Co-designing strip cropping of oilseed rape and wheat to promote ecosystem services and reduce the dependency on external inputs

During the last century, agricultural intensification with the high use of external inputs has increased food production.

However, this input-based intensification has caused substantial loss of biodiversity and contributed to change in climate, soil, air and water quality.

There is a need to develop multi-functional cropping systems that will not only meet the food demand, but also improves environment and farmer’s economy.

The aim of this project to co-design agro-ecological cropping systems based on strip cropping of winter oilseed rape (WOSR) and winter wheat (WW), with and without intercropped winter pea, to exploit the benefits of crop diversity for increasing biodiversity and reducing external inputs but with maintained/improved yields.

We will evaluate the effects of strips, and intercropping in the strips with legume (pea) on biological control of pests, weeds and diseases, beneficial organisms and crop-crop interactions to field spatial conditions (soil, elevation) for efficient use of light, water and nutrients.

These innovative systems will be co-designed with stakeholders, tested in farmers’ fields and research station in three growing seasons, and co-assessed for sustainability using a multi-criteria sustainability assessment tool based on DeXIPM.

Using participatory approach will hybridize knowledge and experiences of various stakeholders for developing locally relevant systems and speed-up the transition to sustainable farming practices.