Agriculture sciences

Nuts have a long Christmas tradition. Walnuts and hazelnuts, either ground up or whole, are part of every Christmas bakery. The nuts are often difficult to crack, but delicious and decorative. Hence, long before the glittering baubles, nuts and apples adorned the Christmas tree. Today, they are valued for their many healthy nutrients and long shelf life and are mostly processed into food. However, researchers are convinced that their potential for biobased products is even greater.

Whether in the field or in the silo, grain is susceptible to insect pests. Therefore, chemical insecticides are often used. A common insecticide used in grain storage is imidacloprid, which belongs to the group of neonicotinoids and is considered controversial because of its environmentally harmful effects. Researchers from the Senckenberg German Entomological Institute in Müncheberg, together with partners from Pakistan and Greece, have now found a sustainable alternative.

Since Monday, the 13th Global Forum for Food and Agriculture (GFFA) is taking place - for the first time completely digitally. This year, the international conference on key issues for the future of global agricultural and food policy focuses on pandemics and climate change. Among the more than 2,000 participants are around 90 ministers of agriculture.

117 kilograms of lettuce, 67 kilograms of cucumbers, 46 kilograms of tomatoes, 19 kilograms of kohlrabi, 15 kilograms of herbs and 8 kilograms of radishes - these are the preliminary results after one year of vegetable farming in perpetual ice.

Organic agriculture stands for sustainable agriculture, species diversity and above all the consistent elimination of synthetic chemical pesticides. With a share of 7.5% of the total agricultural area, organic farming is still marginal in Germany. However, current data from the Federal Office for Agriculture and Food (BLE) show a clear trend towards the sustainable cultivation of fields and meadows.

There ia war raging in nature: to gain advantages, microorganisms permanently use chemical molecules to fight against other microorganisms. Researchers at the University of Tübingen have now identified a molecule that could be used as a potent herbicide and that is harmless to humans.

In 2017, an international long-term study provided proof for the first time of the dramatic death of insects in Germany. Data analysis showed that the number of flying insects fell by 76% between 1989 and 2016. Bees are also endangered insects. But how can natural pollinators be protected?

Last summer, heat and drought have afflicted farmers in many places and caused enormous harvest losses. The damage caused to farmers in Germany was estimated by the Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture at 770 million euros.
Extreme weather conditions make plants more susceptible to disease and pest infestation. This also endangers wheat production in Germany and large parts of Europe.

The Food Accelerator Network is entering the next round: once again, start-ups from the agricultural and food industries have the opportunity to receive not only practical assistance but also financial injections. The target group are young companies whose business ideas are aimed at strengthening confidence in the food industry, addressing people's health or improving the sustainability of the sector.