French scientific institutes collaborated with Yunnan Agricultural University in China to assess the impact of planting different crop varieties together on the immunity of the crops.
It turns out that co-cultivating different varieties of crops, such as wheat or rice, increases their resistance to diseases.
Researchers observed a decrease in plant disease susceptibility of up to 90% when compared to single-variety crops protected solely by their genetic immunity.
This discovery suggests that co-cultivation could serve as a partial alternative to pesticides and advocates for the preservation of biodiversity. This "immune cooperation" resembles the collective immunity developed by animals.
Source: INRAE
