18th Congress of the European Society for Agronomy

Pea-wheat intercropping brings novelty to grain production in Serbia

Not scheduled

15m

Les Dortoirs (1st floor) (The Couvent des Jacobins)

Poster Synergies between researchers, society and farmers Poster session #2

Speakers

Prof. Branko Ćupina (University of Novi Sad, Faculty of Agriculture) Svetlana Vujić (University of Novi Sad, Faculty of Agriculture)

Description

Abstract: Intercropping is a cropping system that enables maximizing the utilization of limited agricultural land by effectively using resources, soil, water, and solar energy. Growing two or more crops in the same field through intercropping was efficiently used for forage production in Serbia for decades (Mikić et al, 2015). Legume-cereal mixtures are efficient in terms of inputs, especially nitrogen fertilizers, while at the same time are protein sources for animal diets. However, the previously approved potential of intercropping for grain production (Jensen et al., 2015; Monti et al, 2016) increased interest in the application of intercropping in this part of Europe to enhance wheat production and improve grain quality.

Under the Horizon Europe project IntercropVALUES (www.intercropvalues.eu), the research team from the University of Novi Sad, Faculty of Agriculture (UNSFA) started to develop the concept and method of pea-wheat intercropping mixtures for grain production. The innovative approach includes developing the grain production process, it is also based on understanding the entire value-chain concept through Co-innovative Case Studies (CICS). Therefore, the UNSFA established the research trial at the experimental field in autumn 2023 and spring 2024, and the crop stand at the commercial organic stakeholder in autumn 2023. At the experimental field trial, the focus is on testing the performance of the selected pea and wheat varieties defining the traits of these species ideotypes. Pea-wheat-environment interactions will be analyzed to identify the most suitable mixture for grain yield production based on complementarity and reduced competition. The advantages of intercropping as a cropping system and the suitability of the selected crops and varieties will be analyzed through soil health parameters with an emphasis on soil nitrogen content.
Alongside this, at the CICS level, the gathered information will be used to understand barriers in the intercropping process developing mechanisms and solutions for better implementation of intercrop systems on the farm level, and up to the final commercial product. The results obtained in this research should be a step forward for implementing pea-wheat intercrop for grain yield and environmental benefits in this part of Europe.

References
Mikić, A., Ćupina, B., Rubiales, D., Mihailović, V., Šarūnaitė, L., Fustec, J., Antanasović, S., Krstić, Đ., Bedoussac, L., Zorić, L., Đorđević, V., Perić, V., Srebrić, M. (2015). Models, developments, and perspectives of mutual legume intercropping. Advances in Agronomy, 130, 337-419.

Jensen, E. S., Bedoussac, L., Carlsson, G., Journet, E. P., Justes, E., & Hauggaard-Nielsen, H. (2015). Enhanced yields in organic arable crop production by eco-functional intensification using intercropping. Sustainable Agriculture Research, 4(3).
Monti, M., Pellicanò, A., Santonoceto, C., Preiti, G., &Pristeri, A. (2016). Yield components and nitrogen use in cereal-pea intercrops in Mediterranean environment. Field Crops Research, 196, 379-388.

Acknowledgments: This work was funded by the IntercropValuES research project “Developing Intercropping for agrifood Value chains and Ecosystem Services delivery in Europe and Southern Countries" under the European Union's Horizon Europe the Framework Program for Research and Innovation (2021 2027) under the grant agreement Nr. 101081973.