic review with meta-analysis reveals yield advantage of legume-based rotations and its drivers | Nature communications, 13, 1, 4926 | 10.1038/s41467-022-32464-0 |
Ref7 | Fang, LF; Shi, XJ; Zhang, Y; Yang, YH; Zhang, XL; Wang, XZ; Zhang, YT | 2021 | The effects of ground cover management on fruit yield and quality: a meta-analysis | ARCHIVES OF AGRONOMY AND SOIL SCIENCE | 10.1080/03650340.2021.1937607 |
Ref8 | Feng, C; Sun, ZX; Zhang, LZ; Feng, LS; Zheng, JM; Bai, W; Gu, CF; Wang, Q; Xu, Z; van der Werf, W | 2021 | Maize/peanut intercropping increases land productivity: A meta-analysis | FIELD CROPS RESEARCH, 270, 108208 | 10.1016/j.fcr.2021.108208 |
Ref9 | Liu, R; Thomas, B; Shi, XJ; Zhang, XL; Wang, ZC; Zhang, YT | 2021 | Effects of ground cover management on improving water and soil conservation in tree crop systems: A meta-analysis | CATENA 199, 105085 | 10.1016/j.catena.2020.105085 |
Ref10 | Ma D., Yin L., Ju W., Li X., Liu X., Deng X., Wang S. | 2021 | Meta-analysis of green manure effects on soil properties and crop yield in northern China |
| 10.1016/j.fcr.2021.108146 |
Ref11 | Muhammad, I; Wang, J; Sainju, UM; Zhang, SH; Zhao, FZ; Khan, A | 2021 | Cover cropping enhances soil microbial biomass and affects microbial community structure: A meta-analysis | Geoderma 381, 114696 | 10.1016/j.geoderma.2020.114696 |
Ref12 | Sha, ZP; Liu, HJ; Wang, JX; Ma, X; Liu, XJ; Misselbrook, T | 2021 | Improved soil-crop system management aids in NH3 emission mitigation in China | ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION | 10.1016/j.envpol.2021.117844 |
Ref13 | Tang, XY; Zhang, CC; Yu, Y; Shen, JB; van der Werf, W; Zhang, FS | 2021 | Intercropping legumes and cereals increases phosphorus use efficiency; a meta-analysis | PLANT AND SOIL | 10.1007/s11104-020-04768-x |
Ref14 | Wang, J; Zhang, SH; Sainju, UM; Ghimire, R; Zhao, FZ | 2021 | A meta-analysis on cover crop impact on soil water storage, succeeding crop yield, and water-use efficiency | Agricultural Water Management, 256, 107085 | 10.1016/j.agwat.2021.107085 |
Ref15 | Daryanto, S; Fu, BJ; Zhao, WW; Wang, S; Jacinthe, PA; Wang, LX | 2020 | Ecosystem service provision of grain legume and cereal intercropping in Africa | Agric. Syst. 178, 102761 | 10.1016/j.agsy.2019.102761 |
Ref16 | Jian, Jinshi; Du, Xuan; Reiter, Mark S.; Stewart, Ryan D. | 2020 | A meta-analysis of global cropland soil carbon changes due to cover cropping | Soil Biol. Biochem. 143, 107735 | 10.1016/j.soilbio.2020.107735 |
Ref17 | Li, CJ; Hoffland, E; Kuyper, TW; Yu, Y; Li, HG; Zhang, CC; Zhang, FS; van der Werf, W | 2020 | Yield gain, complementarity and competitive dominance in intercropping in China: A meta-analysis of drivers of yield gain using additive partitioning | Eur J Agron. 113, 125987 | 10.1016/j.eja.2019.125987 |
Ref18 | Muchane, MN; Sileshi GW; Gripenberg, S; Jonsson, M; Pumariño, L; Barrios, E. | 2020 | Agroforestry boosts soil health in the humid and sub-humid tropics: A meta-analysis. | Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment, 295, 106899. | 10.1016/j.agee.2020.106899 |
Ref19 | Paul, BK; Koge, J; Maass, BL; Notenbaert, A; Peters, M; Groot, JCJ; Tittonell, P | 2020 | Tropical forage technologies can deliver multiple benefits in Sub-Saharan Africa. A meta-analysis | AGRONOMY FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT 40, 22 | 10.1007/s13593-020-00626-3 |
Ref20 | Rodriguez, C; Carlsson, G; Englund, JE; Flohr, A; Pelzer, E; Jeuffroy, MH; Makowski, D; Jensen, ES | 2020 | Grain legume-cereal intercropping enhances the use of soil-derived and biologically fixed nitrogen in temperate agroecosystems. A meta-analysis | EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF AGRONOMY | 10.1016/j.eja.2020.126077 |
Ref21 | Ros, MBH; Koopmans, GF; van Groenigen, KJ; Abalos, D; Oenema, O; Vos, HMJ; van Groenigen, JW | 2020 | Towards optimal use of phosphorus fertiliser | SCIENTIFIC REPORTS | 10.1038/s41598-020-74736-z |
Ref22 | Xu, Z; Li, CJ; Zhang, CC; Yu, Y; van der Werf, W; Zhang, FS | 2020 | Intercropping maize and soybean increases efficiency of land and fertilizer nitrogen use; A meta-analysis | FIELD CROPS RESEARCH | 10.1016/j.fcr.2019.107661 |
Ref23 | Zhao, J; Yang, YD; Zhang, K; Jeong, J; Zeng, ZH; Zang, HD | 2020 | Does crop rotation yield more in China? A meta-analysis | FIELD CROPS RES, 245, 107659 | 10.1016/j.fcr.2019.107659 |
Ref24 | Kuyah, S; Whitney, CW; Jonsson, M; Sileshi, GW; Oborn, I; Muthuri, CW; Luedeling, E. | 2019 | Agroforestry delivers a win-win solution for ecosystem services in sub-Saharan Africa. A meta-analysis. | Agronomy for Sustainable Development 39, 47. | 10.1007/s13593-019-0589-8 |
