Application of resource-environmental-economic perspective for optimal water and nitrogen rate under high-low seedbed cultivation in winter wheat

High-low seedbed cultivation (HLSC), a targeted agricultural method for increasing land utilization efficiency in North China Plain, has emerged as a key practice in enhancing sustainable agriculture, particularly in the context of the region’s unique ecological challenges and water scarcity. However, comprehensive analysis of resource-environment-economy for water and nitrogen strategy in HLSC-cultivated wheat was limited. A three-year field experiment with four nitrogen rates (360, 300, 240, and 180 kg ha−1, denoted as N1, N2, N3, and N4) and three irrigation quotas (120, 90, and 60 mm, referred to as W1, W2, and W3) was conducted to investigate effects of water and nitrogen rate on water productivity (WP), agronomic efficiency of nitrogen (AEN), energy use efficiency (EUE), carbon footprint (CF), water footprint (WF), nitrogen footprint (NF), and net benefits of HLSC-cultivated wheat. Results showed that the total energy output in moderate water and nitrogen input (i.e., N3W2) was 328.0×103 MJ ha−1, which was significantly increased by 31.8% compared with lower input (i.e., N4W3) but was decreased by 17.1% compared with higher input (i.e., N1W1). The total energy input, water consumption and grain yield in N3W2 was decreased by 22.3%, 14.4 and 4.1%, relative to N1W1, respectively, and increased by 18.2%, 20.8% and 42.2% relative to N4W3, respectively. This may lead to significant increase in EUE, WP, AEN and net income in N3W2. Furthermore, the CF, WF, and NF increased as the water and nitrogen input increased, whereas minimum CF, WF and NF per unit of yield was obtained N3/N4 or W1/W2 level. 240 kg N ha−1 coupled with 90–120 mm irrigation quota was recommended by TOPSIS for the HLSC-cultivated wheat to best trade-off resource use efficiencies, environmental footprints, and net benefits. Future studies are needed to further assess the scalability and adaptability of HLSC-cultivated wheat across different climatic zones and soil types.