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Project properties |
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| Title | MSc thesis: The value of strip cropping for crop pollination and crop yield |
| Group | Plant Ecology and Nature Conservation Group |
| Project type | thesis |
| Credits | 36 |
| Supervisor(s) | Thijs Fijen |
| Examiner(s) | Thijs Fijen |
| Contact info | thijs.fijen@wur.nl |
| Begin date | 2024/04/01 |
| End date | 2024/11/01 |
| Description | Strip cropping is proposed as a viable alternative to the specialized and intensive monocropping system in the Netherlands, as it can maintain high yields, is less reliant on artificial inputs, and can benefit biodiversity. Because crops are grown in strips, they increase the amount of edges, which are usually beneficial for biodiversity and the ecosystem services they provide. The system of strip cropping makes it more interesting to include other crops than the few usually used in monocropping systems, such as faba bean (Vicia faba) and pumpkin (Cucurbita pepo). These crops are at least partially dependent on insect pollinators for their crop yield, and it is therefore important to understand the effect of strip cropping on crop pollination. In this study we will investigate whether crop pollination delivery by insects and crop yield is higher in strip cropping systems than in monocropping systems on two organic experimental sites (Wageningen & Lelystad, the Netherlands). This research will be linked to ongoing research in these crops that looks at the belowground mutualisms (rhizobia bacteria and mycorrhizal fungi), which in turn can also affect pollinator attraction, pollination and yield. |
| Used skills | Field work, organisation, statistical analysis. |
| Requirements | Affinity with insects, crops and fieldwork |