Residual nitrogen for succeeding crops in legume-based cropping system

Abstract

A number of challenges will face the world in the years to come, including food security, climate change risks, and increasing demand for energy. Therefore, agriculture and food systems are increasingly focused on producing sustainably. By delivering multiple services in line with sustainability principles, legume crops could play a significant role in this context. In addition, legumes are also potentially competitive crops, which are useful for increasing crop diversity and reducing the use of external inputs in modern cropping systems due to their environmental and socioeconomic benefits. In a cropping system involving legumes most important aspect is N balance which summarizes the complex N inflow and outflow of the system. Legumes hold potential to variegate cropping systems, restore inter-related biodiversity, and assist break-crops. The key part of the residual N is obtained from rhizodeposition and recoverable debris which become part of the active soil organic matter pool that derives the N pool in soil for the long term. The ability of legumes to fix atmospheric nitrogen as well as produce biomass and sequester carbon (C) is a crucial factor in reducing greenhouse gases emissions. Therefore, legumes have been envisioned as a solution for decreasing nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions. The foremost goal of writing this review article is to have an enhanced interpretation of nitrogen dynamics, its residual effect, increase its use efficiency under diverse agroclimatic conditions, its influence on C stabilization, climate change, and enhance soil health by stimulating microbial activity and biomass. In fact, legumes are expected to play an increasingly critical role over the coming decades. © 2022 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.