Simplified crop rotations, excessive fertilizer usage, and overreliance on herbicides for weed control have resulted in a multitude of complex issues in modern agroecosystems. These include the rapid expansion of herbicide-resistant weed populations, contamination of the environment and the food chain with pesticides, health hazards for pesticide users and consumers, and an immense loss in biodiversity. Today's weed communities are generally dominated by a few highly adaptable species, which are challenging to control through strategies solely based on direct weed control measures. To address these challenges, there is a need for cross-scale and multidisciplinary research and teaching aimed at improving environmental, social, and economic sustainability in modern cropping systems.
My research aims to investigate the impact of diversifying cropping systems on the provision of ecosystem services. Specifically, my focus is on how diversification affects the composition of arable plant communities, and subsequently, functional trait diversity in agroecosystems. In my research, I employ participatory techniques wherein farmers, advisors and researchers collaborate to design and evaluate cropping systems in short- and long-term field tests. In addition to my core research activities, I have a keen interest in the environmental, social and economic impacts of agroecosystem management.
