Carbon, Water, and Light Use Efficiency Under Conservation Practice on Sloped Arable Land

Gergana Kuncheva, Atanas Z. Atanasov (), Milena Kercheva, Margaritka Filipova, Plamena D. Nikolova, Petar Nikolov, Valentin Vlăduț and Veselin Dochev
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Gergana Kuncheva: Institute of Soil Science, Agrotechnologies and Plant Protection “Nikola Poushkarov”, Agricultural Academy, 1331 Sofia, Bulgaria
Atanas Z. Atanasov: Department of Agricultural Machinery, Agrarian and Industrial Faculty, University of Ruse “Angel Kanchev”, 7017 Ruse, Bulgaria
Milena Kercheva: Institute of Soil Science, Agrotechnologies and Plant Protection “Nikola Poushkarov”, Agricultural Academy, 1331 Sofia, Bulgaria
Margaritka Filipova: Department of Heat, Hydraulics and Environmental Engineering, Agrarian and Industrial Faculty, University of Ruse “Angel Kanchev”, 7017 Ruse, Bulgaria
Plamena D. Nikolova: Department of Agricultural Machinery, Agrarian and Industrial Faculty, University of Ruse “Angel Kanchev”, 7017 Ruse, Bulgaria
Petar Nikolov: Institute of Soil Science, Agrotechnologies and Plant Protection “Nikola Poushkarov”, Agricultural Academy, 1331 Sofia, Bulgaria
Valentin Vlăduț: National Research—Development Institute for Machines and Installations Designed to Agriculture and Food Industry, 013813 Bucharest, Romania
Veselin Dochev: Department of Plant Protection, Botany and Zoology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Konstantin Preslavsky University of Shumen, 9700 Shumen, Bulgaria

Resources, 2025, vol. 14, issue 6, 1-19

Abstract: Agroecosystems play a key role in the global carbon cycle, with CO 2 exchange driven by photosynthesis and respiration. Indicators such as gross primary productivity (GPP), net primary productivity (NPP), and carbon, water, and light use efficiency (CUE, WUE, LUE) are essential for assessing resource use in agricultural systems. Conventional tillage depletes carbon, water, and nutrients, negatively impacting the environment, while conservation practices aim to improve soil health and biodiversity. This study evaluated the effects of a cover crop in a wheat–maize rotation on sloped arable land prone to water erosion. The experiment involved minimum contour tillage combined with cover cropping, and its impact on carbon balance components and resource use efficiency was assessed. The results demonstrated that the inclusion of a cover crop significantly improved GPP and NPP. Water and light use efficiency also increased, particularly in 2022 and 2023, which were characterized by summer drought. However, carbon use efficiency remained unchanged over the study period. These findings highlight the potential of conservation practices, such as cover cropping and reduced tillage, to enhance productivity and resource efficiency in sloped agricultural landscapes under water stress conditions.

Keywords: water erosion; gross primary productivity; net primary productivity; carbon use efficiency; water use efficiency; light use efficiency (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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