Alley Cropping Mitigates the Impacts of Climate Change on a Wheat Crop in a Mediterranean Environment: A Biophysical Model-Based Assessment
2021
Francesco Reyes | Marie Gosme | Kevin J. Wolz | Isabelle Lecomte | Christian Dupraz
Introduction: Climate change (CC) and the increased occurrence of extreme climatic events pose a serious threat to crop yields and their stability worldwide. This study analyzed the CC mitigation potential of an alley cropping system on crop physiological stresses and growth as compared to a monoculture system. Materials and Methods: Growth of winter durum wheat, cultivated alone (agriculture) and in combination with hybrid walnut (agroforestry), was simulated with the Hi-sAFe agroforestry model, as driven by business-as-usual Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) projections, split into three scenarios, representing <i>Past</i> (1951–1990), <i>Present</i> (1991–2030), and <i>Future</i> (2031–2070) climatic conditions. Crop growth and the occurrence of thermal, nitrogen, and water stresses were analyzed. Results: Cold-related stresses were modest in <i>Past</i> and almost disappeared over time. Heat, drought, and nitrogen stresses increased about twofold from <i>Past</i> to <i>Future</i>, but were reduced by 20–35% in agroforestry, already with medium-sized trees (diameter at breast height (DBH) of about 10–15 cm). Crop yields in agriculture increased from <i>Past</i> to the end of <i>Present</i> and then remained stable. This moderately decreased with tree age in agroforestry (especially in <i>Future</i>). Discussion: The impact of CC on the crop was buffered in agroforestry, especially for the most extreme climatic events. The mitigation of crop microclimate and the increased stability of crop yields highlight the potential of agroforestry as a CC adaptation strategy.
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