Welcome to the Department of
Crop Production Ecology

Photo: F. Stendahl

The main interests of the Department of Crop Production Ecology include research, consultancy and teaching within two major areas: cropping systems ecology, and functional ecology of crops, weeds and pests.

The mission is to investigate, identify and develop sustainable agro-ecosystems, with the aim of improving productivity and sustainability of food, feed and fuel crops, as well as cropping systems. Expertise in various disciplines (soil science, ecology, plant physiology, statistics, meteorology, computer simulation) is integrated to address the research tasks. As important complements to, and opportunities for, research activities, the department is involved in many teaching and outreach activities and is also commissioned to conduct the official variety testing of forage, potato and cereal crops in Sweden. The department is in charge of the Ekhaga research station, which offers excellent facilities for field experimentation in organic farming. Much of the research and teaching is carried out in cooperation with colleagues throughout Europe.

Cropping systems ecology is divided into three subjects: Agricultural Cropping Systems for food and feed production, Short Rotation Forestry for fuel production, and Resource-use Modelling in these cropping systems.

Functional ecology of crops, weeds and pests covers three interrelated subjects: Crop Physiology, Weed Biology and Trophic interactions in agricultural cropping systems – plant disease dynamics.

The department also hosts the Centre for Organic Food and Farming (EPOK), which is a cooperative body for researchers, departments and faculties at SLU, as well as other universities and external stakeholders, with the mission to integrate and initiate research and education and to communicate research on organic production and consumption.