Edalix Marín ’27, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology

Edalix Marín ’27

Major

Ecology and Evolutionary Biology

Project Title

Understanding the Effects of “Three Sisters” Crop Mutualisms

Although a large part of commercial agriculture involves monocultures, there are potential benefits associated with polyculture farming. To learn more about the possible advantages of polyculture farming, I researched the “three sisters,” which is the term many Indigenous communities use to refer to the method of growing corn, beans and squash together. This method allows each crop to benefit from the others when grown together because of mutualisms between the three plant species. Using this knowledge to design field experiments, we grew the three crops in monoculture (rows) and polyculture (mounds and blocks) designs. This process required learning different planting methods, setting up irrigation systems and employing various techniques of field maintenance. Using sensors that measure NDVI, or plant greenness and health, germination rates and beneficial-to-pest insect ratios, we were able to collect data that would help us analyze the health and productivity of each design. Then, we used JMP software to run statistical analyses of our data and create visualizations to better understand it. Learning more about intercropping, sustainable agriculture and culturally significant foods has been a fascinating experience and has motivated me to learn more about food and agriculture from both scientific and anthropological perspectives.