This study synthesizes 11,768 yield observations from 462 field experiments globally to investigate the impact of legume pre-crops on main crop yield. Results show that legumes enhanced main crop yield by 20%, an effect that decreases with increased nitrogen fertilizer rates and crop diversity. Yield benefits are consistent across main crops and pedo-climatic regions, with greater advantages (32% vs. 7%) in low-yielding environments. The study concludes that legume-based rotations are a critical pathway for enhancing global crop production, particularly in low-input and low-diversity systems.
Publisher
Nature Communications
Published On
Aug 22, 2022
Authors
Jie Zhao, Ji Chen, Damien Beillouin, Hans Lambers, Yadong Yang, Pete Smith, Zhaohai Zeng, Jørgen E. Olesen, Huadong Zang
Tags
legume pre-crops
crop yield
field experiments
nitrogen fertilizer
crop diversity
global crop production
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