The science of crop diversification

Event details

Abstract

Crop diversification offers a highly promising route toward sustainable, resilient agriculture. It can improve farm productivity, stability, and profitability as well as human nutrition, while also reducing requirements for labour and chemical inputs. The mechanisms underpinning these positive outcomes are well understood in theory, but in practice are not always easy to achieve. A deeper consideration of the relationships between biophysical and socioeconomic aspects of crop diversification is needed to make it a more powerful tool for sustainable agriculture. This talk will explore current research topics around making diversification work better for farmers and the environment.

Bio

Dr Chloe MacLaren is a Cropping Systems Ecologist at Rothamsted Research in the UK, and completed her PhD at CAWR in 2018. Her research explores how interactions between plants and their environments can help to design more sustainable agroecosystems. In particular, she works on crop diversification and weed management, with a focus on farming systems in sub-Saharan Africa.

Enquiries

For enquiries please contact Katharina Dehnen-Schmutz

ab6340@coventry.ac.uk

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