Agriculture sciences

As there is a shortage of labour in many places during the harvest, research teams are working on harvesting robots to support agricultural businesses. The Leibniz Institute for Agricultural Engineering and Bioeconomy (ATB) in Potsdam is now testing a new type of 3D laser scanner system developed by researchers at Julius Maximilian University (JMU) in Würzburg. It is designed to accurately record the condition of plants and help determine the right time to harvest. The aim is to improve the sensor technology of robots.

Robots, sensors, drones and artificial intelligence (AI) already offer agriculture the opportunity to make work in the field and in the barn more efficient and sustainable. The use of these digital helpers is now being specifically supported in Lower Saxony as part of two major projects to drive forward the transformation of the agricultural and food industry in the state.

Regenerative agriculture is becoming increasingly important as it offers both ecological and economic benefits. This agricultural approach specifically promotes the build-up of humus in the soil, which binds carbon, improves soil quality, strengthens biodiversity and enables stable yields. In contrast to conventional agriculture, it regenerates natural ecosystems instead of merely utilising them.

Digitalisation in agriculture is progressing. Field robots and the like can not only make work easier and more efficient. Modern monitoring technologies such as radio chips and sensors can also ensure higher yields in animal husbandry. However, such innovations are cost-intensive and rarely affordable for small farms.

Droughts and other consequences of climate change are putting a strain on agriculture. This is why the cultivation method of agroforestry - already long established in the tropics and subtropics - is increasingly being used in European agricultural systems. This is because the integration of trees and shrubs with arable farming and livestock farming on the same land promotes biodiversity and protects against climate risks.

Photovoltaic (PV) systems are no longer only installed on roofs, but also on farmland and grassland. A growing variant of this is agrivoltaics - the generation of solar power on agricultural land: solar panels between fruit trees, vines or cows. The study published in the journal Land Use Policy now shows that agrivoltaics are better accepted by the population than normal ground-mounted solar systems. This result is based on an online survey of almost 2,000 people from Germany.

The way in which fields are cultivated and food is produced has a lasting impact on the environment and climate. Around a third of global greenhouse gas emissions, biodiversity loss and soil degradation are caused by global agricultural and food systems. The Leibniz research network ‘Green Food - Healthy Society’ is now providing a new systemic approach to tackling these challenges.

Whether in food processing or agriculture, residues such as cereal straw, leaves or vegetable stalks usually end up as animal feed in troughs or fields. In Baden-Württemberg alone, this amounts to around 7.7 million tonnes per year. For the bioeconomy, these previously underutilised agricultural side streams can be a source of raw materials for new bio-based products and pave the way for a resource-efficient circular economy.