View in EDS HTML Full Text PDF Full Text

Crop mixtures: yield responses to climate and management and impacts on seed and soil chemical composition in a Scottish-based study.

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Title: Crop mixtures: yield responses to climate and management and impacts on seed and soil chemical composition in a Scottish-based study.
Authors: Brooker, R.1 (AUTHOR) rob.brooker@hutton.ac.uk, Pakeman, R. J.1 (AUTHOR), Hewison, R. L.1 (AUTHOR), Mitchell, C.2 (AUTHOR), Newton, A. C.2 (AUTHOR), Neilson, R.2 (AUTHOR), Raubach, S.3 (AUTHOR), Shaw, P. D.3 (AUTHOR), Verrall, S.2 (AUTHOR), Karley, A. J.2 (AUTHOR)
Source: Plant & Soil. Jun2026, Vol. 523 Issue 1, p7-25. 19p.
Subjects: Intercropping, Crop yields, Crop management, Soil composition, Climate change, Cropping systems, Composition of seeds, Carbon in soils
Abstract: Introduction: Crop mixtures can be an important part of the toolkit for maintaining crop production while addressing the climate and nature crises. However, uncertainties around some issues may prevent their uptake. Research question: This study addressed several uncertainties, specifically the response of mixture yields to climate and management, and the impacts of mixed cropping on seed chemical composition, soil carbon and nutrients. Materials and methods: We undertook 32 intercropping trials between 2020 and 2022 on both commercial and research farms. These varied in design, management and crop combinations, with mixture choice often determined by farmers. We assessed multiple responses including yield, weed cover, and seed and soil chemical composition. Results and conclusions: When compared to monocultures, yield gains from growing a crop mixture were roughly 20% based on Crop Performance Ratio (CPR). We found limited impacts of mixture diversity and composition on seed chemical composition, influences of management on weed control, and enhanced crop mixture performance under cooler conditions with lower rainfall. We also found varying mixture performance depending on mixture composition. Importantly, irrespective of management, climate, and composition effects, crop mixtures always performed at least as well as expectations based on monocultures. Even without further refinement from, for example, targeted breeding, crop mixtures provide reliable crops without yield losses or (for parameters tested) substantial changes in seed chemistry. However, detected reductions in organic matter in upper soil layers indicate a priority for future research is understanding crop mixture impacts on soil carbon dynamics in both shallow and deep soils. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Copyright of Plant & Soil is the property of Springer Nature and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
Database: Engineering Source
Full text is not displayed to guests.
FullText Links:
  – Type: pdflink
Text:
  Availability: 1
Header DbId: egs
DbLabel: Engineering Source
An: 195150382
AccessLevel: 6
PubType: Academic Journal
PubTypeId: academicJournal
PreciseRelevancyScore: 0
IllustrationInfo
Items – Name: Title
  Label: Title
  Group: Ti
  Data: Crop mixtures: yield responses to climate and management and impacts on seed and soil chemical composition in a Scottish-based study.
– Name: Author
  Label: Authors
  Group: Au
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Brooker%2C+R%2E%22">Brooker, R.</searchLink><relatesTo>1</relatesTo> (AUTHOR)<i> rob.brooker@hutton.ac.uk</i><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Pakeman%2C+R%2E+J%2E%22">Pakeman, R. J.</searchLink><relatesTo>1</relatesTo> (AUTHOR)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Hewison%2C+R%2E+L%2E%22">Hewison, R. L.</searchLink><relatesTo>1</relatesTo> (AUTHOR)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Mitchell%2C+C%2E%22">Mitchell, C.</searchLink><relatesTo>2</relatesTo> (AUTHOR)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Newton%2C+A%2E+C%2E%22">Newton, A. C.</searchLink><relatesTo>2</relatesTo> (AUTHOR)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Neilson%2C+R%2E%22">Neilson, R.</searchLink><relatesTo>2</relatesTo> (AUTHOR)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Raubach%2C+S%2E%22">Raubach, S.</searchLink><relatesTo>3</relatesTo> (AUTHOR)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Shaw%2C+P%2E+D%2E%22">Shaw, P. D.</searchLink><relatesTo>3</relatesTo> (AUTHOR)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Verrall%2C+S%2E%22">Verrall, S.</searchLink><relatesTo>2</relatesTo> (AUTHOR)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Karley%2C+A%2E+J%2E%22">Karley, A. J.</searchLink><relatesTo>2</relatesTo> (AUTHOR)
– Name: TitleSource
  Label: Source
  Group: Src
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="JN" term="%22Plant+%26+Soil%22">Plant & Soil</searchLink>. Jun2026, Vol. 523 Issue 1, p7-25. 19p.
