Intercropping cereals with faba bean reduces plant disease incidence regardless of fertilizer input; a meta-analysis

Abstract

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Does reduced intraspecific competition of the dominant species in intercrops allow for a higher population density?

“…The land equivalent ratio, a measure for land use efficiency of intercropping, ranges globally from 1.22 to 1.32 as shown in meta‐analyses (Yu et al., 2015; Martin‐Guay et al., 2018; Xu et al., 2020). Intercropping can also improve nutrient cycling and build‐up of organic soil carbon and nitrogen (Bedoussac et al., 2015; Cong et al., 2015) and reduce severity of pests, diseases, and weeds (Boudreau, 2013; Liebman & Dyck, 1993; Risch, 1983; Zhang, Dong, et al, 2019; Zhang, Zhang, Sun, et al, 2019). Furthermore, the intercropping practice reduces risk of crop failure (Giller, 2001).…”

Intercropping legumes and cereals increases phosphorus use efficiency; a meta-analysis

“…nitrogen fertilizer) and its potential for land sparing (Yu et al 2015;Martin-Guay et al 2018;Li et al 2020a, b). Furthermore, intercropping suppresses pests and diseases (Trenbath 1993;Boudreau 2013;Zhang et al 2019) and it can increase soil organic matter and retention of N in agricultural systems (Cong et al 2015). Therefore, intercropping could play a role in the sustainable intensification of agriculture (Tilman 2020).…”

Designing Diversified Cropping Systems in China: Theory, Approaches and Implementation

“…In terms of economic benefits, diversified/mixed farming achieves economic growth in three main ways: (1) reasonable introduction of high-value crops and animal production benefits brought about by growing diversified feed crops [30][31][32] ; (2) application of intercropping and rotation can reduce agrochemical inputs and increase income [20,21] ; and (3) adaptation in extreme climates and avoidance of variable market conditions [33] . With respect to the ecological benefits, the mechanisms for diversified crop farms to achieve efficient resource use and eco-environmental friendliness mainly include: (1) diversified cropping systems that include, for example, crop rotations, intercropping and cover crops can contribute to pathogen, pest and weed control [34][35][36][37][38][39][40] and soil fertility increase, reducing the inputs of pesticides and fertilizers in farm production and mitigating negative environmental impacts [41] ; (2) the optimization and adjustment of the spatial and temporal layout of crops can overcome the resource constraints at a whole farm scale to achieve efficient use of agricultural resources [42] ; and (3) mixed farms can achieve efficient nutrient cycling, increase soil organic matter content and reduce nutrient loss [43] . In terms of social benefits, diversified cropping systems can produce a range of plant-derived foods and provide multiple dietary options on the farm, thereby ensuring the food and nutrition security of farmers [44] .…”