Authors :
Ghulam Mujtaba; Nasir Mehmood Khan; Muhammad Aashir Bilal Khan; Muslim; Shahzad Ahmed; Muhammad Ahmed Irfan; Muhammad Faisal Raza; Fahad Fayaz
Volume/Issue :
Volume 8 - 2023, Issue 12 - December
Google Scholar :
http://tinyurl.com/2w6a8w9h
Scribd :
http://tinyurl.com/2ab8jnnp
DOI :
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.10453175
Abstract :
Non-marketable crops are increasingly being
used as a tool to promote agroecosystem services and
sustainable agriculture. Nevertheless, crops vary greatly
in the traits by which they capture resources and
influence the local ecosystem. Here we report on the
traits of wheat crop that relate to aboveground biomass
production, nutrient capture, weed suppression and soil
building by the influence of 4 different cover crops. All
agroecosystem services were positively correlated with
maximum crop biomass and leaf area. Root density was
positively associated with indices of other soil building
attributes; total organic carbon, total nitrogen and
aggregate stability. Wheat with faba bean legume cover
crop produced the highest standing N and P in
aboveground biomass. Similarly, faba bean cover crop
diminished the emission greenhouse gases; CO2 and CH3
in wheat crop to large extent from soil to atmosphere
which is positive aspect in mitigation of climate change.
Conversely, wheat with brown mustard cover crop had
the highest level of weed suppression, butalso suppressed
weed biomass and weed cover. Thus, not all cover crops
are equal in their ability to promote all agroecosystem
services in wheat, and while some cover crops may be
ideal for promoting a specific agroecosystem service, this
could result in an exchange with another. Nonetheless,
our study demonstrates that plant functional traits of
wheat are informative for the selection of cover crops for
promoting agroecosystem services.
Keywords :
Cover crops; greenhouse gases emission; nutrient capture; soil-plant interactions; soil and plant health.
Non-marketable crops are increasingly being
used as a tool to promote agroecosystem services and
sustainable agriculture. Nevertheless, crops vary greatly
in the traits by which they capture resources and
influence the local ecosystem. Here we report on the
traits of wheat crop that relate to aboveground biomass
production, nutrient capture, weed suppression and soil
building by the influence of 4 different cover crops. All
agroecosystem services were positively correlated with
maximum crop biomass and leaf area. Root density was
positively associated with indices of other soil building
attributes; total organic carbon, total nitrogen and
aggregate stability. Wheat with faba bean legume cover
crop produced the highest standing N and P in
aboveground biomass. Similarly, faba bean cover crop
diminished the emission greenhouse gases; CO2 and CH3
in wheat crop to large extent from soil to atmosphere
which is positive aspect in mitigation of climate change.
Conversely, wheat with brown mustard cover crop had
the highest level of weed suppression, butalso suppressed
weed biomass and weed cover. Thus, not all cover crops
are equal in their ability to promote all agroecosystem
services in wheat, and while some cover crops may be
ideal for promoting a specific agroecosystem service, this
could result in an exchange with another. Nonetheless,
our study demonstrates that plant functional traits of
wheat are informative for the selection of cover crops for
promoting agroecosystem services.
Keywords :
Cover crops; greenhouse gases emission; nutrient capture; soil-plant interactions; soil and plant health.
