Positive effects of mixed crops

[Gloria]

Plant communities produce greater yield than monocultures | Science Codex

Paving the way for sustainable agriculture and forestry

Today, biodiversity is primarily associated with pure conservation, the preservation of species and genetic diversity.

"The research results reveal that diversity enables the functionality of the ecosystems to be stabilized at a high level in the course of time and in different environments," concludes Schmid. He is convinced that the results published in the science journal Nature, coupled with the findings from his earlier research projects, can trigger a paradigm shift in agriculture in the long run.

After all, the positive effects of mixed crops are not just evident in plant communities like meadows and forests, but also in the mixed cultivation of different varieties or genotypes of a single crop such as wheat.


"Plant breeding and cultivation methods should therefore be geared towards mixtures instead of improving the output of monocultures," says the ecologist from UZH.

The fact that more sustainable farming will also be promoted in the process because mixtures require less pest control and utilize fertilizers more effectively is a welcome bonus.

Source: University of Zurich

[EllenW]

I think that makes a lot of sense. I was told long ago to plant a variety of things on my property for good pest management. The same would apply to farmers. It would be a little extra work for them but so beneficial.