Can legume companion plants control weeds without decreasing crop yield? A meta-analysis

Verret, Valentin; Gardarin, Antoine; Pelzer, Elise; Médiène, Safia; Makowski, David; Valantin‐Morison, Muriel

doi:10.1016/j.fcr.2017.01.010

Cited by 109 publications

(75 citation statements)

References 55 publications

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“…while weed biomass is decreased (Verret et al, 2017). By reducing insect pest abundance on the one hand and weeds on the other hand, cover cropping may provide a double benefit.…”

Section: Weedsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…At the local scale, a global meta-analysis showed a slightly decrease of yield when plant diversity increases in agroecosystems (Letourneau et al, 2011). When more specific practices are considered, reviews reported that an increase of crop diversity through intercropping (Lopes et al, 2016), cover-cropping (Verret et al, 2017) or cultivar mixtures (Tooker and Frank, 2012) tend to maintain crop yield, or to slightly increase it, compared to monoculture systems. The effect of non-crop habitats on yield of adjacent crops has been measured only recently (Uyttenbroeck et al, 2016).…”

Section: Biomass Productionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Spatial diversification of agroecosystems to enhance biological control and other regulating services: An agroecological perspective

Hatt

Boeraeve

Artru

et al. 2018

Science of The Total Environment

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Spatial diversification of crop and non-crop habitats in farming systems is promising for enhancing natural regulation of insect pests. Nevertheless, results from recent syntheses show variable effects.One explanation is that the abundance and diversity of pests and natural enemies are affected by the composition, design and management of crop and non-crop habitats. Moreover, interactions between both local and landscape elements and practices carried out at different spatial scales may affect the regulation of insect pests. Hence, research is being conducted to understand these interdependencies.However, insects are not the only pests and pests are not the only elements to regulate in agroecosystems. Broadening the scope could allow addressing multiple issues simultaneously, but also solving them together by enhancing synergies. Indeed, spatial diversification of crop and non-crop habitats can allow addressing the issues of weeds and pathogens, along with being beneficial to several other regulating services like pollination, soil conservation and nutrient cycling. Although calls rise to develop multifunctional landscapes that optimize the delivery of multiple ecosystem services, it still represents a scientific challenge today. Enhancing interdisciplinarity in research institutions and building interrelations between scientists and stakeholders may help reach this goal. Despite obstacles, positive results from research based on such innovative approaches are encouraging for engaging 2 science in this path. Hence, the aim of the present paper is to offer an update on these issues by exploring the most recent findings and discussing these results to highlight needs for future research.

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“…while weed biomass is decreased (Verret et al, 2017). By reducing insect pest abundance on the one hand and weeds on the other hand, cover cropping may provide a double benefit.…”

Section: Weedsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Biomass Productionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Spatial diversification of agroecosystems to enhance biological control and other regulating services: An agroecological perspective

Hatt

Boeraeve

Artru

et al. 2018

Science of The Total Environment

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“…At the field level, increased diversity is mainly achieved by intercropping (Andow, 1991), defined as 'the cultivation of two or more species of crop in such a way that they interact agronomically' ( Vandermeer, 1989). We may distinguish two types of intercropping: 'true intercropping' (Willey, 1979), that is the simultaneous cultivation of two cash crops, and 'companion cropping', the cultivation of a cash crop and a beneficial non-crop (Ben-Issa et al, 2017;Verret et al, 2017). An increase in productivity in intercropping systems may be achieved through an improved yield per unit area, due to complementary use of resources, facilitation, and/or increased pest regulation (Brooker et al, 2015).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Intercropping impacts the host location behaviour and population growth of aphids

Mansion‐Vaquié

Ferrer

Ramon‐Portugal

et al. 2019

Entomologia Exp Applicata

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Increasing intrafield plant diversity has been shown to regulate pest populations in various agroecosystems. Among the suggested mechanisms for this bottom-up pest control, the disruptive crop hypothesis states that herbivores' abilities to locate and colonize their host plants are reduced by the presence of non-host plants. Under laboratory conditions, we evaluated how intercropping wheat and legumes modifies the behaviour of apterous cereal aphids, Sitobion avenae (Fabricius) (Hemiptera: Aphididae), in terms of host plant location and population growth. We compared two intercropping systemssoft winter wheat, Triticum aestivum L. (Poaceae), associated with winter pea, Pisum sativum L., or with white clover, Trifolium repens L. (both Fabaceae)and sole stands of soft winter wheat. Aphids needed more time to locate their wheat host plant and then spent less time on wheat when it was intercropped with clover. At the population level, and accounting for host plant biomass, only intercropping wheat with clover significantly reduced aphid densities on wheat, as this was particularly disruptive to S. avenae behaviour and population growth. Our laboratory study points out that the species used as non-host plants and their density are important parameters that should be taken into account in field studies on intercropping systems.

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“…through preventing lodging (Kontturi et al 2011, Podgórska-Lesiak andSobkowicz 2013) and having less disease outbreaks (Schoeny et al 2010). Furthermore, the use of legume companions in intercrops enhances suppression of weed growth without reducing crop yields (Verret et al 2017). …”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Characterizing an outperforming pea cultivar for intercropping with oat at high latitudes

Peltonen‐Sainio¹,

Kontturi²,

Laine³

et al. 2017

AFSci

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The cereal often dominates the grain legume in intercrops, especially when sown in larger amounts. This study assessed yield formation of pea (Pisum sativum L.) and oat (Avena sativa L.) in an intercropping system in high-latitude conditions. Three pea cultivars (Hulda, Karita and Perttu) and one oat cultivar (Roope) were grown as sole crops and intercrops with shares of either 7.5% or 15% of oat (as weight of sown seed mixture). Experiments were organized in three (southern, western and northern) locations of Finland for three years. Yield and vegetative above-ground biomass, their land equivalent ratio (LER, i.e., the yield in intercrop compared to that of the component yields in pure stands), and a number of yield components were measured prior to harvest at crop-stand and single-plant levels. The share of oat in the intercrop did not have any impact on variation in LER yield . Oat yield and yield components generally benefitted from a pea companion crop. The pea cultivar Perttu was superior in intercrops: it had a LER yield >1 in seven out of eight experiments (mean LER yield =1.06), while Karita had a LER yield >1 in four (mean LERyield =1.00) and Hulda only in one experiment (mean LER yield =0.98). Perttu proved to be a compatible pea companion for a pea-oat intercrop, likely because it was successful in overcompensating for decline in relative yield (RGY) of oat in intercrops, contrary to Hulda. However, none of the measured yield components of Perttu were associated with LER yield , suggesting compensation ability between them, while in Karita and Hulda, e.g., higher grain yield and number of grains and pods per square meter were associated with decline in LER yield . It was concluded that the success of Perttu as a companion for oat in intercrops is likely attributable to its flexibility in building yield through a variable combination of yield components rather than being outperformed due to some superior traits. Such flexibility, likely attributable to long duration of flowering supports resilience to weather variability that is typical for northern European conditions allowing Perttu to consistently sustain a LER yield >1.

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Can legume companion plants control weeds without decreasing crop yield? A meta-analysis

Cited by 109 publications

References 55 publications

Spatial diversification of agroecosystems to enhance biological control and other regulating services: An agroecological perspective

Spatial diversification of agroecosystems to enhance biological control and other regulating services: An agroecological perspective

Intercropping impacts the host location behaviour and population growth of aphids

Characterizing an outperforming pea cultivar for intercropping with oat at high latitudes

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