Legume-rice rotations increase rice yields and carbon sequestration potential globally

Abstract

Rice feeds half of the world’s population but faces the pressures of yield demand under increasing environmental and climate pressures. Diversified cropping systems such as legume-based rotations may be a viable solution, but rice yield responses and environmental implications have not been synthesized globally. Here, based on 1,483 data pairs covering 17 major rice production countries worldwide, we revealed that legume inclusion increased subsequent rice yields by an average of 15.7% globally. Yield gains were more pronounced under conservation tillage (+58.4%) than conventional tillage (+13.9%). These benefits decline with nitrogen fertilizer inputs, initial crop diversity, and current rice yield levels. When considering trade-offs, integrating legumes in rice rotations results in win-win benefits for rice yields and an increased soil organic carbon content in 65.8% of all cases. These findings highlight the potential of legume inclusion to not only enhance rice yields but also foster soil carbon sequestration, thereby paving the way for sustainable rice production with the added potential to mitigate climate change.