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.
Whether heat stress or a cold snap: plants often react very sensitively to rapid changes in the weather, resulting in crop losses in agriculture. In order to master the challenges of climate change, it is important to know the mechanisms that take place in plant cells. Researchers at the University of Vienna and the Dresden University of Applied Sciences (HTWD) are now providing insights that could be groundbreaking for the breeding of climate-resistant crops.
In many regions of Germany, the increasing drought caused by climate change is leading to considerable challenges for agricultural production, including in Brandenburg and Saxony-Anhalt. The Eberswalde University for Sustainable Development (HNEE) is therefore launching a research project to test climate-robust agroforestry systems in cooperation with three farms from the two federal states.
Pseudomonas syringae is a bacterium that causes various plant diseases and damages agriculture by infecting crops. Like other microorganisms, the bacterium is also able to produce a variety of biologically active natural substances.
Spruce forests once characterised the landscape of Germany's low mountain ranges - today they are struggling to survive. Climate stress, bark beetles and extreme weather conditions have taken their toll on the robust conifers. The SURVEY joint project heralds a new era in forest research: in the future, research will be conducted directly in the forest instead of in the laboratory.
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.
Yellow rust, also known as stripe rust, is caused by the fungus Puccinia striiformis f. sp. tritici and is one of the most dangerous diseases in wheat cultivation. Around 88% of global bread wheat production is potentially affected by the pathogen. An international research team led by the University of Zurich (UZH) has now identified two genome segments in Asian wheat varieties that give the plants natural resistance to the disease.
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.