Crop rotations synergize yield, nutrition, and revenue: a meta-analysis
Abstract
Increasing agricultural yields through crop diversification may help achieve food and nutrition security. However, the benefits of a transition from monoculture to crop rotation may be reduced if trade-offs exist between yields, dietary energy, nutrients, and revenue. Here, we synthesize 3663 paired field-trial yield observations (1980–2024) and show that globally, crop rotation increased subsequent crop yield, with legume pre-crops outperforming non-legume pre-crops (23% and 16% average increases, respectively). Considering the entire sequence (i.e., pre-crop plus main crop), rotations increased total yields, dietary energy, protein, iron, magnesium, zinc, and revenue by 14–27% relative to continuous monoculture. Notably, win-win relationships among yield, nutrition, and revenue were consistently higher (33–54%) than trade-offs. Different high-performing crop rotations have been identified for several major agricultural production regions worldwide. These findings establish crop rotations as a strategic pathway to enhance synergies among agricultural yields, nutrition, and revenue compared to monoculture, offering scalable solutions for sustainable intensification. Crop diversification is a promising strategy to enhance global food security, yet potential trade-offs between yields and nutritional outcomes remain unclear. This global synthesis reveals that transitioning from monoculture to crop rotation consistently boosts total yield, nutritional quality, and revenue by…
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Evidence Hub reads this as a meta-analysis. Its evidence level is 1 of 5 (Highest · pooled evidence). Pooled evidence from several studies sits at the top of the evidence pyramid.
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