Stable yield with stripcropping – same or slightly higher yield in organic arable farming in the Netherlands with 3 or 6 metre strips [Practice Abstract]
Stripcropping is a cultivation method where multiple crops are grown side by side in long, narrow strips. Does it affect yields? Wageningen University & Research (WUR) in the Netherlands, researchers summarized results from three Dutch organic farm experiments in a farmer factsheet.
Overall, stripcropping can deliver similar or slightly higher yields, though costs can sometimes be higher. Financial returns of at least €590/ha are possible. Interestingly, the presence of diversity matters more than which specific crops are grown together.
At ERF BV (Almere, clay soil), 6m strips were compared with monocultures. Field beans and parsnips performed relatively well, oats and seed onions poorly. Celeriac and potatoes showed too much variability to draw firm conclusions.
At Lelystad (clay soil), most crops showed no difference, except potatoes, which yielded on average 22% higher in strips across four years. Yields were higher in both high- and low-Phytophthora years.
At Wageningen (sandy soil), five crop pairs were tested. Barley yielded significantly lower in strips, while potatoes again performed better (+12%). Pumpkins seemed weaker in strips, though data was insufficient. Notably, potato-grass combinations performed especially well. Researchers suggest this relates to increased light penetration in potato foliage and reduced leaf wetness, lowering Phytophthora risk and delaying the need for burning.
Original research article: Strip cropping increases yield and revenue: multi-year analysis of an organic system in the Netherlands
Keywords: Arable, Biodiversity, Stripcropping
Country: Netherlands
