Adapting to climate change in semiarid regions via conservation measures: climate-smart crop rotations of food legumes in cool seasons

The high potential of evapotranspiration, unsuitable soil conditions, irregular distribution of rainfall, and ineffective techniques of soil moisture conservation are among the limitations of semiarid regions of Central and West Asia and North Africa (CWANA), and they have intensified during recent decades with climate change. CWANA’s agroecosystems are fragile and highly vulnerable to the consequences of global warming and aggravation of water scarcity, and need to redefine agroclimatic zoning. Winter cereals are the predominant crops in the region of CWANA. The highest amount of cultivation is allocated to societies with dominant rainfed agriculture, which is often not economically profitable. The studied areas are faced with serious constraints during warm months, such as critical water scarcity, dry spells during grain filling of winter cereals, decline in the organic matter of soil, decreased soil water holding capacity, prolonged aridity, soil erosion, and application of outdated supplemental irrigation methods. The inclusion of these winter crops in rotation minimizes the need for mineral fertilizers as fixed nitrogen becomes available for the next crops. This review highlights the urgent need to adopt climate-smart agricultural practices such as integrating winter food legumes in crop rotation in semiarid regions to enhance food security and sustainability. By integrating such climate-smart crops into rotation farmers can not only improve soil health and moisture retention but also mitigate the adverse effects of shifts in the average weather patterns on wheat production. However, challenges such as the breeding of cold-resistant cultivars resistant to snow mould, legumes with active growth during winter rains and with the precise vernalization requirement, and providing the hardware and scientific platform for farmers to optimize yield and resilience in the face of increasing climate challenges remain for further research.