Summary
The European Union is currently not self-sufficient in soybean and maize. Here, we examine the potential for maize-soybean intercropping to improve the European Union's soybean self-sufficiency while minimizing trade-offs with the production of maize and other crops. Assuming a return every four years, intercropping on 6.3, 13.1, and 20.1 Mha produces 9.1 (28.8), 18.2 (63.7), and 27.2 (99.0) Mt of soybean (maize), respectively, thus achieving 25% (34%), 50% (75%), and 75% (116%) self-sufficiency levels, respectively. Reaching similar co-productions with sole crops require an additional 11.1, 24.7, and 36.5 Mha, corresponding to land savings of 20-21% with intercrops. Meeting 100% of European soybean demand would require growing intercropping on more than 25% of European cropland (25 Mha) every year. These estimates held under a large range of nitrogen inputs and temporal overlaps between crop species, provided that soybean production from 1 hectare of intercropping exceeded that from 0.5 ha of sole soybean. Expected land-savings estimates suggest that geographic variation in crop yields should be considered to estimate land-use efficiency of intercrops. Our results underline that intercropping is an effective strategy to simultaneously improve European soybean production, satisfy maize needs, and save cultivated lands.
Outcomes reported
The European Union is currently not self-sufficient in soybean and maize. Here, we examine the potential for maize-soybean intercropping to improve the European Union's soybean self-sufficiency while minimizing trade-offs with the production of maize and other crops. Assuming a return every four years, intercropping on 6.3, 13.1, and 20.1 Mha produces 9.1 (28.8), 18.2 (63.7), and 27.2 (99.0) Mt of soybean (maize), respectively, thus achieving 25% (34%), 50% (75%), and 75% (116%) self-sufficiency levels, respectively. Reaching similar co-productions with sole crops require an additional 11.1, 24.7, and 36.5 Mha, corresponding to land savings of 20-21% with intercrops. Meeting 100% of European soybean demand would require growing intercropping on more than 25% of European cropland (25 Mha) every year. These estimates held under a large range of nitrogen inputs and temporal overlaps between crop species, provided that soybean production from 1 hectare of intercropping exceeded that from 0.5 ha of sole soybean. Expected land-savings estimates suggest that geographic variation in crop yields should be considered to estimate land-use efficiency of intercrops. Our results underline that intercropping is an effective strategy to simultaneously improve European soybean production, satisfy maize needs, and save cultivated lands.
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