– Name: Subject
  Label: Subjects
  Group: Su
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Intercropping%22">Intercropping</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Crop+yields%22">Crop yields</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Crop+management%22">Crop management</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Soil+composition%22">Soil composition</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Climate+change%22">Climate change</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Cropping+systems%22">Cropping systems</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Composition+of+seeds%22">Composition of seeds</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Carbon+in+soils%22">Carbon in soils</searchLink>
– Name: Abstract
  Label: Abstract
  Group: Ab
  Data: Introduction: Crop mixtures can be an important part of the toolkit for maintaining crop production while addressing the climate and nature crises. However, uncertainties around some issues may prevent their uptake. Research question: This study addressed several uncertainties, specifically the response of mixture yields to climate and management, and the impacts of mixed cropping on seed chemical composition, soil carbon and nutrients. Materials and methods: We undertook 32 intercropping trials between 2020 and 2022 on both commercial and research farms. These varied in design, management and crop combinations, with mixture choice often determined by farmers. We assessed multiple responses including yield, weed cover, and seed and soil chemical composition. Results and conclusions: When compared to monocultures, yield gains from growing a crop mixture were roughly 20% based on Crop Performance Ratio (CPR). We found limited impacts of mixture diversity and composition on seed chemical composition, influences of management on weed control, and enhanced crop mixture performance under cooler conditions with lower rainfall. We also found varying mixture performance depending on mixture composition. Importantly, irrespective of management, climate, and composition effects, crop mixtures always performed at least as well as expectations based on monocultures. Even without further refinement from, for example, targeted breeding, crop mixtures provide reliable crops without yield losses or (for parameters tested) substantial changes in seed chemistry. However, detected reductions in organic matter in upper soil layers indicate a priority for future research is understanding crop mixture impacts on soil carbon dynamics in both shallow and deep soils. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
– Name: AbstractSuppliedCopyright
  Label:
  Group: Ab
  Data: <i>Copyright of Plant & Soil is the property of Springer Nature and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract.</i> (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
PLink https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=egs&AN=195150382
RecordInfo BibRecord:
  BibEntity:
    Identifiers:
      – Type: doi
        Value: 10.1007/s11104-024-06987-y
    Languages:
      – Code: eng
        Text: English
    PhysicalDescription:
      Pagination:
        PageCount: 19
        StartPage: 7
    Subjects:
      – SubjectFull: Intercropping
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Crop yields
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Crop management
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Soil composition
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Climate change
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Cropping systems
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Composition of seeds
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Carbon in soils
        Type: general
    Titles:
      – TitleFull: Crop mixtures: yield responses to climate and management and impacts on seed and soil chemical composition in a Scottish-based study.
        Type: main
  BibRelationships:
    HasContributorRelationships:
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Brooker, R.
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Pakeman, R. J.
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Hewison, R. L.
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Mitchell, C.
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Newton, A. C.
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Neilson, R.
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Raubach, S.
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Shaw, P. D.
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Verrall, S.
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Karley, A. J.
    IsPartOfRelationships:
      – BibEntity:
          Dates:
            – D: 01
              M: 06
              Text: Jun2026
              Type: published
              Y: 2026
          Identifiers:
            – Type: issn-print
              Value: 0032079X
          Numbering:
            – Type: volume
              Value: 523
            – Type: issue
              Value: 1
          Titles:
            – TitleFull: Plant & Soil
              Type: main
ResultId 1