Sustainable landscape, soil and crop management practices enhance biodiversity and yield in conventional cereal systems

1. Input-driven, modern agriculture is commonly associated with
large-scale threats to biodiversity, the disruption of ecosystem services
and long-term risks to food security and human health. A switch to more
sustainable yet highly productive farming practices seems unavoidable.
However, an integrative evaluation of targeted management schemes at field
and landscape scales is currently lacking. Furthermore, the
often-disproportionate influence of soil conditions and agrochemicals on
yields may mask the benefits of biodiversity-driven ecosystem services. 2.
Here, we used a real-world ecosystem approach to identify sustainable
management practices for enhanced functional biodiversity and yield on 28
temperate wheat fields. Using path analysis, we assessed direct and
indirect links between soil, crop and landscape management with natural
enemies and pests, as well as follow-on effects on yield quantity and
quality. A paired-field design with a crossed insecticide-fertilizer
experiment allowed us to control for the relative influence of soil
characteristics and agrochemical inputs. 3. We demonstrate that
biodiversity-enhancing management options such as reduced tillage, crop
rotation diversity and small field size can enhance natural enemies
without relying on agrochemical inputs. Similarly, we show that in this
system controlling pests and weeds by agrochemical means is less relevant
than expected for final crop productivity. 4. Synthesis and applications:
Our study highlights soil, crop and landscape management practices that
can enhance beneficial biodiversity while reducing agrochemical usage and
negative environmental impacts of conventional agriculture. The
diversification of cropping systems and conservation tillage are practical
measures most farmers can implement without productivity losses. Combining
local measures with improved landscape management may also strengthen the
sustainability and resilience of cropping systems in light of future
global change.