IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jagris/v12y2022i5p697-d816057.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Adoption of Food Species Mixtures from Farmers’ Perspectives in Germany: Managing Complexity and Harnessing Advantages

Author

Listed:
  • Johannes Timaeus

    (Department of Ecological Plant Protection, University of Kassel, Nordbahnhofstr. 1 a, 37213 Witzenhausen, Germany)

  • Ties Ruigrok

    (Aeres Group, Wisentweg 10, 8251 PC Dronten, The Netherlands)

  • Torsten Siegmeier

    (Department of Farm Management, University of Kassel, Steinstr. 1 9, 37213 Witzenhausen, Germany)

  • Maria Renate Finckh

    (Department of Ecological Plant Protection, University of Kassel, Nordbahnhofstr. 1 a, 37213 Witzenhausen, Germany)

Abstract

Many agronomic studies have shown the advantages of species mixtures (SM), but for food grain production, they represent only a small niche. Empirical studies that investigate reasons for SM adoption in food grain production are scarce. Here we present an in-depth study based on qualitative expert interviews with nine farmers. By means of interpretative analysis and reconstruction, socially shared models of SM adoption were built to identify the five main factors for SM adoption: (1) perceived relative mixture performance compared to sole crops, (2) suitability within the farm context (3), challenges and opportunities in mixture management due to increased complexity, (4) knowledge and technology as resources to handle mixture management and (5) quality standards in the food value chain. Relative performance was perceived as higher for SM than for sole crops for crop protection, nutrient efficiency, farm diversification, total yield stability and grain quality. The yield stability of individual crop species in SM was perceived as lower and grain impurities higher, requiring increased separation efforts. The economic potential of SM was perceived as highly variable, depending on crop value and post-harvest efforts to attain food quality. Reconstructing the mixture management process revealed that the interspecific plant interactions and emergent mixture attributes increased the cropping system complexity and affected the entire farming process. Adopting SM required knowledge about species interactions, mixture attributes and equipment settings. Large knowledge gaps for food SM were identified. The complexity of SM also provided opportunities for farmers to design mixtures that allow competition control (alternate rows) or avoid separation (relay mixtures). The main conclusions are: (1) increased complexity is a basic property of SM compared to sole crops, enabling advantages and increasing the option space to develop new sustainable cropping systems, (2) specific knowledge and technology are required for SM and are not accessible for most farmers, requiring new information channels and (3) new food SM should be developed more systematically, taking into account mixture properties and their effects on the farming process, as well as needs from the food value chain.

Suggested Citation

  • Johannes Timaeus & Ties Ruigrok & Torsten Siegmeier & Maria Renate Finckh, 2022. "Adoption of Food Species Mixtures from Farmers’ Perspectives in Germany: Managing Complexity and Harnessing Advantages," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 12(5), pages 1-22, May.
  • Handle: RePEc:gam:jagris:v:12:y:2022:i:5:p:697-:d:816057
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0472/12/5/697/pdf
    Download Restriction: no

