Eco-evolutionary agriculture: Host-pathogen dynamics in crop rotations

Area of Science:

• Agricultural Science
• Ecology
• Evolutionary Biology

Background:

• Agriculture faces continuous challenges from evolving plant pathogens.
• Crop rotation is a traditional method for disease management, but requires further assessment for optimization.
• Integrating eco-evolutionary dynamics with agronomic factors is crucial for effective pathogen control.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a methodology for optimal crop rotation strategies informed by numerical simulations.
• To integrate agronomic criteria (soil quality, cash yield) with pathogen evolution analysis.
• To identify rotation patterns that maximize crop yield under infection scenarios.

Main Methods:

• Numerical simulations of eco-evolutionary dynamics in a single field.
• Modeling artificial selection of hosts and pathogen evolution.
• Analysis of rotation patterns considering soil quality, yield, and epidemic strength.

Main Results:

• Identified rotation patterns that maximize crop yield during infections.
• Demonstrated that non-host crops improve soil quality and control epidemics, leading to rational rotation strategies.
• Validated the repeatability of optimal rotation patterns over multiple decades.

Conclusions:

• Sustainable crop rotation strategies can be developed using eco-evolutionary simulations.
• Optimized rotations enhance food production and reduce pesticide reliance.
• This methodology offers insights for efficient and sustainable agricultural practices.