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Soil texture

Our hypotheses

Legume-cereal intercropping

  • Increases land equivalent ratio (LER; i.e. the relative land area required under soil cropping to produce the same yield as under intercropping).
  • Reduces the need for pesticides by suppressing weed, pest and soil-borne pathogens, while promoting beneficial species.
  • Reduces the need for fertilizers by improving soil health and increasing below ground diversity and functionality.
  • Keeps soil element cycles tight and close nutrient gaps.
  • Reduces greenhouse gas emissions.
  • Improves the resilience of cropping systems to climate variability

To test these hypotheses, we will investigate the effects intercropping has on

  • crop yield (quantity and quality),
  • soil health and functionality,
  • composition and functionality of the soil microbiome,
  • pests and diseases, and
  • greenhouse gas emissions.

To address these questions, we will collect data from seven research field trials across Europe.