The #Crop #Diversity #Experiment funded by @snf_ch can show first results available on @biorxivpreprint. First year results from #Switzerland show 21% and 44% increases in yield in 2- and 4-species #mixtures, respectively. Yield benefits in Spain were 3% and 13%. (1/5) 
In a first study we can show that these yield benefits of #intercropping are not due to reduced #weed pressure. Weed abundance was related to crop yield, but not affected by crop #richness, but rather by the presence of #cereals (2/)
biorxiv.org/content/10.110… @LStefan_AgroEco (2/5)
biorxiv.org/content/10.110… @LStefan_AgroEco (2/5)
A second study shows that increased crop yield in mixtures is both related to positive #sampling effects of tall species and positive #complementarity effects through more efficient #nitrogen use
biorxiv.org/content/10.110… lead @NadineEngbersen (3/5)
biorxiv.org/content/10.110… lead @NadineEngbersen (3/5)
Nevertheless, yield benefits in mixtures are compromised through reduced resource allocation to seeds in #mixtures compared with #monocultures. Selection towards high #harvest index in monocultures might make cultivars suboptimal for #mixtures biorxiv.org/content/10.110… (4/5)
For an impression on the Crop Diversity Experiment please check
