SynthesisNature communications2022
Global systematic review with meta-analysis reveals yield advantage of legume-based rotations and its drivers.
Synthesis in Nature communications, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 39 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
39 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.
- Meta-analysis shows that planting nitrogen-fixing species increases soil organic carbon stock.Nature ecology & evolution · 2025Pooled it
- Crop rotations synergize yield, nutrition, and revenue: a meta-analysis.Nature communications · 2025Pooled it
- Progeny Differentiation in Faba Bean Using Hyperspectral Images and Machine Learning.Plant direct · 2026Article
- Crop legacies as genetic targets for sustainable farming systems.Nature genetics · 2026Review
- Rhizodeposition Drives One Third of Belowground Carbon Input in Agroecosystems.Advanced science (Weinheim, Baden-Wurttemberg, Germany) · 2026Article
- Beyond Nitrogen Fixation: Multifunctional Roles of Common Bean in Organic Agroecosystems and Ecosystem-Oriented Breeding Strategies.Plants (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Review
- Cereal-Legume Food Matrices as Functional Systems: Processing-Driven Synergies in Nutrition, Bioactive Compounds and Sensory Acceptability.Molecules (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Review
- Co-application of leguminous and non-leguminous green manures enhances subsequent wheat yield stability in saline-alkali soils.Frontiers in plant science · 2026Article
- Effects of legume-wheat rotation patterns on wheat yield, quality, and soil microbial community in the North China Plain.Frontiers in microbiology · 2026Article
- Rising Demand for Winter Crops Under Climate Change: Breeding for Winter Hardiness in Autumn-Sown Legumes.Life (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Review
- Phenotypic and genomic insights into alfalfa diversity: Identifying critical loci for enhanced resilience.The plant genome · 2025Article
- Molecular Network Analysis in Model and Non-Model Legumes: Challenges in Omics Data Interpretation Across Species, with a Focus onPlants (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Review
- Integrated strategies for enhancing agrifood productivity, lowering greenhouse gas emissions, and improving soil health.Innovation (Cambridge (Mass.)) · 2025Review
- Saline-alkali resilience: the role of Trametes NF1 in promoting alfalfa growth and salinity tolerance.International microbiology : the official journal of the Spanish Society for Microbiology · 2025Article
- How to harness the effects of exudates and microbes that support beneficial plant-plant interactions for sustainable agriculture.PLoS biology · 2025Review
- Legacy Effects of Different Preceding Crops on Grain Yield, Protein Fractions and Soil Nutrients in Subsequent Winter Wheat.Plants (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Article
- Genome-Wide Identification and Evolutionary Analysis of the GATA Transcription Factor Family in Nitrogen-Fixing Legumes.Plants (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Article
- Mobile gene clusters and coexpressed plant-rhizobium pathways drive partner quality variation in symbiosis.Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America · 2025Article
- Application of root exudates derived from peanut/maize intercropping system promotes peanut growth and yield via modulating nitrogen turnover processes.BMC plant biology · 2025Article
- The unexplored diversity of rough-seeded lupins provides rich genomic resources and insights into lupin evolution.Nature communications · 2025Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
9 authors.
Funding
Abstract
Diversified cropping systems, especially those including legumes, have been proposed to enhance food production with reduced inputs and environmental impacts. However, the impact of legume pre-crops on main crop yield and its drivers has never been systematically investigated in a global context. Here, we synthesize 11,768 yield observations from 462 field experiments comparing legume-based and non-legume cropping systems and show that legumes enhanced main crop yield by 20%. These yield advantages decline with increasing N fertilizer rates and crop diversity of the main cropping system. The yield benefits are consistent among main crops (e.g., rice, wheat, maize) and evident across pedo-climatic regions. Moreover, greater yield advantages (32% vs. 7%) are observed in low- vs. high-yielding environments, suggesting legumes increase crop production with low inputs (e.g., in Africa or organic agriculture). In conclusion, our study suggests that legume-based rotations offer a critical pathway for enhancing global crop production, especially when integrated into low-input and low-diversity agricultural systems.
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