Strip cropping

Nearby Lelystad, the ‘Farm of the Future’ is experimenting with all kinds of new agricultural techniques. One of these new techniques is strip cropping. This new method of growing crops involves sowing different vegetables onto the same field, in long strips that are 3 to 24 meters wide. This method is better for biodiversity on the field because this way, there is always food and shelter nearby for different types of biodiversity. Especially for insects and field birds.

In addition, it is effective against diseases and pests attacking the crops: one crop might be susceptible to a disease, but the crop beside is immune. By this ‘social distancing’, a disease cannot spread as easily, and therefore, fewer pesticides are needed.

It is a major challenge for a large sector such as agriculture to switch to this form of arable farming. That is why Farm of the Future is developing these new applications. With this project, the investments have already been made in researching these techniques. Thus, (individual) farmers do not have to incur these costs to learn these new approaches, making the switch easier in the future.