What is agrobiodiversity?
- Agrobiodiversity refers to the diversity of animal and plant groups that make up the agroecosystem
- It includes both organisms cultivated or bred for agricultural production (food, feed, bioenergy), and natural organisms that interact directly or indirectly with agricultural production (pollinators, beneficial insects, soil microorganisms)
- It is divided into : planned agrobiodiversity (elements deliberately incorporated into the agroecosystem, e.g. crops, animal breeds (Photo 1); and associated agrobiodiversity (elements naturally present in the agroecosystem, e.g. spontaneous plants and insects (Photo 2). Both types are important for sustainable agricultural production
Agrobiodiversity includes three levels:
- Genetics: cultivated varieties and reared animal breeds (Photo 3)
- Species: number of crops in the rotation or on the farm and the number of animal species bred (Photo 4)
- Habitat: diversity and type of semi-natural habitats present (hedges, woods, grass strips) (Photo 5)
Functional agrobiodiversity
Not all the biodiversity in the agroecosystem is useful for agricultural production, in fact it can also be harmful – parasites, pathogens and weeds are also part of biodiversity!
A fundamental aspect of sustainable agriculture is knowing and giving preference to those elements in the agroecosystem (at the genetic, species and habitat levels), that directly or indirectly support agricultural production. One or more functions that are capable of providing ecosystem services (Photo 6), can be associated with each of these elements linked to the production of food and other agricultural products, or to the maintenance of natural resources and life cycles which are fundamental to agricultural production, such as soil fertility.
Functional agrobiodiversity provides ecosystem services, both directly or indirectly linked to agricultural production, together with other services, such as the conservation of species at risk of extinction and landscape and cultural aspects.
The agroecological approach to agricultural production is based on use of functional agrobiodiversity, in order to exploit natural resources in the best possible way, reducing the use of external inputs and providing quality products while respecting the environment.
Under an agroecology perspective, agriculture and nature are not in opposition, but actively support each other. The management of functional agrobiodiversity is the key to the sustainability of agricultural production and rural areas
Agrobiodiversity at CiRAA
The field you are looking at is an example of habitat agrobiodiversity: the MASCOT experiment (Mediterranean Arable System COmparison Trial) uses hedges to separate fields cultivated organically from conventional ones. Researchers at CiRAA have demonstrated the complexity of the relationships between field margins and the development of aphid predatory coccinellids and hoverflies. The diversity of semi-natural habitats is fundamental for the optimal management of the agroecosystem, offering spaces and food to a large number of insects and animals which in turn provide an ecosystem service for agricultural production (pollination, control of harmful insects, soil fertility). This also helps drive away a few very abundant and potentially harmful species