Quantifying the impact of no-tillage practices on wind erosion dust emissions and regional particulate matter pollution using WEPS–WRF/Chem modeling

Wind erosion of cropland soils releases substantial dust emissions, exacerbating atmospheric particulate matter pollution. Dust emissions from cropland wind erosion have become a significant source of atmospheric particulate matter. Although no-tillage practices have been shown to reduce dust emissions and support agricultural productivity, the specific quantitative impacts of different tillage regimes on cropland dust emissions and ambient particulate matter concentrations remain insufficiently understood. Considering this, this study couples the WEPS and WRF/Chem models to quantitatively assess the impact of different tillage practices on wind erosion dust emissions from cropland and atmospheric particulate matter concentrations. The method is demonstrated through a case study in Kaifeng, comparing conventional tillage and no-tillage practices. The results indicate that no-tillage measures reduce PM2.5 and PM10 emissions from wind erosion of cropland soils by 6,639 tons and 22,130 tons, respectively, accounting for 60.8% of emissions under conventional tillage. Additionally, PM2.5 and PM10 concentrations are reduced by 11.43 μg m-3 and 12.12 μg m-3, corresponding to 13.42% and 12.57% reductions, respectively. This indicates that no-tillage substantially mitigates wind erosion dust emissions and improves regional air quality. The proposed approach provides methodological and technical support for evaluating the influence of various tillage practices on wind erosion dust emissions and ambient particulate matter levels.