Diverse crops and organic matter can partially replace nitrogen fertilizers
In short: A meta-analysis of 30 long-term experiments across Europe and Africa found that ecological intensification practices—such as increasing crop diversity and adding organic matter—can maintain or improve staple crop yields. The research highlights how these methods interact with traditional industrial inputs like nitrogen fertilizer.
The study suggests that these ecological practices are most effective when nitrogen fertilizer use is low. At high fertilizer doses, the benefits of ecological intensification on yield become minimal or non-existent, indicating a substitutive relationship between natural and synthetic inputs.
The researchers analyzed 25,565 yield records to understand how different farming methods interact. A limitation of this study is that it focuses specifically on yield outcomes rather than broader ecological metrics like biodiversity or carbon sequestration.
Why it matters: Sustainable farming can maintain high yields by using diverse crops and organic matter to reduce our reliance on synthetic nitrogen.
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