Summary
This paper presents a systematic account of the co-design process used to establish patchCROP, a landscape-scale experimental platform in Eastern Brandenburg, Germany, developed through farmer-researcher partnerships using the DEED research cycle framework. An intensively managed monoculture field was restructured into smaller heterogeneous patches incorporating diversified crop rotations, novel crops, cover crops and flower strips, addressing the shortage of long-term landscape-scale experimental data on diversification practices. The work demonstrates how collaborative design methodologies and digital technologies can facilitate practical implementation and evaluation of sustainable cropping system diversification.
UK applicability
The co-design methodology and landscape-scale experimental approach are directly relevant to UK farming contexts, particularly in lowland arable regions where field consolidation and monoculture dominate. The DEED research cycle framework and farmer-researcher partnership model could inform policy and practice around diversification adoption in the UK, though local soil heterogeneity, climate conditions and machinery availability would require contextual adaptation.
Key measures
Field redesign parameters (patch size, spatial configuration based on soil and yield maps); crop rotation diversity metrics; integration of novel crops, cover crops and flower strips; farmer and scientist perspectives on experimental platform implementation; digital technology adoption and use
Outcomes reported
The study documented the systematic co-design process and practical implementation of patchCROP, a landscape-scale experimental platform redesigning an intensively managed field into 0.5 hectare patches with diversified crop rotations. The work assessed the feasibility and potential of researcher-farmer collaborative platforms for evaluating diversification practices and digital technology adoption in sustainable agricultural production.
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