Balancing indicators for sustainable intensification of crop production at field and river basin levels

Abebe Demissie Chukalla; Pytrik Reidsma; Michelle T H van Vliet; João Vasco Silva; Martin K van Ittersum; Seifeddine Jomaa; Michael Rode; Ines Merbach; Pieter R van Oel

doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.135925

Balancing indicators for sustainable intensification of crop production at field and river basin levels

Sci Total Environ. 2020 Feb 25:705:135925. doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.135925. Epub 2019 Dec 5.

Authors

Abebe Demissie Chukalla¹, Pytrik Reidsma², Michelle T H van Vliet³, João Vasco Silva⁴, Martin K van Ittersum², Seifeddine Jomaa⁵, Michael Rode⁵, Ines Merbach⁶, Pieter R van Oel⁷

Affiliations

¹ Wageningen University & Research, Water Resources Management Group, P.O. Box 47, 6700 AA Wageningen, the Netherlands; IHE Delft, Department of Integrated Water Systems and Governance, P.O. Box 3015, 2601 DA Delft, the Netherlands. Electronic address: abebe.chukalla@wur.nl.
² Wageningen University & Research, Plant Production Systems Group, P.O. Box 430, 6700 AK Wageningen, the Netherlands.
³ Wageningen University & Research, Water Systems and Global Change Group, P.O. Box 47, 6700 AA Wageningen, the Netherlands; Department of Physical Geography, Faculty of Geosciences, Utrecht University, P.O. Box 80115, 3508CB Utrecht, the Netherlands.
⁴ Wageningen University & Research, Plant Production Systems Group, P.O. Box 430, 6700 AK Wageningen, the Netherlands; Wageningen University & Research, Centre for Crop Systems Analysis, P.O. Box 430, 6700 AK Wageningen, the Netherlands.
⁵ Department of Aquatic Ecosystem Analysis and Management, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research-UFZ, Magdeburg 39114, Germany.
⁶ Department of Community Ecology, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research-UFZ, Bad Lauchstädt 06246, Germany.
⁷ Wageningen University & Research, Water Resources Management Group, P.O. Box 47, 6700 AA Wageningen, the Netherlands.

PMID: 31841921
DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.135925

Abstract

Adequate tools for evaluating sustainable intensification (SI) of crop production for agro-hydrological system are not readily available. Building on existing concepts, we propose a framework for evaluating SI at the field and river basin levels. The framework serves as a means to assess and visualise SI indicator values, including yield, water-use efficiency and nitrogen-use efficiency (NUE), alongside water and nitrogen surpluses and their effects on water quantity and quality. To demonstrate the SI assessment framework, we used empirical data for both the field level (the Static Fertilization Experiment at Bad Lauchstädt) and the river basin level (the Selke basin, 463 km²) in central Germany. Crop yield and resource use efficiency varied considerably from 1980 to 2014, but without clear trends. NUE frequently fell below the desirable range (<50%), exposing the environment to a large N surplus (>80 kg N ha^-1). For the catchment as a whole, the average nitrate-N concentration (3.6 mg L^-1) was slightly higher than the threshold of 2.5 mg L^-1 nitrate-N in surface water. However, weather and climate-related patterns, due to their effects on transport capacity and dilution, influenced water quantity and quality indicators more than agronomic practices. To achieve SI of crop production in the Selke basin, irrigation and soil moisture management are required to reduce yield variability and reduce N surpluses at field level. In addition, optimum application of fertiliser and manure could help to reduce the nitrate-N concentration below the set water quality standards in the Selke basin. In this way, there is scope for increase in yields and resource use efficiencies, and thus potential reduction of environmental impacts at basin level. We conclude that the framework is useful for assessing sustainable production, by simultaneously considering objectives related to crop production, resource-use efficiency and environmental quality, at both field and river basin levels.

Keywords: Crop production; Nitrogen-use efficiency; Selke Basin; Sustainable intensification; Water quality and quantity indicators; Water-use efficiency.