Agriculture and forestry

Rice is one of the most important staple foods in the world and is grown in many sub-Saharan African countries, among others. However, rice production in the region is threatened by the Rice Yellow Mottle Virus (RYMV). It leads to considerable crop failures, which can threaten the livelihoods of small farmers in particular.

Whether waste paper, cereal straw, food waste or sewage sludge: the use of residual and waste materials to manufacture new bio-based products is a cornerstone of the bioeconomy strategy and a precursor to a sustainable and resource-conserving economy. But which biomasses are available, which can be used for material or energy purposes and in what quantities are they available? Answers can be found in the resource database of the German Biomass Research Center (DBFZ). Researchers at the DBFZ have now revised the online platform.

An international study from 2022 shows that wetlands such as peatlands can store five times more carbon per square meter than forests and even 500 times more than the oceans. In Germany, peatlands have been drained in recent decades in order to be able to use the land for agriculture. This has not only destroyed the habitat of many plants and animals, but also an important CO₂ reservoir.

Soils are a vital resource and indispensable for ecosystems, climate and people. They not only store large amounts of carbon and water, but also provide plants with nutrients and people with food. However, industrial agriculture and the consequences of the climate crisis are putting soils under increasing pressure. According to a recent study, more than a third of agricultural land worldwide is degraded, in the European Union even more than 60%.

An estimated 80 % of all plants live in symbiosis with so-called mycorrhizal fungi, which colonize the roots of plants. This subterranean symbiosis has proven itself over millions of years as it is extremely beneficial for both the plant and the fungus. In order for the symbiosis to come about, the fungi colonize the root and form small tree-like structures in the root cells - the arbuscules. Important nutrients such as phosphate and nitrogen then reach the plant via the fine root system in the soil, the so-called hyphae.

Meadows and pastures are important carbon sinks. The soils of so-called grasslands absorb a third of the world's carbon stock. Until now, researchers have assumed that carbon storage depends on the amount of plants growing on the soil. A recent study now disproves this assumption. In it, an international research team with the participation of Leuphana University Lüneburg examined the connection between the plant diversity of grasslands and carbon sequestration in soils in more detail.

The production of meat from animal muscle cells in a bioreactor is a promising way of securing the supply of protein-rich food for the world's growing population without harming the environment and climate. The first cell-based meat products have already been authorised in Singapore and the USA. What is possible on earth could also enrich space missions. This is shown by initial investigations by two independent research teams from the European Space Agency (ESA) in Germany and the UK, who have tested the cultivation of cultured meat in space.