Cropping alfalfa to enhance above and below ground biodiversity

Authors: BERTI, MARISOL - North Dakota State University; KURTH, ANASTASIA - North Dakota State University; MOSQUEDA, HALEY - North Dakota State University; BIDDY, SAMUEL - North Dakota State University; Anderson, James

Submitted to: Proceedings of the World Alfalfa Congress
Publication Type: Proceedings
Publication Acceptance Date: 11/14/2022
Publication Date: 11/25/2022
Citation: Berti, M.T., Kurth, A., Mosqueda, H., Biddy, S., Anderson, J.V. 2022. Cropping alfalfa to enhance above and below ground biodiversity. Proceedings of the World Alfalfa Congress. p 1-8.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Biodiversity is a key factor to maintain healthy, resilient, and stable cropping systems. As biodiversity decreases, cropping systems are more susceptible to biotic and abiotic stresses that can lead to reduced productivity and detrimental effects to the environment. Alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) is a key component in crop rotations offering numerous ecosystem services including enhanced above and belowground biodiversity. Aboveground, the high protein content in alfalfa leaves attracts many arthropods, including predators of insect pests and pollinators. Many other arthropods live below the alfalfa’s canopy such as ground beetles, spiders, and crickets to mention a few, which provide many functions to the microecosystem. Researchers have shown that species number and diversity is greater for ground arthropods in alfalfa than in other annual crops. Belowground, the ability of alfalfa to fix atmospheric N2 in symbiosis with Sinorhizobia and other microbial communities increases the availability of nutrients for crops, soil microarthropods, and microbes. Biogeochemical processes in the soil are driven by different groups of bacteria and fungi. These processes alter the soil structure promoting soil aggregation, which in turn provides a habitat for different functional groups of microorganisms ultimately responsible for overall soil health. Previous research has found that cropping systems including alfalfa have significantly greater fungal and bacterial biomass, diversity index, and richness in the soil compared with cropping systems including annual crops such as corn (Zea mays L.) and soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.]. Although efforts to integrate alfalfa into cropping systems are underway, greater efforts are needed to disseminate the benefits of including alfalfa in crop rotations to growers.