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Protecting crops through plant diversity

by Anaïs Tibi (editorial coordination), Vincent Martinet (editorial coordination), Aude Vialatte (editorial coordination)
may 2024
145 x 210 format 128 pages In stock
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Summary

The advent of synthetic fertilisers and pesticides freed farmers from yield-limiting environmental constraints while simplifying agricultural fields and landscapes. The environmental and health impacts of this dominant model, as well as its interrelationships with climate change and biodiversity loss, are now well established by the scientific community.

Although there is increasing societal demand for agriculture that meets food demand while respecting the environment and human health, the agro-ecological transition of cropping systems is insufficiently engaged. One of the reasons put forward for this inertia is the lack of effective alternatives to pesticides to protect crops.

This collective scientific assessment looks at crop protection strategies based on plant diversification in agricultural areas and analyses the obstacles and levers to their adoption by farmers. It is part of the Écophyto 2+ plan, which supports the production of knowledge and tools needed to reduce synthetic pesticide use.

This book is intended for teaching professionals, researchers, students, stakeholders in the agricultural world, land managers, environmental organisations and associations, and any citizen interested in such issues.


 

The French version of this book, Protéger les cultures par la diversité végétale, is available on our website.

La version française de ce titre, Protéger les cultures par la diversité végétale, est disponible sur notre site.

Table of contents

PART 1. A FEW DEFINITIONS

1. Pest, crop protection and natural regulation

Pest: from injuries to economic losses

Natural regulation in crop protection strategies

2. Plant diversification in agricultural areas

Increasing crop intraspecific diversity: varietal mixtures, use of heterogeneous varieties (farmer, traditional), etc.

Increasing the interspecific diversity of the cultivated cover: mixed cropping, service plants, agroforestry, etc.

Increasing the temporal diversity of cultivated plants: diversified rotations

Diversity of semi-natural vegetation in the landscape: hedgerows, permanent grasslands, groves, etc.

Managing the level of diversity in the landscape

PART 2. LESSONS LEARNED FROM THE COLLECTIVE SCIENTIFIC ASSESSMENT

3. Agroecological impacts of plant diversification

Diversifying the vegetation on agricultural fields and landscapes is a crop protection lever

Plant diversification is good for the associated biodiversity and the ecosystem services provided to farmers and society

Diversified systems often provide higher yields than poorly diversified systems

4. Implementing plant diversification to protect crops

Introduction

Plant diversification has contrasting effects on short-term farm profitability

To encourage plant diversification, several obstacles must be removed both within agricultural supply chains and at the territorial level

Public policies are a key factor in the deployment of plant diversification

PART 3. OUTLOOK AND RESEARCH NEEDS

5. Perspectives: plant diversification and environmental challenges

What role can plant diversification play in the transition to pesticide-free agriculture?

Plant diversification of agricultural systems to meet the challenges of climate change

To what extent should we diversify? Some recommendations from the scientific literature

6. Further research and studies needed

Gaining a better understanding of the natural regulation mechanisms of pests

Gaining a better understanding of socio-economic organisations

Building on long-term research and using digital tools…

… to design public policies that foster diversification

Conclusion

Annex. The turning point in the Common Agricultural Policy that paved the way for plant diversification

Greening the 2014 reform: An admission of failure?

The promises of the post-2020 CAP reform

Selected references

Composition of the working group

Image and photo credits


Press

More contents

Features

Language(s): English

Publisher: Éditions Quae

Collection: Matière à débattre et décider

Published: 27 may 2024

Reference Book: 02953

Reference eBook [PDF]: 02953NUM

Reference eBook [ePub]: 02953EPB

EAN13 Book: 9782759238491

EAN13 eBook [PDF]: 9782759238507

EAN13 eBook [ePub]: 9782759238514

Interior: Colour

Format (in mm) Book: 145 x 210

Pages count Book: 128

Pages count eBook [PDF]: 128

Weight (in grammes): 185

Size: 28.5 MB (PDF), 6.91 MB (ePub)

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