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# Poplar row age changes which alley crops make sense
- URL: https://intelligence.wildlandseco.com/2026-10-28-alley-cropping-tree-age-crop-yields/
- Published: 2026-10-28T13:33:57.000Z
- Updated: 2026-10-28T13:33:57.000Z
- Description: Winter crops held yields more reliably than spring crops beside older poplar stands.
- Author: Benjamin Worlund
- Tags: agriculture, forestry, management, Land, #ecological-intelligence, #brief-2026-10-28, #land-manager-watch, #peer-reviewed, #geo-europe

Evidence

Peer-reviewed

Geography

Four German agroforestry sites, 2018–2023

System

Alley cropping, poplar shade and agricultural yield

## WHAT THE EVIDENCE SAYS

Six years at four German sites found spring crop yields averaged 10–35% lower when poplar rows were aged at least five years, especially near tree rows; winter crop yields remained broadly comparable with open fields across tree ages one to nine.

## WHY IT MATTERS / OUR READ

Management read: track crop yield by distance from tree rows and adapt crop choice as canopy and coppice age change. Compare winter crops or shorter tree rotations only after pricing grain, wood, operating costs and site-specific objectives.

## CAVEATS / UNCERTAINTY

Four sites and selected crops do not determine general economic or ecological superiority; any biodiversity or soil benefits need separate monitoring.

## SOURCE

Agronomy for Sustainable Development — Choe et al. (27 Oct 2026)  
[View original evidence ↗](https://doi.org/10.1007/s13593-026-01149-z?ref=intelligence.wildlandseco.com)

From the Morning Brief · 2026-10-28

[Read the full Morning Brief →](https://intelligence.wildlandseco.com/morning-brief-2026-10-28/)