RELEVANT

Lead Institute BD Institute of Biodiversity

Coccinella septempunctata on Vicia faba.

Regulating ecosystem services in crop rotations with field bean (Vicia faba) and pea (Pisum sativum): quantification, assessment and realisation

In RELEVANT, the effect of crop diversification with field bean and pea on the diversity of pollinators and epigeic predatory arthropods and the ecosystem services provided by those are quantified and assessed.

Background and Objective

The objective of RELEVANT is to assess the impact of the diversification of cropping systems through field bean and pea on pollinating insects and epigeic predatory arthropods. Changes in the diversity and abundance of those species groups as well as in delivery of ecosystem services (pollination and biocontrol) are quantified and followed by an economic assessment.

In collaboration with the demonstration farm network DemoNetErBo, pathways for transitions of conventional farming towards intelligent crop rotation management including the legumes are elaborated.

Target Group

agriculture
farm advisors
agroecology
agro-environmental policy
crop production

Approach

RELEVANT is an interdisciplinary R&D project, which is the first to study and quantify the effects of diversified crop rotations, that consequently include pea (Pisum sativum) and/or faba bean (Vicia faba), on biodiversity, ecosystem services and economic performance.

Pollinators and pollination are studied by the University of Göttingen, epigeic predatory arthropods and pest control are studied by the Thünen Institute of Biodiversity. The FH Südwestfalen is responsible for the economic assessment.

Data and Methods

Diversity and abundance of pollinators and biocontrol agents are assessed at the landscape scale. Land-use stratified sampling is conducted in 1 x 1 km areas with a matched-pair design covering either diversified or conventional cropping systems.

Our Research Questions

Our field studies and experiments will allow us to test the following hypotheses:

Faba bean and peas promote pollinators and ground dwelling arthropods such as predators of agricultural pests. This increases the delivery of regulating ecosystem services due to