’Asynchrony’ important in crop diversity for global food security

A landscape in Australia shaped by many agricultural cultures. Photo: water.alternatives Research team with participation of the University of Göttingen analyses ways to ensure food supply Ensuring global food security is a key challenge, especially because of the challenges of climate change and increasing demand from a population expected to reach almost ten billion. A high diversity of crops can help ensure food security in agriculture. But this diversity alone is not enough. It also depends on -asynchrony- or how the timing to sow or harvest crops differs in its distribution across the seasons, writes a research team with the participation of the University of Göttingen . Crop diversity is an important factor in maintaining agricultural production. A greater number of different crops reduces the risk of a complete crop failure, for instance if individual crops are affected by plant diseases, pest infestations or extreme weather such as drought.