Mixed crops (cereals in combination with leguminous plants) are becoming increasingly important in organic livestock farming. Although the cultivation is already fairly established, we still see a high variability in the yields of peas and faba beans within mixed cultivation. The reason for this varying yield is unclear and may be due to a combination of several factors. Within this project, 79 different practical plots were therefore monitored, whereby information was collected about management (sowing parameters but also fertilization, soil preparation, variety choice, etc.). This information was then linked to the final plot yield and subjected to a statistical analysis.
However, no definite conclusions can be drawn. Most statistical tests require a larger data set. However, regression analysis (MRA) shows us some trends and indications that guides us in further research. For example, it looks like there is a detrimental effect of fertilization on the yield of the protein crop. In addition, we also seem to see that ploughing also appears to be negatively correlated with the (protein) yield, and therefore it might be better to opt for non-inversion tillage. These are certainly matters that will be further examined. This study allows us to exclude several factors and to design a more targeted, in-depth experiment in the future.