New study highlights benefits of crop diversification in arable farming

Which farming strategies can help agricultural operations better manage yield risks caused by climate change and fluctuating prices in the agricultural product market? A new study by ZALF published in the journal Agricultural Systems uses model calculations to show that farms can significantly reduce their income risk by adopting more diverse farming methods. These methods include cultivating smaller plots and strip cropping or implementing more diverse crop rotations. A distinctive feature of the study is that, in addition to production risks, it also takes into account the growing influence of market risks on agricultural income, which is often overlooked.