Pollinators such as bees, wasps and butterflies make a vital contribution to stable ecosystems: they enable numerous plants to reproduce and increase the yields of many crops by transferring pollen between flowers. What is less well known, however, is that many of them spend crucial phases of their lives on or in the soil, where they nest, rest or hibernate. It is also unclear what conditions pollinators need during their time in the soil and to what extent modern soil management practices harm both the insects and the ecosystem services they provide.

Boron plays a central role in the growth and fertility of many plants, but extreme weather events such as drought or flooding are making it increasingly difficult for plants to absorb. An international research team led by the Technical University of Munich (TUM) and involving the Leibniz Institute of Plant Genetics and Crop Plant Research (IPK) has now investigated how plants respond to the changing availability of the micronutrient boron.

Whether surfboards, skis or hiking poles: sports equipment used outdoors must not only be stable and durable, but also function in extreme temperatures. The demands placed on the materials are accordingly high. Many sports equipment items are therefore made of aluminium and carbon fibres, but these require a lot of energy to manufacture and are difficult to recycle. The German Institutes for Textile and Fibre Research Denkendorf (DITF) are now working with industry partners to demonstrate that bio-based materials can also perform well in outdoor sports.

Chloroplasts are the ‘light power plants’ of plant cells and are responsible for photosynthesis. They host numerous metabolic processes that are of great interest for biotechnological innovations. The targeted incorporation of genes into these organelles is considered particularly safe and precise. However, there is currently a lack of scalable methods for efficiently testing genetic building blocks.

Biofabrication refers to the controlled production of biological structures, tissues and materials using combined processes from biotechnology, engineering and materials science. Through the use of cell-based systems, biomimetic materials and digitally controlled manufacturing technologies, it is possible to develop biological systems in a targeted manner, design them to be functional and manufacture them on a scalable basis.

Rye belongs to the sweet grass family and is particularly impressive due to its frost resistance and high yields, even on nutrient-poor soils or under drought stress. This means that the plant could play an important role in food security in the future. A recent study by researchers at the Leibniz Institute of Plant Genetics and Crop Plant Research (IPK) and Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg (MLU) now provides new insights into the reproduction of rye.

Oats are one of the most important crops and offer a wide range of uses. However, like many other crops, today's oat varieties face major challenges: heat, drought and new diseases are taking their toll. In order to breed more resistant varieties, a precise understanding of their genes is required. Researchers at the Technical University of Munich (TUM), Helmholtz Munich and the Leibniz Institute of Plant Genetics and Crop Plant Research (IPK) have now succeeded in doing just that. Together with international partners, they have decoded the pangenome of 33 oat lines.

Methanol is a valuable synthetic raw material in the chemical industry, which is also used as a solvent and fuel. In future, methanol produced from plant-based raw materials and residues could replace some of the chemicals currently based on fossil raw materials. This is where the ‘biogeniV’ alliance, funded by the Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space (BMFTR) as part of the ‘WIR! – Innovation and Structural Change’ programme, comes in.

Farmers around the world are struggling with the consequences of climate change. In addition to heat and drought, pests are causing crop losses. The EU-funded research project ‘UPSCALE’, led by Justus Liebig University Giessen (JLU), shows how food security can be ensured and agriculture made sustainable and resilient in East Africa. The international consortium of 19 partners in ten countries is developing and testing agroecological strategies to make agricultural systems more resilient and sustainable.

Weed control is a major challenge in organic vegetable farming. Since chemical herbicides are not used, weeds usually have to be removed by hand. This work is very time-consuming and cost-intensive, especially on large areas. The JaetRobi project from the Leibniz Institute for Agricultural Engineering and Bioeconomy in Potsdam (ATB) and the Technical University (TU) of Berlin aims to remedy this situation: a module is set to make manual weeding a thing of the past.