Which interactions between plants and their environments are important drivers of the performance of crop rotations, intercrops, cover crops, and agroforestry? How can we make these practices more rewarding for farmers, and better able to boost biodiversity and ecosystem services?

How do interactions between plants differ depending on the plants' environments? Are plants more cooperative or more competitive in different soils and climates, and under different management? Can we use this knowledge to design better crop rotations, intercrops, and weed management strategies?

Smallholder farmers face many constraints. If crop diversification is going to be worthwhile, it needs to achieve multiple aims such as boosting productivity, minimising labour and input costs, making efficient use of land, and improving the dietary quality or income potential of farm produce. Which crop combinations and methods of crop integration can best achieve these outcomes?

The harder we try to control weeds, the worse the weeds become. Can we design weed management strategies that work with rather than against ecological processes such as natural selection and niche partitioning to achieve weeds that are less competitive, easier to manage, and more biodiverse?