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Significant progress was made in modelling the role of plant traits in maize/soybean intercropping. For this, a novel functional-structural plant model was developed and parameterized, and simulation studies were carried out. Experiments were conducted on six different species combinations to explore the role of major species traits, such as height, photosynthesis mechanism, phenology, and ability for nitrogen capture as a factor in overyielding in strip (relay) intercropping under western European conditions. Above ground processes such as light capture and photosynthesis were measured in detail.

The model IPSIM for qualitative modelling of pest injury profiles was finalized and calibrated. The model showed potential for identification for circumstances enabling pest and disease control in barley/pea intercropping. A meta-analysis on disease control in wheat-fava bean intercropping was finished, while two other meta-analyses on disease control are still underway. The IPSIM results and three meta-analyses provide a strong basis for assessing the potential of intercropping to suppress diseases.

Solid progress was made to further develop and strengthen the crop-weed modelling environment FLORSYS. Progress was especially made in modelling below-ground processes. Literature on weed suppression in crop species mixtures was mined to assemble the globally available data on the relationships between species combinations, species traits, management, crop densities and weed suppression.

ReMIX team worked on the further development of the crop model STICS to predict the performance of multi-species mixtures under climate change and climate variability. Algorithms for modelling nitrogen capture were improved and calibrated to improve the predictive quality of the model. Furthermore, a model without name was developed for simulating maize/wheat intercropping for water-limited conditions, and two models (APSIM and M3) were further developed and parameterized in collaboration with the DIVERSify project to model cereal/legume intercropping under nitrogen limited conditions in Europe.