Intercropping Allows for Insect Conservation Without Yield Loss

Sep 05, 2023

By Mareen Gerisch

How can we halt biodiversity declines? A new study led by the Leibniz Institute for the Analysis of Biodiversity Change (LIB) shows possible solutions for agricultural landscapes. The study shows that intercropping promotes the diversity of insects and other arthropods in agriculture without affecting yields. The study has now been published in the journal Ecological Solutions and Evidence.

Arthropods play a particularly important role in ecosystems. Until now, there has been a lack of strategic experiments on how arthropods develop in diverse crop environments and how they respond to the use of agrochemicals. Experiments in arable farming have now shown that higher plant biodiversity has a positive effect on the species-rich group of organisms that includes insects, millipedes, crustaceans and arachnids.

In the study, researchers from the LIB, the University of Münster and the University of Bonn investigated how crop diversity and species, as well as the use of agrochemicals—each in different combinations and with different factors—affect arthropod biodiversity. In addition, weeds and crop biomass were measured.

The results show that higher crop diversity in intercropping had a positive effect on arthropod abundance and diversity, irrespective of land use intensity. Mixed crops with faba bean, seed flax or spring rape showed a particularly high arthropod biodiversity. This also shows that mass flowering crops were more attractive to arthropods than legumes or cereals.

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Video: We’ll NEVER Use These Grain Bins Again!

A huge change is happening on the farm — our new grain bin has officially arrived, and that means we’ll never use some of our old grain bins again. In today's video, we take delivery of the new grain bin, look back at the old bins that have been part of our farm for years, and talk about why this upgrade is such a big deal for harvest, grain storage, and the future of our family farm.

This is more than just a grain bin delivery. It’s the end of an era and the start of a major farm upgrade that will completely change how we handle corn during harvest. From old grain storage to a brand-new bin setup, this project is one of the biggest improvements we’ve made at the farm.

Join me as the new grain bin shows up, the bin project continues, and we prepare for a new chapter in harvest efficiency on our Minnesota family farm.