Crop production: Plant hedgerows

Overall effectiveness category Unknown effectiveness (limited evidence)
Number of studies: 1
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How is the evidence assessed?

Effectiveness

0%
Certainty

10%
Harms

0%

Calculating overall effectiveness category

Study locations

Key messages

Crop yield (1 study): One replicated, paired site comparison from the USA found similar crop yields in fields with hedgerows and fields with bare/weedy edges.

Crop quality (0 studies)

About key messages

Key messages provide a descriptive index to studies we have found that test this intervention.

Studies are not directly comparable or of equal value. When making decisions based on this evidence, you should consider factors such as study size, study design, reported metrics and relevance of the study to your situation, rather than simply counting the number of studies that support a particular interpretation.

Supporting evidence from individual studies

A replicated, paired site comparison in 2012–2013 in sunflower fields in the Central Valley, California, USA, found similar crop yields in fields with hedgerows and fields with bare/weedy edges. Crop yield: Similar numbers of sunflower seeds were found in fields with hedgerows and fields with bare/weedy edges (650 seeds/head). Methods: Seeds from three sunflower heads were counted at each of four locations/transect (10, 50, 100, and 200 m from field edges), on two transects/field (2012: 10 fields; 2013: 8 fields). Half of the fields had bare/weedy edges (managed by burning, scraping, or herbicides). Half had hedgerows (3–6 x 250–300 m, 5–12 years old).
Study and other actions tested
Referenced paper
Sardiñas H.S. & Kremen C. (2015) Pollination services from field-scale agricultural diversification may be context-dependent. Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment, 207, 17-25.

Please cite as:

Shackelford, G. E., Kelsey, R., Robertson, R. J., Williams, D. R. & Dicks, L. V. (2017) Sustainable Agriculture in California and Mediterranean Climates: Evidence for the effects of selected interventions. Synopses of Conservation Evidence Series. University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.

Where has this evidence come from?

List of journals searched by synopsis

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This Action forms part of the Action Synopsis:

Mediterranean Farmland

Related Actions

Actions	Effectiveness	Studies	Category
Pest regulation: Grow cover crops in arable fields Action Link	Likely to be beneficial	19	Synopsis Link
Pest regulation: Plant hedgerows Action Link	Unknown effectiveness (limited evidence)	3	Synopsis Link
Other biodiversity: Plant flowers Action Link	Unknown effectiveness (limited evidence)	3	Synopsis Link