Agriculture sciences

Establishing grass as a raw material source

Whether in urban parks or in the private garden: huge amounts of green waste are produced every year when mowing the lawn. Until now, the freshly mowed grass either ends up in the compost or is disposed of at high cost. Under the title "GreenToGreen", a research consortium now wants to establish grass as a raw material source. The project will be funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research over the next three years with 280,000 euros as part of the "BioBall" measure.

Lipids limit the plants' suction power

Plants need water to grow. The supply of liquid is provided by the roots. How much water is absorbed is determined by a hydraulic system that works similar to machines. A negative pressure ensures that plants suck the water out of the soil. The suction power is based on the negative pressure in the plant supply channels, which is created by the evaporation of water on the cell walls of the leaves. But the pressure in this network is usually limited to minus 100 bar for plants. Until now it was unclear why this is so.

Plant protection with microgels

The use of pesticides in agriculture has long been controversial because they are both a blessing and a curse. On the one hand, they protect plants from pests and diseases, but on the other hand they are proven to harm the environment: soils are poisoned and biodiversity is decimated. As a result of climate change, plants are becoming even more susceptible to pests, driving up the use of pesticides. But it is also a fact that crop protection products are in some cases indispensable to ensure that the world's population can continue to be fed in the future.

Bioeconomy project nominated for EU prize

The countdown has started: On July 9th the winners of the REGIOSTARS Awards will be announced by the European Commission. The prize is awarded annually as part of a competition to innovative EU regional funding projects. This year's nominees include the INTERREG V A-project "Bioeconomy-Green Chemistry" of the Ems-Dollart-Region (EDR). The team is competing with more than 50 applicants in the category "Circular economy for a green Europe" for the victory. The prize is awarded in a total of five categories.

Making the rhizosphere fit for the future

Whether wheat or corn, after two successive hot summers, farmers in many places are threatened with enormous crop failures this year due to persistent drought. Plants suffer from drought stress because the soil dries out and the root system is not supplied with sufficient water and nutrients. The challenges of climate change are therefore causing researchers to work hard to find promising scenarios for agriculture in the future. 

The dairy cow of the future

The German Livestock Association umbrella organization for the production of cattle and pigs in Germany. Within the association, the Förderverein Bioökonomieforschung e.V. (FBF) deals with modern breeding research and insemination. The research activities are supported by the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and the Federal Ministry of Research, among others. The veterinarian Jens Baltissen is the provisional managing director of the FBF and explains which traits are in the focus for breeding dairy cows now and in future.

Reducing allergens in food

Many people suffer from food allergies. According to estimates by the German Allergy and Asthma Association (DAAB), around six million children and adults are affected in Germany alone. Peanut allergy is particularly widespread. So far, allergy sufferers have had to do without allergy-causing foods such as peanuts or mustard, as the condition cannot yet be cured.

The plant doctor

Whether grey mould or boxwood borer: pests that stray into Andreas von Tiedemann's garden are at a disadvantage. After all, they are dealing with an expert who is passionate about plant protection. For almost 40 years, the agricultural scientist and doctor of phytomedicine has been searching for new strategies to effectively combat plant diseases. He was recently honoured with the highest award a "plant doctor" can receive: In August 2018, Tiedemann was awarded the Anton de Bary Medal by the German Phytomedical Society for his "life's work".

Fertilizer from bagasse ash

Along with soya and corn, sugar cane is one of the most important crops in Brazil. It is used to produce not only sugar but also biofuels such as ethanol. However, processing produces enormous amounts of bagasse - fibrous remains - which up to now were not used efficiently. Instead, the lignocellulosic residual material is burnt in inefficient incinerators and usually disposed of in landfills or scattered on fields. But ash is more than just burned biomass. It contains nutrients such as phosphorus, which are essential for plant growth.

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