RESEARCH OFFERS A REASON WHY DIVERSITY IN PLANT SPECIES CAUSES HIGHER FARMING YIELD, SOLVING 'A BIT OF A MYSTERY'
James Bever, senior scientist with the Kansas Biological Survey & Center for Ecological Research and Foundation Distinguished Professor of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology at KU, is a corresponding author on a study appearing in Nature Communications. The study based on field and greenhouse experiments at the University of Kansas shows how a boost in agricultural yield comes from planting diverse crops rather than just one plant species: Soil pathogens harmful to plants have a harder time thriving.