Functionally rich crop rotations increase calorie and macronutrient outputs across Europe

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dc.contributor.authorVico, Giulia
dc.contributor.authorCosta, Alessio
dc.contributor.authorSmith, Monique E.
dc.contributor.authorBowles, Timothy
dc.contributor.authorGaudin, Amélie C. M.
dc.contributor.authorWatson, Christine A.
dc.contributor.authorBaldoni, Guido
dc.contributor.authorBerti, Antonio
dc.contributor.authorBlecharczyk, Andrzej
dc.contributor.authorJończyk, Krzysztof
dc.contributor.authorMazzon, Martina
dc.contributor.authorMarzadori, Claudio
dc.contributor.authorMorari, Francesco
dc.contributor.authorNegri, Lorenzo
dc.contributor.authorOnofri, Andrea
dc.contributor.authorPasamón, José Luis Tenorio
dc.contributor.authorSandström, Boël
dc.contributor.authorSantín-Montanyá, Inés
dc.contributor.authorSawińska, Zuzanna
dc.contributor.authorStalenga, Jarosław
dc.contributor.authorTei, Francesco
dc.contributor.authorTopp, Cairistiona F. E.
dc.contributor.authorWalker, Robin L.
dc.contributor.authorBommarco, Riccardo
dc.date.accessioned2026-02-26T09:16:57Z
dc.date.available2026-02-26T09:16:57Z
dc.date.issued2026
dc.description.abstractIncreased crop diversity in cereal-dominated rotations can enhance crop protection, nutrient use efficiency and climate change adaptation. Nevertheless, it is argued that replacing cereals in rotations diminishes food production, threatening food security. Here we compared outputs of calories and macronutrients (carbohydrates, proteins, fats) for human consumption from cereal monocultures, cereal-only rotations and rotations including two or three functionally distinct crop types (cereals plus root and oil crops, legumes or ley) in 16 long-term experiments across Europe. Rotations with three functional types produced more calories and macronutrients than cereal monocultures and cereal-only rotations with forage crops used to produce milk. Carbohydrate gains depended on growing conditions and crop choice. Advantages increased over time but were lost with forage crops used for beef or biofuel. Functionally rich rotations provided macronutrient proportions closer to recommended human diets. Our analysis shows no trade-off between functionally rich rotations and food production or agricultural land expansion.
dc.description.sponsorshipThis study was funded by the Swedish Research Council for Sustainable Development FORMAS grants 2018-02872 to G.V., A.C. and R.B. and 2022-00928 to R.B. Tulloch and Woodside long-term experiments, managed by Scotland's Rural College, were supported by the Scottish Government RESAS Strategic Research Programme. All the long-term experiments located in Sweden were funded by the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences. The La Canaleja long-term experiment was supported by the PID2023-150863OR-100 project funded by the Spanish Research Council. The Brody/Poznan University of Life Sciences long-term experiment was funded by the Polish Ministry of Education and Science. We thank AUB - Experimental Farm of the University of Bologna and especially S. Vecchi and M. Soso, for their constant technical management of the Bologna long-term experiment. We acknowledge the Lawes Agricultural Trust and Rothamsted Research for data from the e-RA database relative to the Broadbalk long-term experiment. This is part of the Rothamsted Long-Term Experiments National Capability, supported by the UK Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBS/E/C/000J0300) and the Lawes Agricultural Trust. Open access funding provided by Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences.
dc.identifier.citationNature Food 7, 185–193 (2026)
dc.identifier.doi10.1038/s43016-026-01293-5
dc.identifier.issn2662-1355
dc.identifier.urihttps://bc.iung.pl/handle/123456789/4721
dc.identifier.urihttps://www.nature.com/articles/s43016-026-01293-5#Fun
dc.language.isoen
dc.publisherSpringer Nature
dc.titleFunctionally rich crop rotations increase calorie and macronutrient outputs across Europe
dc.typeArticle
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