Chadfield, V.G.A., Hartley, S.E. orcid.org/0000-0002-5117-687X and Redeker, K.R. orcid.org/0000-0002-1903-2286 (2022) Associational resistance through intercropping reduces yield losses to soil‐borne pests and diseases. New Phytologist, 235 (6). pp. 2393-2405. ISSN 0028-646X
Abstract
Associational resistance to herbivore and pathogen attack is a well documented ecological phenomenon and, if applied to agriculture, may reduce impact of pests and diseases on crop yields without recourse to pesticides.
The value of associational resistance through intercropping, planting multiple crops alongside each other, as a sustainable control method remains unclear, due to variable outcomes reported in the published literature. We performed a meta-analysis to provide a quantitative assessment of benefits of intercropping for target plant resistance to plant-parasitic nematodes and soil-borne diseases.
We found that intercropping reduced damage to focal crops from nematodes by 40% and disease incidence by 55%. Intercropping efficacy varied with biological variables, such as field fertilisation status and intercrop family, and methodology, including whether study samples were potted or in fields.
Nematode control using intercropping was sufficient to offset reductions in focal crop yield from intercrop presence, making intercropping a viable agricultural tool. We identify key drivers for underpinning the success of intercropping and indicate areas for future research to improve efficacy. This study also highlights the potential benefits of harnessing ecological knowledge on plant–enemy interactions for improving agricultural and landscape sustainability.
Metadata
Item Type: | Article |
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Authors/Creators: |
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Copyright, Publisher and Additional Information: | © 2022 The Authors. New Phytologist © 2022 New Phytologist Foundation. This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. |
Keywords: | agroecology; associational resistance; co-crops; ecological interactions; meta-analysis; meta-regression; nematodes; pathogen; Agriculture; Crops, Agricultural; Soil; Soil Microbiology |
Dates: |
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Institution: | The University of Sheffield |
Academic Units: | The University of Sheffield > Vice-Chancellor's Office (Sheffield) |
Funding Information: | Funder Grant number Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council BB/K020463/1 |
Depositing User: | Symplectic Sheffield |
Date Deposited: | 11 Sep 2024 10:03 |
Last Modified: | 11 Sep 2024 10:03 |
Status: | Published |
Publisher: | Wiley |
Refereed: | Yes |
Identification Number: | 10.1111/nph.18302 |
Related URLs: | |
Sustainable Development Goals: | |
Open Archives Initiative ID (OAI ID): | oai:eprints.whiterose.ac.uk:216896 |