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0472/12/5/697/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Benston, George J, 1972. "Economies of Scale of Financial Institutions," Journal of Money, Credit and Banking, Blackwell Publishing, vol. 4(2), pages 312-341, May.
    2. Martin Weih & Alison J. Karley & Adrian C. Newton & Lars P. Kiær & Christoph Scherber & Diego Rubiales & Eveline Adam & James Ajal & Jana Brandmeier & Silvia Pappagallo & Angel Villegas-Fernández & Mo, 2021. "Grain Yield Stability of Cereal-Legume Intercrops Is Greater Than Sole Crops in More Productive Conditions," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 11(3), pages 1-18, March.
    3. K. Ann Bybee-Finley & Matthew R. Ryan, 2018. "Advancing Intercropping Research and Practices in Industrialized Agricultural Landscapes," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 8(6), pages 1-24, June.
    4. Lemken, Dominic & Spiller, Achim & von Meyer-Höfer, Marie, 2017. "The Case of Legume-Cereal Crop Mixtures in Modern Agriculture and the Transtheoretical Model of Gradual Adoption," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 137(C), pages 20-28.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Hannah Jona von Czettritz & Seyed-Ali Hosseini-Yekani & Johannes Schuler & Kurt-Christian Kersebaum & Peter Zander, 2023. "Adapting Cropping Patterns to Climate Change: Risk Management Effectiveness of Diversification and Irrigation in Brandenburg (Germany)," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 13(9), pages 1-17, September.
    2. Allen N. Berger & David B. Humphrey, 1994. "Bank scale economies, mergers, concentration, and efficiency: the U.S. experience," Finance and Economics Discussion Series 94-23, Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (U.S.).
    3. Clément, Rigal & Tuan, Duong & Cuong, Vo & Le Van, Bon & Trung, Hoang quôc & Long, Chau Thi Minh, 2023. "Transitioning from Monoculture to Mixed Cropping Systems: The Case of Coffee, Pepper, and Fruit Trees in Vietnam," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 214(C).
    4. Blank, Sven & Buch, Claudia M. & Neugebauer, Katja, 2009. "Shocks at large banks and banking sector distress: The Banking Granular Residual," Journal of Financial Stability, Elsevier, vol. 5(4), pages 353-373, December.
    5. Thomas Durkin & Gregory Elliehausen, 1998. "The Cost Structure of the Consumer Finance Industry," Journal of Financial Services Research, Springer;Western Finance Association, vol. 13(1), pages 71-86, February.
    6. Dominic Lemken & Mandy Knigge & Stephan Meyerding & Achim Spiller, 2017. "The Value of Environmental and Health Claims on New Legume Products: A Non-Hypothetical Online Auction," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 9(8), pages 1-18, July.
    7. Masagus M. Ridhwan & Henri L.F. de Groot & Piet Rietveld & Peter Nijkamp, 2012. "Regional Interest Rate Variations: Evidence from the Indonesian Credit Markets," Tinbergen Institute Discussion Papers 12-073/3, Tinbergen Institute.
    8. Dowling, Alyce & Roberts, Penny & Doolette, Ashlea & Zhou, Yi & Denton, Matthew D., 2023. "Oilseed-legume intercropping is productive and profitable in low input scenarios," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 204(C).
    9. Mugula, Joseph J & Ahmad, Athman Kyaruzi & Msinde, John & Kadigi, Michael, 2023. "Determinants of Adoption of Bundled Sustainable Agriculture Practices among Small-Scale Maize Farmers in Mvomero and Kilosa Districts, Tanzania," African Journal of Economic Review, African Journal of Economic Review, vol. 11(4), September.
    10. Karafolas, S. & Mantakas, G., 1996. "A note on cost structure and economies of scale in Greek banking," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 20(2), pages 377-387, March.
    11. John Burgess & Greg Walker, 1982. "Returns to Scale in the Australian Life Insurance Industry: A Comment," The Economic Record, The Economic Society of Australia, vol. 58(3), pages 290-292, September.
    12. Mine Aysen Doyran, 2012. "Evidence On Us Savings And Loan Profitability In Times Of Crisis," The International Journal of Business and Finance Research, The Institute for Business and Finance Research, vol. 6(1), pages 35-50.
    13. Tadesse, Solomon, 2006. "Consolidation, scale economies and technological change in Japanese banking," Journal of International Financial Markets, Institutions and Money, Elsevier, vol. 16(5), pages 425-445, December.
    14. Bethan Thompson & Gaëlle Leduc & Gordana Manevska‐Tasevska & Luiza Toma & Helena Hansson, 2024. "Farmers' adoption of ecological practices: A systematic literature map," Journal of Agricultural Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 75(1), pages 84-107, February.
    15. Paul Adler, 1983. "Trente ans d'automatisation et coûts opératoires dans les banques françaises," Revue Économique, Programme National Persée, vol. 34(5), pages 987-1020.
    16. D. J. S. Rutledge & R. H. Tuckwell, 1974. "Economies of Scale in Australian Life Insurance: An Empirical Note," The Economic Record, The Economic Society of Australia, vol. 50(3), pages 443-448, September.
    17. Ilaria Marotti & Anne Whittaker & Reyhan Bahtiyarca Bağdat & Pervin Ari Akin & Namuk Ergün & Giovanni Dinelli, 2023. "Intercropping Perennial Fruit Trees and Annual Field Crops with Aromatic and Medicinal Plants (MAPs) in the Mediterranean Basin," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(15), pages 1-23, August.
    18. Laura Restrepo Campuzano & Gustavo Adolfo Hincapié Llanos & Jhon Wilder Zartha Sossa & Gina Lía Orozco Mendoza & Juan Carlos Palacio & Mariana Herrera, 2023. "Barriers to the Adoption of Innovations for Sustainable Development in the Agricultural Sector—Systematic Literature Review (SLR)," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(5), pages 1-23, March.
    19. Kozubovska, Mariolia, 2017. "Breaking up big banks," Research in International Business and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 41(C), pages 198-219.
    20. Lech Gałęzewski & Iwona Jaskulska & Dariusz Jaskulski & Edward Wilczewski & Marek Kościński, 2022. "Strip Intercrop of Barley, Wheat, Triticale, Oat, Pea and Yellow Lupine—A Meta-Analysis," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(23), pages 1-21, November.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jagris:v:12:y:2022:i:5:p:697-:d:816057. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.