Grain Yield Stability of Cereal-Legume Intercrops Is Greater Than Sole Crops in More Productive Conditions

Martin Weih, Alison J. Karley, Adrian C. Newton, Lars P. Kiær, Christoph Scherber, Diego Rubiales, Eveline Adam, James Ajal, Jana Brandmeier, Silvia Pappagallo, Angel Villegas-Fernández, Moritz Reckling and Stefano Tavoletti
Additional contact information
Martin Weih: Department of Crop Production Ecology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU), 75007 Uppsala, Sweden
Alison J. Karley: Ecological Sciences Department, The James Hutton Institute, Dundee DD2 5DA, UK
Adrian C. Newton: Ecological Sciences Department, The James Hutton Institute, Dundee DD2 5DA, UK
Lars P. Kiær: Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of Copenhagen, 1871 Frederiksberg, Denmark
Christoph Scherber: Research Group Animal Ecology and Multitrophic Interactions, Institute of Landscape Ecology, University of Münster, 48149 Münster, Germany
Diego Rubiales: Instituto de Agricultura Sostenible, Consejo Superior de Investigationes Científicas, Avenida Menéndez Pidal s/n, Campus Alameda del Obispo, 14004 Córdoba, Spain
Eveline Adam: Saatzucht Gleisdorf GmbH, Am Tieberhof 33, 8200 Gleisdorf, Austria
James Ajal: Department of Crop Production Ecology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU), 75007 Uppsala, Sweden
Jana Brandmeier: Research Group Animal Ecology and Multitrophic Interactions, Institute of Landscape Ecology, University of Münster, 48149 Münster, Germany
Silvia Pappagallo: Research Group Animal Ecology and Multitrophic Interactions, Institute of Landscape Ecology, University of Münster, 48149 Münster, Germany
Angel Villegas-Fernández: Instituto de Agricultura Sostenible, Consejo Superior de Investigationes Científicas, Avenida Menéndez Pidal s/n, Campus Alameda del Obispo, 14004 Córdoba, Spain
Moritz Reckling: Department of Crop Production Ecology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU), 75007 Uppsala, Sweden
Stefano Tavoletti: Department of Agricultural, Food and Environmental Sciences, Università Politecnica delle Marche, 60131 Ancona, Italy

Agriculture, 2021, vol. 11, issue 3, 1-18

Abstract: The intercropping of two or more crop species on the same piece of land at a given time has been hypothesized to enhance crop yield stability. To address this hypothesis, we assessed the grain yield stability of various barley-pea and wheat-faba bean mixtures grown in seven experimental field trials (locations) across Europe during two years with contrasting weather (2017 and 2018). Three different yield stability measures were used, all based on the expected yield variability of the mixture components grown as sole crops, and the corresponding observed yield variability of the same components grown in 50:50 mixtures in a replacement design. Stability indices were calculated as ratios between the expected and observed variabilities, with values > 1 indicating greater stability of the intercrops. Mean grain yields tended to be higher in intercrops than sole crops. However, in contrast to our hypothesis, the observed (intercrop) yield stability was similar or lower than the expected (sole crop) stability in most locations except one. Furthermore, yield stability significantly increased with increasing mean yields when assessed across differentially productive locations. The results are relevant for the designing of intercropping systems as a means to increase yield stability and the resilience of cropping systems.

Keywords: barley ( Hordeum vulgare ); crop diversification; faba bean ( Vicia faba ); pea ( Pisum sativum ); wheat ( Triticum aestivum ); yield stability; intercropping (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q1 Q10 Q11 Q12 Q13 Q14 Q15 Q16 Q17 Q18 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (7)

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