Combined effects of agrochemicals and ecosystem services on crop yield across Europe

Vesna Gagic; David Kleijn; András Báldi; Gergely Boros; Helene Bracht Jørgensen; Zoltán Elek; Michael P. D. Garratt; G. Arjen de Groot; Katarina Hedlund; Anikó Kovács- Hostyánszki; Lorenzo Marini; Emily Martin; Ines Pevere; Simon G. Potts; Sarah Redlich; Deepa Senapathi; Ingolf Steffan-Dewenter; Stanislaw Świtek; Henrik G. Smith; Viktória Takács; Piotr Tryjanowski; Wim H. van der Putten; Stijn van Gils; Riccardo Bommarco

doi:10.1111/ele.12850

Combined effects of agrochemicals and ecosystem services on crop yield across Europe

Vesna Gagic (Corresponding author), David Kleijn, András Báldi, Gergely Boros, Helene Bracht Jørgensen, Zoltán Elek, Michael P. D. Garratt, G. Arjen de Groot, Katarina Hedlund, Anikó Kovács- Hostyánszki, Lorenzo Marini, Emily Martin, Ines Pevere, Simon G. Potts, Sarah Redlich, Deepa Senapathi, Ingolf Steffan-Dewenter, Stanislaw Świtek, Henrik G. Smith, Viktória TakácsPiotr Tryjanowski, Wim H. van der Putten, Stijn van Gils, Riccardo Bommarco

NIOO - Terrestrial Ecology (TE)

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Abstract

Simultaneously enhancing ecosystem services provided by biodiversity below and above ground is recommended to reduce dependence on chemical pesticides and mineral fertilisers in agriculture. However, consequences for crop yield have been poorly evaluated. Above ground, increased landscape complexity is assumed to enhance biological pest control, whereas below ground, soil organic carbon is a proxy for several yield-supporting services. In a field experiment replicated in 114 fields across Europe, we found that fertilisation had the strongest positive effect on yield, but hindered simultaneous harnessing of below- and above-ground ecosystem services. We furthermore show that enhancing natural enemies and pest control through increasing landscape complexity can prove disappointing in fields with low soil services or in intensively cropped regions. Thus, understanding ecological interdependences between land use, ecosystem services and yield is necessary to promote more environmentally friendly farming by identifying situations where ecosystem services are maximised and agrochemical inputs can be reduced.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	1427-1436
Number of pages	10
Journal	Ecology Letters
Volume	20
Issue number	11
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1111/ele.12850
Publication status	Published - 12 Sept 2017

Keywords

Agricultural intensification, biological pest control, ecological intensification, fertilisers, insecticides, landscape complexity, soil organic carbon, yield loss
international

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Gagic, V., Kleijn, D., Báldi, A., Boros, G., Jørgensen, H. B., Elek, Z., Garratt, M. P. D., de Groot, G. A., Hedlund, K., Kovács- Hostyánszki, A., Marini, L., Martin, E., Pevere, I., Potts, S. G., Redlich, S., Senapathi, D., Steffan-Dewenter, I., Świtek, S., Smith, H. G., ... Bommarco, R. (2017). Combined effects of agrochemicals and ecosystem services on crop yield across Europe. Ecology Letters, 20(11), 1427-1436. https://doi.org/10.1111/ele.12850

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title = "Combined effects of agrochemicals and ecosystem services on crop yield across Europe",

abstract = "Simultaneously enhancing ecosystem services provided by biodiversity below and above ground is recommended to reduce dependence on chemical pesticides and mineral fertilisers in agriculture. However, consequences for crop yield have been poorly evaluated. Above ground, increased landscape complexity is assumed to enhance biological pest control, whereas below ground, soil organic carbon is a proxy for several yield-supporting services. In a field experiment replicated in 114 fields across Europe, we found that fertilisation had the strongest positive effect on yield, but hindered simultaneous harnessing of below- and above-ground ecosystem services. We furthermore show that enhancing natural enemies and pest control through increasing landscape complexity can prove disappointing in fields with low soil services or in intensively cropped regions. Thus, understanding ecological interdependences between land use, ecosystem services and yield is necessary to promote more environmentally friendly farming by identifying situations where ecosystem services are maximised and agrochemical inputs can be reduced.",

keywords = "Agricultural intensification, biological pest control, ecological intensification, fertilisers, insecticides, landscape complexity, soil organic carbon, yield loss, international ",

