Intensive agriculture has major negative impacts on ecosystem diversity and functioning, including that of soils. The associated reduction soil biodiversity essential functions, such as nutrient cycling, can restrict plant growth crop yield. By increasing in agricultural systems, intercropping could be a promising way to foster microbial functioning. However, plant–microbe interactions the extent which they influence yield under field conditions are still poorly understood. In this study, we...

Abstract Studies of stable isotopes water in the environment have been fundamental to advancing our understanding how moves through soil–plant–atmosphere continuum; however, much this research focuses on vary time, rather than space. We examined spatial variation δ 18 O and 2 H throughfall bulk soil water, as well branch xylem leaf Picea abies (Norway spruce) Fagus sylvatica (beech), a 1‐ha forest plot northern Alps Switzerland. Means ranges isotope ratios varied considerably among...

Abstract Implementing sustainable weed control strategies is a major challenge in agriculture. Intercropping offers potential solution to pressure by reducing the resources available for weeds; however, research on relationship between crop diversity and its consequences yield not yet fully conclusive. In this study, we performed an extensive intercropping experiment using eight species 40 different mixtures examine how affects communities subsequent changes weeds influence yield. Mesocosm...

Abstract Inspired by grassland biodiversity experiments studying the impact of plant diversity on primary productivity, Crop Diversity Experiment setup in 2018 aimed at testing whether these benefits also hold for annual crop systems and mixtures achieved transgressive overyielding, i.e. yield mixture that was higher than most productive monoculture. The first 3 years experiment demonstrated do not only increase compared with an average monoculture but often highest yielding effects were...

Intercropping, i.e., the simultaneous cultivation of different crops on same field, has demonstrated yield advantages compared to monoculture cropping. These have often been attributed complementary resource use, but few studies quantified temporal complementarity nutrient acquisition and biomass production. Our understanding how uptake rates nitrogen (N) phosphorous (P) accumulation change throughout growing season between neighbors is limited. We conducted weekly destructive harvests...

Increasing biodiversity generally enhances productivity through selection and complementarity effects not only in natural, but also agricultural, systems. However, the quest to explain why diverse cropping systems are more productive than monocultures remains a central goal agricultural science. In mesocosm experiment, we constructed monocultures, two- four-species mixtures from eight crop species with or without fertilizer both temperate Switzerland dry, Mediterranean Spain. We measured...

By capitalising on positive biodiversity-productivity relationships, intercropping provides opportunities to improve agricultural sustainability. Intercropping is generally implemented using commercial seeds that were bred for maximal productivity in monocultures, thereby ignoring the ability of plants adapt over generations surrounding neighbourhood, notably through increased complementarity, reduced competition or facilitation. This why monoculture-adapted might limit benefits crop...

Abstract Higher plant species diversity decreases variability of community productivity. The stabilizing effect can result from species‐specific responses to environmental fluctuations and shifts in competitive hierarchies. Evolutionary adaptation surrounding could further decrease productivity variability. We used a three‐year dataset crop experiment with seven assess the selection history on temporal yield. found contrasting patterns variability: Yield varied more mixtures than...

Abstract Introduction Intercropping systems can be more productive than their respective monocultures and this positive net biodiversity effect is caused by complementarity selection effects. While the through resource partitioning or facilitation, operates via greater probability that a diverse community contains dominant high‐yielding species which will account for majority of productivity in community. Here, we investigated how light‐use‐related traits contribute to effects these...

Intercropping, by capitalizing on positive biodiversity–productivity relationships, represents a promising option to increase agricultural sustainability. However, the complexity and context-dependency of plant–plant interactions can make it challenging for farmers find suitable crop combinations. Furthermore, intercropping is usually implemented with standard inter-row spacing plant densities based monoculture practices, which might not be ideal configuration maximize yield. Here we present...

Abstract Resource allocation to reproduction is a critical trait for plant fitness 1,2 . This trait, called harvest index in the agricultural context 3–5 , determines how biomass converted seed yield and consequently financial revenue of numerous major staple crops. While diversity has been demonstrated increase 6–8 effects on crops are ambiguous 9 discrepancy could be explained through changes proportion resources invested into response diversity, namely species interactions...

Abstract. Coastal seas may account for more than 75 % of global oceanic methane emissions. There, is mainly produced microbially in anoxic sediments from where it can escape to the overlying water column. Aerobic oxidation (MOx) column acts as a biological filter reducing amount that eventually evades atmosphere. The efficiency MOx potentially controlled by availability dissolved and oxygen, well temperature, salinity, hydrographic dynamics, all these factors undergo strong temporal...

Implementing sustainable weed control strategies is a major challenge in agriculture. Intercropping offers potential solution to pressure by reducing the niche space available for weeds; however, research on relationship between crop diversity and pressure, its consequences yield not fully conclusive yet. In this study, we performed an extensive intercropping experiment using eight species 40 different mixtures examine how affects communities subsequent changes weeds influence yield. Field...

Summary Increasing biodiversity generally enhances productivity through selection and complementarity effects not only in natural but also agricultural systems. However, explaining why diversity remains a central goal science. In field experiment, we constructed monocultures, 2- 4-species mixtures from eight crop species with without fertilizer both temperate Switzerland semi-arid Spain. We measured environmental factors plant traits related these structural equation models to explain yield...

Summary Intensive agriculture has major negative impacts on ecosystem diversity and functioning, including that of soils. The associated reduction soil biodiversity essential functions, such as nutrient cycling, can restrict plant growth crop yield. By increasing in agricultural systems, intercropping could be a promising way to foster microbial functioning. However, plant–microbe interactions the extent which they influence yield under field conditions are still poorly understood. In this...

Abstract - Intercropping, i.e. the simultaneous cultivation of different crops on same field, has demonstrated yield advantages compared to monoculture cropping. These have often been attributed complementary resource use, but few studies quantified temporal complementarity nutrient acquisition and biomass production. Our understanding how uptake rates nitrogen (N) phosphorous (P) accumulation change throughout growing season between neighbors is limited. We conducted weekly destructive...

Summary By capitalising on positive biodiversity-productivity relationships, intercropping provides opportunities to improve agricultural sustainability 1 . However, is generally implemented using commercial seeds that were bred for maximal productivity in monocultures, which might limit the benefits of crop diversity yield 2,3 Plants can adapt over generations level surrounding plant diversity, notably through increases niche differentiation 4 this adaptation potential and corresponding...