Increasing genetic diversity protects against total crop failure
August 9, 2021 – Diversifying your crops is like diversifying your financial portfolio. Having more than one type of financial investment reduces the risk of losing all your money. The August 7th, 2021 Sustainable, Secure Food Blog discusses the value of mixing different varieties of wheat in a field.
Blogger Julie Baniszewski explains, "A typical wheat field is one variety, a monoculture production. This tends to be common because it is the most efficient method. However, this type of specialization often requires additional inputs, fertilizers, pesticides, and other chemicals, to maintain the high yields that is expected of modern agriculture. This, in turn, can cause a cycle of reliance on these chemical inputs."
By planting two to four varieties of wheat with different traits, the field is more genetically diverse and better able to withstand pests and diseases than a field with a single variety. This practice protects against a complete crop failure that might occur to one variety. To learn more, read the entire blog: https://sustainable-secure-food-blog.com/2021/08/07/why-mix-varieties-of-wheat-in-a-field/
About us: This blog is sponsored and written by members of the American Society of Agronomy and Crop Science Society of America. Our members are researchers and trained, certified professionals in the areas of growing our world's food supply while protecting our environment. They work at universities, government research facilities, and private businesses across the United States and the world.
The American Society of Agronomy is an international scientific and professional society with its headquarters in Madison, WI. Our members are researchers and trained, certified professionals in the areas of growing our world's food supply, while protecting our environment. We work at universities, government research facilities and private businesses across the United States and the world.
