Summary
This national-scale observational study examined how agricultural landscape management influences temporal stability of crop yields across Spain using productivity data for 31 crops from 2013 to 2019. The authors found that greater land-use heterogeneity and stable precipitation patterns enhance yield stability, with interactive effects contingent on crop pollinator dependence: pollinator-dependent crops demonstrated greater stability with increasing crop diversity and variable temperatures, whilst non-pollinator-dependent crops benefited from simpler crop configurations and stable temperatures. The findings emphasise the value of promoting crop diversity and maintaining heterogeneous agricultural landscapes to enhance resilience to climate variability and support long-term food security.
UK applicability
The study's findings on landscape heterogeneity and crop diversity effects on yield stability are likely applicable to UK farming contexts, particularly for pollinator-dependent crops such as soft fruits and field beans. However, the Spanish climatic conditions and specific crop portfolio differ from the UK, so local validation through UK-scale observational or experimental studies would strengthen the evidence base for policy and practice recommendations in British agricultural systems.
Key measures
Temporal yield stability; landscape heterogeneity (crop richness, semi-natural habitat cover, field size, edge density); climatic variables (precipitation, temperature, water deficit); within-season precipitation concentration; crop pollinator dependence
Outcomes reported
The study measured temporal stability of crop yields across 31 crops from 2013–2019 in relation to landscape composition and configuration, and climatic variables. It assessed how crop diversity, semi-natural habitat cover, field size, edge density, precipitation patterns, temperature variability and water deficit influence yield stability, with differential effects depending on pollinator dependence.
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