More beneficial insects and fewer pests in mixed crops

Field with winter wheat and winter rapeseed. Photo: Uwe Holst Researchers evaluate the benefits compared to monocultures with a meta-analysis The global decline in biodiversity is serious. Agricultural land use is a major contributor - especially the large-scale cultivation of individual crops in monocultures. Mixed crops can counteract this: There are more beneficial arthropods, such as insects and spiders, in fields where different crops grow simultaneously than in monocultures. At the same time, fewer pests occur. Researchers at the University of Göttingen found this out with a systematic literature and statistical meta-analysis. It is particularly advantageous when cereals and legumes are combined and planted in strip or row cropping.