A common question from arable farmers considering strip cropping or other forms of mixed cropping is: which crops go well together? To find out, we like to enlist the help of experienced and inexperienced allotment and vegetable gardeners to test different combinations in their own vegetable gardens.
Would you like to participate in MoestuinMix? Sign up immediately via the button below (Dutch only).
After you register, you will receive the seeds and instructions at home around mid-February. All seeds are organic. During the experiment, we will keep you informed with our digital newsletter.
Are you still in doubt? Read the frequently asked questions at the bottom of this page.
The best crop combination
Which crops go well together? Answering that question requires testing lots of combinations, but we don't have enough time and space to test all the interesting combinations on the university's trial fields. Moreover, we cannot dictate to our participating farmers what they should grow.
Fortunately, there are many people in the Netherlands with vegetable gardens and valuable experience who can help us. Vegetable gardens almost always grow different crops next to and through each other, making them ideally suited for testing different crop combinations. That is why we ask vegetable gardeners throughout the Netherlands to help us test crop combinations and help arable farmers on their way. With this citizen science we collect a lot of valuable data from different environments, such as soil type and landscape, in a short time.
The experiment
MoestuinMix participants are testing different crop combinations with broad beans. The first combination is broad bean-red beet. The second combination consists of broad bean and a crop of your own choice. Our aim is to find out which combinations promote the cultivation of broad beans and which processes ensure this, such as growth and resilience. The seeds for broad beans and beetroot are organic and you will receive them from us.
Participants can choose from three levels to participate in. The basics are measuring the yield of broad beans by counting pods and beans. In addition, you provide general information on when to sow, flower and harvest (level 1). Those who are also curious about pests can additionally count aphids and natural enemies found on bean plants (level 2). At level 3, you also count pollinating insects.
Background
To enable the transition to more sustainable, ecology-based agriculture, some 70 scientists from different fields, 25 arable farms and over 30 chain partners and interest groups are joining forces. In CropMix we are studying arable systems that focus on crop diversity, such as strip cropping, where strips of different crops grow side by side. This promotes biodiversity in fields and can help us become less dependent on fertilisers and pesticides. This is because, for example, one crop attracts the natural enemy of the other crop's pest and diseases are less likely to spread through a field.
But how does such a crop-diverse system work and what are its advantages and disadvantages? This is what we will be investigating over the next five years with ecologists, agronomists, economists and social scientists, as well as vegetable gardeners! Read more on the background of MoestuinMix and our research..
Do you want to join the experiment? Sign up through the button below (Dutch language only) or read the FAQ below.
Would you like to know more or do you have questions? Please contact us via moestuinmix@wur.nl.
MoestuinMix is a citizen science project in which non professional vegetable growers and gardeners experiment with different crop combinations.
In collaboration with
More information
Would you like to know more or do you have questions? Please contact us via moestuinmix@wur.nl.
About MoestuinMix
MoestuinMix is part of CropMix. A five-year research programme on ecology-based agriculture. The CropMix-consortium consists of a large number of partners and educational and research institutions.
Wageningen University & Research coordinates CropMix and the experiments in MoestuinMix.
For news and updates, follow CropMix on LinkedIn
Frequently asked questions
Are the seeds provided organic?
Yes, the provided seeds are organic.
Which crops will I test?
Each participant tests the combination broad bean and red beet and a combination with broad bean and a crop of their own choice. You are completely free to choose, but you have to arrange the seeds for your chosen crop yourself.
I have already participated in 2024. Can I participate (again) next year?
You certainly can! We will repeat the experiment in 2025. Anyone can participate, including people who have not yet participated in 2024. Sign up via the website.
What should I measure?
You measure the yield of broad beans by counting the number of pods and beans. If you want to do more, you can choose to observe aphids and natural enemies in addition. Want to do even more? Then count pollinating insects as well.
It is important to note the date you sowed and harvested and the operations you did, such as fertilising or weeding.
Furthermore, you provide us with various background data, such as the soil type of your garden, what other crops are growing and what the garden's surroundings look like. This may in fact affect your results.
When do I start the experiment?
The experiment starts once you sow the broad beans. You can choose when you do this. Pre-sowing can be done from mid-February onwards.
When does the experiment end?
The experiment ends when you have harvested the first broad beans.
When should I sow?
You can decide when to sow the broad bean and red beets. Broad beans are usually sown from March, which is also when the experiment starts.
What is the choice crop?
The choice crop is the crop you choose to combine with broad beans. Use your knowledge and creativity! You have to buy the seeds for your choice crop yourself.
How do I send in my results?
You can submit your results digitally via online answer forms or on paper. The instructions you receive will tell you how to do this.
I prefer to send my results by post, is that possible?
Yes, you can do so without a stamp to the following reply number:
Wageningen University & Research
Att. Yvonne Florissen, Entomology
Antwoordnummer 30
6700 VB Wageningen
When should I harvest?
You can decide when to harvest broad beans and red beets. Broad beans are usually harvested from May onwards.
Why don't we measure the red beets?
In this experiment, we look at how the broad bean performs next to different neighbouring crops. We are not testing the red beets with another neighbour crop, so there is no need to measure the yield of the beets.
What is the role of AVVN?
AVVN samen natuurlijk tuinieren is a partner in the CropMix consortium. We work together in building the MoestuinMix experiments, aimed at people with a kitchen garden.
What will I get in return for participating?
Besides being fun to take part in the experiment, you will receive interim results and interesting facts about crops, pests and biodiversity. We also share great tips on broad beans. Last but not least: with your participation, you contribute to knowledge about sustainable agriculture and help future farmers increase biodiversity in their fields.
Who is behind MoestuinMix?
Researchers from Wageningen University & Research coordinate CropMix, a five-year research programme, and the experiments in MoestuinMix. Here, we work together with AVVN samen natuurlijk tuinieren.
What is the goal of the experiment?
Our aim is to learn more about crop diversity and how it works in practice in a vegetable garden or in a field. We are specifically looking for crop combinations that promote cultivation and the processes that ensure this. This knowledge could be important for farmers who want to work with crop diversity in their fields.
Why do you ask the help of vegetable gardeners?
A vegetable or kitchen garden is pre-eminently a place where crop diversity is high, but there are also big differences between gardens. For instance, in soil type, type of environment and which crops are grown. This provides interesting data.
Moreover, vegetable gardeners often have a lot of valuable knowledge about combining crops. We like to retrieve that knowledge to see what insights could be useful for arable farmers.
What happens with my data?
CropMix researchers will analyse the data collected to draw conclusions about which crop combinations work well, for example for higher yields, fewer pests and more biodiversity. Where possible, we will use the data for scientific publications to further share the results with other researchers and eventually arable farmers.
We process the results from your garden anonymously and confidentially. Your participation in MoestuinMix is voluntary and you can withdraw at any time without giving any reason.
I don't want to or can't participate anymore. What should I do?
You can always pull out of participating in the experiment. Please send us an email at moestuinmix@wur.nl. You don't have to tell us the reason.
Is you question not answered above? You can send us an email at moestuinmix@wur.nl.
MoestuinMix is a collaboration between CropMix and AVVN samen natuurlijk tuinieren.
