After a bit of a break, here's a new #benediktspapersoftheweek (week 24, 2026):

Bongers et al. 2025:
Plastic responses for intercrop functioning

https://www.nature.com/articles/s44264-025-00048-2

#plantplasticity #plasticity #ecology #crops #intercropping #mixedcropping

Plastic responses for intercrop functioning - npj Sustainable Agriculture

Intercropping systems have large heterogeneity in canopy and soil conditions, which could induce phenotypic plasticity. We review different kinds of observed plasticity and to what extent these influence crop performance and outline the diversity of signals that could occur in intercrops. Studying how plasticity is induced and quantifying the consequences for intercrop performance are relevant to better understand the consequences of mixing species and provides leads for breeding for intercrops.

Nature

#benediktspapersoftheweek - week 15, 2026:

Schmidt et al. 2026:

Wheat variety mixtures enhance yield stability and result in pronounced overyielding for certain line combinations

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S116103012500382X

#benediktspapersoftheweek - week 13:

The rhizosphere microbiome: significance of plant beneficial, plant pathogenic, and human pathogenic microorganisms

Mendes et al., 2013

https://academic.oup.com/femsre/article/37/5/634/540803

#benediktspapersoftheweek - week 12:

Mixing varieties mitigates early root competition in wheat under water and nutrient limitation

Montazeaud et al., 2025

https://academic.oup.com/jxb/article/76/14/4171/8121040?guestAccessKey=

#breeding #plantbreeding #roots #diversification #agriculture #science

This will be the last paper of the week for a moment as I will be off work for the remainder of the year. I'll share new weekly articles that interest me with you from January onward again. Happy reading!

#benediktspapersoftheweek

Paper of the week - week 44 (this week):

Hartmann et al. 2015

Distinct soil microbial diversity under long-term organic and conventional farming

https://doi.org/10.1038/ismej.2014.210

#benediktspapersoftheweek #soilmicrobiome #FarmingPractices #OrganicConventional #OrganicFarming #Biodiversity #SoilManagement

Distinct soil microbial diversity under long-term organic and conventional farming

AbstractLow-input agricultural systems aim at reducing the use of synthetic fertilizers and pesticides in order to improve sustainable production and ecosy

OUP Academic

Paper of the week - week 43:

Malosetti et al. 2013

The statistical analysis of multi-environment data: modeling genotype-by-environment interaction and its genetic basis

https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/physiology/articles/10.3389/fphys.2013.00044/full

#benediktspapersoftheweek

Frontiers | The statistical analysis of multi-environment data: modeling genotype-by-environment interaction and its genetic basis

Genotype by environment interaction (GEI) is an important phenomenon in plant breeding. This paper presents a series of models for describing, exploring, und...

Frontiers

Paper of the week - week 42:

Bančič et al. 2021

Modeling Illustrates That Genomic Selection Provides New Opportunities for Intercrop Breeding

https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/plant-science/articles/10.3389/fpls.2021.605172/full

#benediktspapersoftheweek #CropDiversification #intercropping #PlantBreeding

Frontiers | Modeling Illustrates That Genomic Selection Provides New Opportunities for Intercrop Breeding

Intercrop breeding programs using genomic selection can produce faster genetic gain than intercrop breeding programs using phenotypic selection. Intercroppin...

Frontiers

Paper of the week - week 41:

Smulders et al., 2025

Resilience through diversity: The potential of modelling species and variety interactions to enhance resilience of production systems

https://nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/ppp3.70095

#cropdiversification #benediktspapersoftheweek