The Faculty of Agriculture at Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (AUTH), a key partner in the IntercropVALUES project, has been actively advancing intercropping practices through innovative research, stakeholder engagement, and field experiments. Over the past year, AUTH’s Laboratory of Agriculture has conducted several impactful activities aimed at promoting intercropping systems tailored to Greece’s unique agricultural conditions.
Designing low input wheat production through intercropping with legumes
During the 2023–2024 growing season, AUTH established four pilot studies in Greece, located at:
- University Farm, Thessaloniki
- Mouries, Kilkis
- Giannitsa, Pella
- Galateia, Kozani
These pilots tested the intercropping of bread wheat with field peas and faba beans under both conventional and organic management systems. Researchers evaluated a variety of agronomic and ecological parameters, including nitrogen fertilizer levels, crop yield, soil health, and weed suppression. The results demonstrated the potential of intercropping to improve ecosystem services while reducing input reliance.
Participation in different conferences and meetings and presentation results of experiments
The members of the Laboratory of Agriculture at Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (AUTH) actively contributed to several prominent scientific events in 2024, showcasing their research on intercropping systems and their benefits for agri-food chains and ecosystem services:
Agrotica 2024 (Thessaloniki): During the conference held as part of the Agrotica 2024 exhibition in Thessaloniki, the laboratory members presented their scientific study titled: “Development of Intercropping Systems for Agri-Food Chains and Ecosystem Service Provision in Europe and Southern Countries”
18th European Society of Agronomy Congress (Rennes): Initial results from intercropping experiments were presented at the 18th Congress of the European Society of Agronomy in Rennes. The presentation included a poster titled: “Use of Intercropping Systems to Reduce the Growth of Weeds Under Mediterranean Pedoclimatic Conditions”
18th Panhellenic Scientific Conference (Thessaloniki): At this conference, held in Thessaloniki, the team presented their research titled: “Intercropping Cereal and Legume with Annual Crops and Agroforestry Systems Increases Biodiversity and Promotes Ecosystem Services”
These events provided AUTH with a platform to showcase its findings to a broad audience, fostering collaboration and knowledge exchange within the scientific and agricultural communities.
Workshops and Field Days
AUTH has also emphasized stakeholder engagement through hands-on workshops and field days:
On February 29, 2024 a Co-Design and Co-Evaluation Workshop took place at Aristotle University which brought together farmers, advisors, agribusinesses, and consumers to design to design and evaluate previous intercropping systems used in Greece. The intercropping systems that will be used are bread wheat with pea, bread wheat with faba bean, durum wheat with pea, durum wheat with faba bean, and the respected monocrops of bread wheat, durum wheat, pea and faba bean. The objective is to include intercropping in cropping systems that are used in Greece. Also, the products of bread and durum wheat will be used to produce bread and pasta and especially traditional products under low input conditions.
On October 21, 2024 abother workshop was organized under the title: ” Analysis of possible barriers to the implementation of intercropping” (Figure 8). During the workshop, three distinct groups — producers, consumers, and researchers — actively participated in an interactive discussion.
The workshop focused on identifying and analyzing the barriers associated with adopting intercropping systems, such as technical difficulties, lack of awareness, and market constraints. Participants shared experiences and perspectives.
Emphasis was placed on bridging the gap between production and market demands, as well as improving communication among producers, researchers, and consumers. The workshop served as a valuable platform for understanding barriers from diverse viewpoints, fostering collaboration to promote intercropping.
FInally, a field day took place at the university farm site. Field days are an important practice in agriculture, especially when it comes to intercropping. Their purpose is to bring together farmers, agronomists, researchers, and stakeholders to exchange knowledge, demonstrate farming practices, and promote innovative methods. Field days focused on intercropping help participants better understand the complexity and benefits of this farming method by combining theory with practice.
Looking Ahead
With its commitment to promoting sustainable farming practices, AUTH continues to lead by example in the IntercropVALUES project. Its innovative research and community-focused initiatives highlight the transformative potential of intercropping, ensuring a sustainable and resilient future for agriculture in Greece and beyond.