Carbon footprint and yield performance assessment under plastic film mulching for winter wheat production

Abstract As the demand for cereals increases with the growth of the global population, wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) yield needs to be improved, and the environmental impacts of wheat production need to be lessened. Plastic film mulching (PFM) is becoming recognized as a strategy that guarantees the sustainability of water resources and food production. To date, insufficient attention has been paid to examining the carbon (C) footprint of the PFM practice. A six–year field experiment was conducted to identify the effects of PFM with supplementary irrigation and nitrogen (N) fertilizer application on grain yield, greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and the C footprint of winter wheat production. In comparison with conventional flat planting without mulch (CFP), the PFM strategy increased grain yield by 31.7% (P