Integrated bio-straw resources and chemical fertilizer management for food and environmental security in Chinese wheat-based production

• Published in: Environmental research Vol. 277; p. 121581
• Main Authors: Lu, Dianjun, Li, Dongxue, Hou, Peng
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Netherlands Elsevier Inc 15.07.2025
• Subjects: Agriculture - methods; Carbohydrate accumulation and partition; Carbon emissions; China; China's wheat systems; Fertilizers; Food Security; Life cycle assessment; Straw recycling and burning; Triticum - growth & development; China; Life cycle assessment; Carbohydrate accumulation and partition; China's wheat systems; Straw recycling and burning; Carbon emissions
• ISSN: 0013-9351; 1096-0953; 1096-0953
• DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2025.121581

High environmental costs can be incurred in wheat-based agricultural systems (WBASs), from wheat grain production to straw management. Carbohydrate accumulation and partitioning determine the grain and straw yields, and the related food security and environmental cost in the whole system. We systemically investigated the wheat carbohydrate partitioning pattern to develop the new regional grain/straw yield models for China. Based on the newly developed models and a life cycle assessment, we assessed the carbon (C) mitigation potential for different grain yield increases scenarios. When the grain yield increased by > 9 t ha−1, more carbohydrates were allocated to aboveground straw. Grain carbohydrate partitions could be significantly diminished by cultivar types, inappropriate N supply, modest early sowing, and manure addition, particularly in central China where total biomass and harvest index (HI) are highest. Combined with national farmers survey campaign, the estimated straw yield was overestimated by 30.2 %, 29.3 %, and 23.5 % by official figures and other meta-analyses value using a fixed HI regardless of grain yield levels in North China Plain (NCP), Yangtze River Plain (YR), and southwest (SW) regions, respectively. The estimated C emissions from straw management (recycling and open-field burning) were 1.3–13.2 times lower than for grain production in the northeast (NE), northwest (NW), NCP, and SW regions, but were 26.7 % greater in the YR. A scenario analysis suggested that the estimated C mitigation potential was in the range of 5.4–57.6 % through the region-specific integrated straw resources and chemical fertilizer management, while the grain yield simultaneously increased by more than 30 %. The environmental cost of the WBASs should be significantly reduced based on the region-specific optimal combination of inorganic resource inputs, straw management, and balanced carbohydrate partitioning, which would simultaneously further enhance the grain yield potential. This conceptual framework could serve as a reference for simultaneously ensuring food and environmental security apart from China and wheat agricultural systems. •The regional wheat grain/straw databases in China was established.•As Wheat grain yield increases, carbohydrate was allocated more to straw part.•The estimated C emissions in wheat-based production were compared using different grain/straw models.•Estimated C mitigation potential was up to 57.6 % by integrated bio-straw and chemical fertilizer management.