Due to the ever-increasing world population, many have focussed on an effective food industry over the recent years. But climate change also affects and endangers farmland, creating an even bigger need for an effective and sustainable agriculture. The pharma company Bayer has been investing in sustainable agriculture towards securing enough food for everyone for some time now.
If drops of water roll off a surface this effect is known as the lotus effect. It is caused by specific surface structures, and industry often applies this effect to protect textiles or building surfaces. But bacteria and bacterial biofilms also produce this water-repellent surface, which makes them extremely difficult to clean off. Oliver Lieleg, Professor of Biomechanics at the Munich School of BioEngineering, and his colleagues investigated the underlying physical mechanisms that cause the resilience of bacterial biofilms.
From ship machinery to tractors and drones, Cornelia Weltzien has always considered herself an enthusiast of technology. Today, the graduate agricultural engineer feels most at home in the fields of mechanics, hydraulics or electronics. As the daughter of an immunobiologist, a sense of curiosity is part of the family tradition. Weltzien thinks she may have inherited her affinity for technology from her grandfather. “It was always like this. I was the one repairing my brothers’ bikes – not the other way round!”
The use of Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) in agriculture is still under intense debate, and national differences of opinion have hindered a pan-European solution thus far. Still, while the global cultivation area of GMOs increased by only 3% from 2015 to 2016 (179.7 million hectares versus 185.1 million hectares), across the EU the area increased by 17% (from 116,870 to 136,363 hectares). Nonetheless, resistance against GMO products remained high in Europe.
Microplastics are small particles in cosmetics or pharmaceuticals that don’t break down, but instead become part of the food chain via small aquatic animals and fish. Because of their danger to animals and humans, many politicians in Germany have called for a ban of microplastics in the industry.
According to the data handed out by the Federal Office for Economic Affairs and Expert Control (BAFA) the consumption of bioethanol slightly increased by 0.2% throughout 2016. A total of 1.2 million tonnes of bioethanol were added to the petrol categories “Super”, “Super Plus”, and “Super E10”. As stated by the Federal Association of the German Bioethanol Industry (BDBe) this procedure reduced petrol-related CO2 emissions by 1.9 million tonnes.
European agricultural policies will have to change. That is the main message of the “LivingLand”-initiative that came to a close on May 2. Throughout the initiative, a public consultation on future common agricultural policies (CAP) in the EU, lay-citizens, farmers, and companies alike were asked to voice their opinions and suggestions in order to transform today’s agriculture into a more sustainable industry for tomorrow.
The Hannover Messe is Europe’s largest trade fair. The fair took place from April 24 to 28 with approximately 6,500 exhibitors from more than 70 countries.
The Priority Programs (PP) are a good way to gauge to future of basic research. Typically, PPs are multidisciplinary research projects assessing current topics with state-of-the-art methodologies. Supporting junior researchers and fostering gender equality are important aspects regarding the decision-making process on which PPs will get funded. Including the recently announced PP there are currently 97 PPs being funded by the DFG.
Global warming and the climate change have many negative consequences for the environment and for agriculture. The wine industry has been suffering a lot over the recent years due to extreme weather occurrences like storms and hail. An international team consisting of researchers spanning multiple disciplines and including James Daniell at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) is analyzing, which areas are affected most by climate change and how wine cultivation areas may have to change in the future.