| Title: |
Cover crops and intercropping can reduce nitrate and pesticide leaching in low inputs systems |
| Authors: |
Seimandi-Corda, Gaëtan; Justes, Eric; Gleizes, Benoit; Lecloux, Eric; Bazerthe, Eric; Alletto, Lionel |
| Source: |
Agricultural Systems |
| Publisher Information: |
Elsevier |
| Publication Year: |
2026 |
| Collection: |
CIRAD: Agritrop (Centre de coopération internationale en recherche agronomique pour le développement) |
| Subject Terms: |
pesticide; diversification; impact sur l'environnement; système de culture; culture intercalaire; agroécologie; lessivage du sol; nitrate; plante de couverture; rotation culturale; analyse du cycle de vie; agroécosystème; agriculture faible niveau intrants; http://aims.fao.org/aos/agrovoc/c_5739; http://aims.fao.org/aos/agrovoc/c_2344; http://aims.fao.org/aos/agrovoc/c_24420; http://aims.fao.org/aos/agrovoc/c_1971; http://aims.fao.org/aos/agrovoc/c_3910; http://aims.fao.org/aos/agrovoc/c_92381; http://aims.fao.org/aos/agrovoc/c_15591; http://aims.fao.org/aos/agrovoc/c_5187; http://aims.fao.org/aos/agrovoc/c_1936; http://aims.fao.org/aos/agrovoc/c_6662; http://aims.fao.org/aos/agrovoc/c_9000105; http://aims.fao.org/aos/agrovoc/c_36669; http://aims.fao.org/aos/agrovoc/c_34370; http://aims.fao.org/aos/agrovoc/c_3081 |
| Subject Geographic: |
France |
| Description: |
Context: The agroecological transition offer opportunities to reduce agriculture's environmental impacts by reducing reliance on synthetic fertilisers and pesticides. Crop diversification, in both time and space, is a key strategy including extended crop rotations, intercropping, and cover crops. Yet, relationships between reduced input use and associated environmental impacts remain insufficiently quantified. Objective: We assessed the environmental performance of six innovative low-input cropping systems that used cover crops, cultivar mixture and intercropping in term of nitrogen fertiliser and pesticide use, as well as nitrate and pesticide losses. Methods: From 2010 to 2016, cropping systems were monitored for input use and drainage water was collected with tension plate lysimeters at 1 m depth. Nitrate and up to 44 pesticide compounds were analysed annually. Results and Conclusions: Nitrogen fertiliser application varied across systems, with more diversified systems applying less thanks to legumes. Pesticide use remained similar among systems but reduced by over 50% compared to conventional rates. Cover crops played a key role in reducing pollution. Nitrate leaching reduced by 42–56% in systems with cover crops. More originally, pesticide leaching decreased by 53–82% for these systems with S-metolachlor representing more than 50% of the quantity of pesticide losses. Significance: These results demonstrate that diversifying cropping systems, particularly through cover cropping, can reduce agriculture's environmental footprint greatly. When combined with reducing input use, such strategies provide a promising pathway towards more sustainable and resilient farming systems, with clear benefits for water quality and agroecosystem functioning. |
| Document Type: |
article in journal/newspaper |
| File Description: |
text |
| Language: |
English |
| Relation: |
http://agritrop.cirad.fr/617125/; Cover crops and intercropping can reduce nitrate and pesticide leaching in low inputs systems. Seimandi-Corda Gaëtan, Justes Eric, Gleizes Benoit, Lecloux Eric, Bazerthe Eric, Alletto Lionel. 2026. Agricultural Systems, 235:104719, 14 p.https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agsy.2026.104719; http://agritrop.cirad.fr/617125/1/Seimandi-Corda%26al-2026_AS.pdf |
| DOI: |
10.1016/j.agsy.2026.104719 |
| Availability: |
http://agritrop.cirad.fr/617125/; https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agsy.2026.104719 |
| Rights: |
cc_by ; info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess ; https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ |
| Accession Number: |
edsbas.9737D077 |
| Database: |
BASE |