Modifying root systems by crop breeding has been attracting increasing attention as a potentially effective strategy to enhance the sustainability of agriculture by increasing soil organic matter (SOM) stocks and soil quality, whilst maintaining or even improving yields. We used the new soil‐crop model USSF (Uppsala model of Soil Structure and Function) to investigate the potential of this management strategy using winter wheat as a model crop. USSF combines a simple (generic) crop growth model with physics‐based descriptions of soil water flow, water uptake and transpiration by plants. It also includes a model of the interactions between soil structure dynamics and organic matter turnover that considers the effects of physical protection and microbial priming on the decomposition of SOM. The model was first calibrated against field data on soil water contents and both above‐ground and root biomass of winter wheat measured during one growing season in a clay soil in Uppsala, Sweden using the GLUE method to identify five ‘acceptable’ parameter sets. We created four model crops (ideotypes) by modifying root‐related parameters to mimic winter wheat phenotypes with improved root traits. Long‐term (30‐year) simulations of a conventionally tilled monoculture of winter wheat were then performed to evaluate the potential effects of cultivating these ideotypes on the soil water balance, soil organic matter stocks and grain yields. Our results showed that ideotypes with deeper root systems or root systems that are more effective for water uptake increased grain yields by 3% and SOM stocks in the soil profile by ca. 0.4%–0.5% in a 30‐year perspective (as an average of the five parameter sets). An ideotype in which below‐ground allocation of dry matter was increased at the expense of stem growth gave even larger increases in SOM stocks (ca. 1.4%). An ideotype combining all three modifications (deeper and more effective root systems and greater root production) showed even more promising results: compared with the baseline scenario, surface runoff decreased while yields were predicted to increase by ca. 7% and SOM stocks in the soil profile by ca. 2%, which is roughly equivalent to ca. 20% of the 4‐per‐mille target (https://4p1000.org/).

中文翻译：

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通过改变根系性状提高耕作系统的可持续性：冬小麦的建模研究


通过作物育种改变根系作为一种潜在有效的策略，通过增加土壤有机质 (SOM) 储量和土壤质量，同时保持甚至提高产量来增强农业的可持续性，已引起越来越多的关注。我们使用新的土壤作物模型 USSF（乌普萨拉土壤结构和功能模型）来研究这种使用冬小麦作为模型作物的管理策略的潜力。 USSF 将简单（通用）作物生长模型与土壤水流、植物吸水和蒸腾作用的基于物理学的描述相结合。它还包括土壤结构动力学和有机质周转之间相互作用的模型，该模型考虑了物理保护和微生物引发对 SOM 分解的影响。该模型首先根据土壤水分含量以及冬小麦在一个生长季节在瑞典乌普萨拉粘土中测量的地上生物量和根生物量的现场数据进行校准，使用 GLUE 方法确定五个“可接受的”参数集。我们通过修改与根相关的参数来模拟具有改善的根性状的冬小麦表型，创建了四种模型作物（理想型）。然后对传统耕作的冬小麦单一栽培进行长期（30 年）模拟，以评估种植这些意识形态对土壤水平衡、土壤有机质储量和粮食产量的潜在影响。我们的结果表明，具有更深根系或对吸水更有效的根系的理想型可使谷物产量增加 3%，土壤剖面中的 SOM 储量增加约 1%。从 30 年的角度来看，为 0.4%–0.5%（作为五个参数集的平均值）。 在以牺牲茎生长为代价增加地下干物质分配的理想型中，SOM 储量的增加甚至更大（约 1.4%）。结合所有三种修改（更深、更有效的根系和更高的根系产量）的理想型显示出更有希望的结果：与基线情景相比，地表径流减少，而产量预计增加约。 7%，土壤剖面中的 SOM 储量约为 7%。 2%，大致相当于约。每千人 4 人目标的 20%（ https://4p1000.org/ ）。