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Pesticides aren't always necessary. Researchers at the University of Zurich have conducted a comprehensive field study showing that damage from herbivores can be reduced by using biodiversity within a plant species. Different plant genotypes can cooperate to help fend off herbivorous insects. The study is published in the journal Agronomy for Sustainable Development.

Just like humans, plants interact with the individuals around them. For example, if the people around you are more susceptible to infections, your own risk of getting infected increases, and vice versa.

The same is true for plants. When different genetic types of the same plant species are mixed and planted together, some combinations are more resistant to pests and diseases. This positive biodiversity effect is known as associative resistance.

Food security and preservation

One of the key challenges of modern society lies in reconciling food security and the preservation of the environment and biodiversity. Pests and diseases pose serious threats to crops, making chemical agents like pesticides crucial in agriculture. However, pesticides can reduce the biodiversity of insects.

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