Mixing crop cultivars may reduce plant diseases and increase resource-use efficiency and yield, yet evidence from individual studies remains inconclusive. We synthesized these studies in a global meta-analysis. Our results confirm that cultivar mixtures across 12 crop species and large climatic gradients reduce losses due to disease and enhance resource use compared with monocultures, thereby increasing average yield and yield stability. The targeted use of cultivar mixtures with appropriate management practices can increase agricultural sustainability by reducing inputs while maintaining high yields.
Huang, T., Döring, T.F., Zhao, X. et al. Cultivar mixtures increase crop yields and temporal yield stability globally. A meta-analysis. Agron. Sustain. Dev. 44, 28 (2024).