author = "Vesna Gagic and David Kleijn and Andr{\'a}s B{\'a}ldi and Gergely Boros and J{\o}rgensen, {Helene Bracht} and Zolt{\'a}n Elek and Garratt, {Michael P. D.} and {de Groot}, {G. Arjen} and Katarina Hedlund and {Kov{\'a}cs- Hosty{\'a}nszki}, Anik{\'o} and Lorenzo Marini and Emily Martin and Ines Pevere and Potts, {Simon G.} and Sarah Redlich and Deepa Senapathi and Ingolf Steffan-Dewenter and Stanislaw {\'S}witek and Smith, {Henrik G.} and Vikt{\'o}ria Tak{\'a}cs and Piotr Tryjanowski and {van der Putten}, {Wim H.} and {van Gils}, Stijn and Riccardo Bommarco",

note = "6413, TE; Data archiving: data archived at Figshare, not NIOO data",

year = "2017",

month = sep,

day = "12",

doi = "10.1111/ele.12850",

language = "English",

volume = "20",

pages = "1427--1436",

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Gagic, V, Kleijn, D, Báldi, A, Boros, G, Jørgensen, HB, Elek, Z, Garratt, MPD, de Groot, GA, Hedlund, K, Kovács- Hostyánszki, A, Marini, L, Martin, E, Pevere, I, Potts, SG, Redlich, S, Senapathi, D, Steffan-Dewenter, I, Świtek, S, Smith, HG, Takács, V, Tryjanowski, P, van der Putten, WH, van Gils, S & Bommarco, R 2017, 'Combined effects of agrochemicals and ecosystem services on crop yield across Europe', Ecology Letters, vol. 20, no. 11, pp. 1427-1436. https://doi.org/10.1111/ele.12850

TY - JOUR

T1 - Combined effects of agrochemicals and ecosystem services on crop yield across Europe

AU - Gagic, Vesna

AU - Kleijn, David

AU - Báldi, András

AU - Boros, Gergely

AU - Jørgensen, Helene Bracht

AU - Elek, Zoltán

AU - Garratt, Michael P. D.

AU - de Groot, G. Arjen

AU - Hedlund, Katarina

AU - Kovács- Hostyánszki, Anikó

AU - Marini, Lorenzo

AU - Martin, Emily

AU - Pevere, Ines

AU - Potts, Simon G.

AU - Redlich, Sarah

AU - Senapathi, Deepa

AU - Steffan-Dewenter, Ingolf

AU - Świtek, Stanislaw

AU - Smith, Henrik G.

AU - Takács, Viktória

AU - Tryjanowski, Piotr

AU - van der Putten, Wim H.

AU - van Gils, Stijn

AU - Bommarco, Riccardo

N1 - 6413, TE; Data archiving: data archived at Figshare, not NIOO data

PY - 2017/9/12

Y1 - 2017/9/12

N2 - Simultaneously enhancing ecosystem services provided by biodiversity below and above ground is recommended to reduce dependence on chemical pesticides and mineral fertilisers in agriculture. However, consequences for crop yield have been poorly evaluated. Above ground, increased landscape complexity is assumed to enhance biological pest control, whereas below ground, soil organic carbon is a proxy for several yield-supporting services. In a field experiment replicated in 114 fields across Europe, we found that fertilisation had the strongest positive effect on yield, but hindered simultaneous harnessing of below- and above-ground ecosystem services. We furthermore show that enhancing natural enemies and pest control through increasing landscape complexity can prove disappointing in fields with low soil services or in intensively cropped regions. Thus, understanding ecological interdependences between land use, ecosystem services and yield is necessary to promote more environmentally friendly farming by identifying situations where ecosystem services are maximised and agrochemical inputs can be reduced.

AB - Simultaneously enhancing ecosystem services provided by biodiversity below and above ground is recommended to reduce dependence on chemical pesticides and mineral fertilisers in agriculture. However, consequences for crop yield have been poorly evaluated. Above ground, increased landscape complexity is assumed to enhance biological pest control, whereas below ground, soil organic carbon is a proxy for several yield-supporting services. In a field experiment replicated in 114 fields across Europe, we found that fertilisation had the strongest positive effect on yield, but hindered simultaneous harnessing of below- and above-ground ecosystem services. We furthermore show that enhancing natural enemies and pest control through increasing landscape complexity can prove disappointing in fields with low soil services or in intensively cropped regions. Thus, understanding ecological interdependences between land use, ecosystem services and yield is necessary to promote more environmentally friendly farming by identifying situations where ecosystem services are maximised and agrochemical inputs can be reduced.

KW - Agricultural intensification, biological pest control, ecological intensification, fertilisers, insecticides, landscape complexity, soil organic carbon, yield loss

KW - international

U2 - 10.1111/ele.12850

DO - 10.1111/ele.12850

M3 - Article

SN - 1461-0248

VL - 20

SP - 1427

EP - 1436

JO - Ecology Letters

JF - Ecology Letters

IS - 11

ER -

Combined effects of agrochemicals and ecosystem services on crop yield across Europe

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