Field showing ’strip cropping’ where strips of winter wheat alternate with strips of winter rapeseed. Photo: Uwe Holst
Field showing 'strip cropping' where strips of winter wheat alternate with strips of winter rapeseed. Photo: Uwe Holst Göttingen University agroecology researchers evaluate effects with a meta-analysis The global decline in biodiversity is serious. Agricultural land use is a major contributor - especially farming single crops on a massive scale. Mixing crops can counteract this: in fields where different crops grow at the same time, there are more beneficial insects and spiders than in monocultures. At the same time, there are fewer pests. Researchers at the University of Göttingen show this through a systematic literature review and statistical meta-analysis. They found that it is particularly advantageous when cereals and legumes are combined and planted in strips or rows.
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