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WatEff_ZALF - Arable crop production with efficient use of water and nutrients considering changing rainfall patterns in northeast Germany

Project


Project code: ZALF-801
Contract period: 01.07.2012 - 31.12.2015
Purpose of research: Basic research

Rainfall in northeast Germany is expected to shift from the summer months to the winter months. In addition, intense rain is expected to occur more frequently all year-round. A temperature-related increase in evaporation is likely to lead to a further reduction in water availability during the main vegetation period, increasing the risk of yield decline in arable farming. Climate change also has direct and indirect impacts on soil nutrient fluxes, the CO2 balance and groundwater. Large parts of northeast Germany, which are already characterised by light soils and the occurrence of summer drought, will be particularly affected by this development. At the same time, it can be assumed that cropping will be intensified to increase land productivity in order to satisfy a growing demand for agricultural products. ​Objectives and research questions Analysis of the effects of plant cultivation adaptation under changing annual rainfall distribution against the backdrop of the expected intensification of production to secure agricultural farms Examination of the effects such adaptations have on agro-ecosystems (soil, groundwater, regional evapotranspiration) In parallel to investigating the effects of agronomic adaptation to climate change and to the need for greater intensification, WatEff_ZALF also explores the consequences of such adaptations for agro-ecosystems. Studies focus on “dynamic cropping systems”, which present a variety of combinations concerning crop rotation, water supply and soil tillage. The primary objective is to secure stable yields in the long-term. To accomplish this, the required resources (irrigation water, nutrients) must be used efficiently while minimising negative effects on the environment. This CP explores research questions on the extent to which not only crop water supply but also soil-matter dynamics can be optimised by targeted irrigation management. In addition, the extent to which leached nutrients can be recycled by extracting groundwater as irrigation water is being explored. Gained data series and the knowledge on processes will be used for modelling purposes to finally allow a transfer of the findings to the scale of landscapes. Besides the analysis of yield data, nutrient translocations and groundwater recharge, the precipitation-dependent processes of erosion and siltation will be investigated as well.

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