How can we sustainably produce food in the Netherlands in the future? That question is central to CropMix, our five-year research programme in which more than 70 scientists and 25 arable farmers work together. We focus on crop diversity: combining different crops in one field, for example through strip cropping. This promotes biodiversity in fields and can help us become less dependent on pesticides.
What is the best crop pair?
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.
Join us for the new season!
For the growing season of 2025, you can again sign up to participate in the experiment in your own vegetable garden. It is not necessary that you participated last year. Go to the sign-up page by clicking the button below to register for the new season. Please note: available in Dutch only.
Want to get started right away? Help us set up next year's experiment by answering a few short questions about what, for you, are good and bad neighbour crops (available in Dutch only).
Still in doubt? Read more on the sign up page (Dutch only) or read the frequently asked questions at the bottom of this page.
Results of the first year
Last year, about 500 vegetable gardeners participated in our experiment. Read more about the first results of season 2024 via the button below.
Photo: Broad bean plants with aphids and lady bugs from a participant from Arnhem.
Looking for good crop combinations
A common question from growers considering strip cropping or other forms of mixed cropping is: 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 growers 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.
Read more on the background of this experiment.
MoestuinMix is a citizen science project in which non professional vegetable growers and gardeners experiment with different crop combinations.
In collaboration with
About AVVN
Since 1928 we root with our hands in the earth and stand up for the interests of allotment holders. The letters AVVN stand for Algemeen Verbond van Volkstuindersverenigingen in Nederland. We are now called AVVN together natural gardening. Why? Our family has grown considerably over all these years. Today, we help anyone with a green heart with natural gardening. Whether that is in you back yard, a community garden or an allotment garden. We share our green knowledge an make gardening together even easier and more fun.
More information
Would you like to know more or do you have questions? Please contact us via moestuinmix@wur.nl.
Wageningen University & Research coordinates CropMix and the experiments in MoestuinMix.
For news and updates, follow CropMix on LinkedIn
MoestuinMix is a collaboration between CropMix and AVVN samen natuurlijk tuinieren.
