Long-Term Evidence Shows that Crop-Rotation Diversification Increases Agricultural Resilience to Adverse Growing Conditions in North America
Timothy M. Bowles, Maria Mooshammer, Yvonne Socolar, Francisco J. Calderón, Michel A. Cavigelli, Steve W. Culman, William M. Deen, C. F. Drury, Axel García y García, Amélie C. M. Gaudin, W. Scott Harkcom, R. Michael Lehman, Shannon L. Osborne, G. Philip Robertson, Jonathan Salerno, Marty R. Schmer, Jeffrey S. Strock, A. Stuart Grandy
Abstract
Diversifying cropping systems improves environmental health and has the potential to reduce risk from climate-change-related threats, but empirical evidence remains sparse. In this study, we found that maize yields were higher during adverse weather, including droughts, when maize was grown as part of a more diverse rotation. Rotation diversification also increased maize yields over time and under better growing conditions. Policies that support more diversified cropping systems could help reduce risk from increasingly stressful weather.