Ref25 | Muhammad, I., Sainju, U.M., Zhao, F., (...), Fu, X., Wang, J. | 2019 | Regulation of soil CO2 and N2O emissions by cover crops: A meta-analysis | Soil and Tillage Research 192, pp. 103-112 | 10.1016/j.still.2019.04.020 |
Ref26 | Shackelford, GE; Kelsey, R; Dicks, LV | 2019 | Effects of cover crops on multiple ecosystem services: Ten meta-analyses of data from arable farmland in California and the Mediterranean | LAND USE POLICY, 88, 104204. | 10.1016/j.landusepol.2019.104204 |
Ref27 | Toler, HD; Auge, RM; Benelli, V; Allen, FL; Ashworth, AJ | 2019 | Global Meta-Analysis of Cotton Yield and Weed Suppression from Cover Crops | Crop science 59, 3, 1248-1261 | 10.2135/cropsci2018.10.0603 |
Ref28 | Zhang, CC; Dong, Y; Tang, L; Zheng, Y; Makowski, D; Yu, Y; Zhang, FS; van der Werf, W | 2019 | Intercropping cereals with faba bean reduces plant disease incidence regardless of fertilizer input; a meta-analysis | EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF PLANT PATHOLOGY | 10.1007/s10658-019-01711-4 |
Ref29 | Ashworth, AJ; Toler, HD; Allen, FL; Auge, RM | 2018 | Global meta-analysis reveals agro-grassland productivity varies based on species diversity over time | PLOS ONE 15(5): e0233402 | 10.1371/journal.pone.0200274 |
Ref30 | Bayala, J; Kalinganire, A; Sileshi, GW; Tondoh, JE. | 2018 | Soil Organic Carbon and Nitrogen in Agroforestry Systems in Sub-Saharan Africa. A Review. | Improving the Profitability, Sustainability and Efficiency of Nutrients Through Site Specific Fertilizer Recommendations in West Africa Agro-Ecosystems pp. 51-61, Springer, Cham. | 10.1007/978-3-319-58789-9_4 |
Ref31 | Cernay, C; Makowski, D; Pelzer, E | 2018 | Preceding cultivation of grain legumes increases cereal yields under low nitrogen input conditions | ENVIRONMENTAL CHEMISTRY LETTERS, 16, 631–636 | 10.1007/s10311-017-0698-z |
Ref32 | Franke A.C., van den Brand G.J., Vanlauwe B., Giller K.E. | 2018 | Sustainable intensification through rotations with grain legumes in Sub-Saharan Africa: A review | Agric Ecosyst Environ, 261, 172-185 | 10.1016/j.agee.2017.09.029 |
Ref33 | King, AE; Blesh, J | 2018 | Crop rotations for increased soil carbon: perenniality as a guiding principle | ECOL APPL, 28, 249-261. | 10.1002/eap.1648 |
Ref34 | MacWilliam, S; Parker, D; Marinangeli, CPF; Tremorin, D | 2018 | A meta-analysis approach to examining the greenhouse gas implications of including dry peas (Pisum sativum L.) and lentils (Lens culinaris M.) in crop rotations in western Canada | AGRIC SYST, 166, 101-110 | 10.1016/j.agsy.2018.07.016 |
Ref35 | Mahal, NK; Castellano, MJ; Miguez, FE | 2018 | Conservation Agriculture Practices Increase Potentially Mineralizable Nitrogen: A Meta-Analysis | SOIL SCI SOC AM J, 82, 1270–1278 | 10.2136/sssaj2017.07.0245 |
Ref36 | Martin-Guay, MO; Paquette, A; Dupras, J; Rivest, D | 2018 | The new Green Revolution: Sustainable intensification of agriculture by intercropping | SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT | 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2017.10.024 |
Ref37 | Reiss, ER; Drinkwater, LE | 2018 | Cultivar mixtures: a meta-analysis of the effect of intraspecific diversity on crop yield | ECOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS | 10.1002/eap.1629 |
Ref38 | Thapa R, Mirsky SB, Tully KL | 2018 | Cover Crops Reduce Nitrate Leaching in Agroecosystems:A Global Meta-Analysis | Journal of Environmental Quality 47, 6, 1400-1411 | 10.2134/jeq2018.03.0107 |
Ref39 | Thapa, R; Poffenbarger, H; Tully, KL; Ackroyd, VJ; Kramer, M; Mirsky, SB | 2018 | Biomass Production and Nitrogen Accumulation by Hairy Vetch-Cereal Rye Mixtures: A Meta-Analysis | AGRONOMY JOURNAL | 10.2134/agronj2017.09.0544 |
Ref40 | Zhang, HY; Lu, XT; Knapp, AK; Hartmann, H; Bai, E; Wang, XB; Wang, ZW; Wang, XG; Yu, Q; Han, XG | 2018 | Facilitation by leguminous shrubs increases along a precipitation gradient | Functional ecology, 32, 1, 203-213 | 10.1111/1365-2435.12941 |
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[1] Synthesis research papers include either meta-analysis or systematic reviews with quantitative results. Details can be found in the methodology section of the WIKI.
[2] Postgate J (1998). Nitrogen Fixation (3rd ed.). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
[3] Kuypers MM, Marchant HK, Kartal B (May 2018). “The microbial nitrogen-cycling network”. Nature Reviews. Microbiology. 16 (5): 263–276. doi:10.1038/nrmicro.2018.9