Agriculture and forestry

A handful of soil contains more microorganisms than there are people on earth. Bacteria, fungi, algae and protozoa make up around 70 % of the biomass and are particularly valuable for agriculture and forestry: they supply plants with nutrients, shape soil structure, improve water storage and promote plant growth. In addition, the microbial community has a decisive influence on the carbon cycle in the soil and thus on the importance of the resource as a carbon sink.

Tree trunks consist of up to 20% bark, which until now has only been partially utilized. Researchers at the Max Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces (MPIKG) have now significantly expanded the use of native tree bark through a new process. As part of a feasibility study, the team was able to demonstrate that tree bark can be preserved in its natural state and processed into panels without adhesives. The glue-free bark panels could replace conventional chipboard in interior design or in the furniture and packaging sector.

It is not only human skin that suffers from too much sun: plant cells, too, can only tolerate a certain amount, even though they depend on sunlight for photosynthesis. To protect themselves and their cell structures, plants form color pigments in their leaves. These usually color the leaves reddish, but also violet or blue, and absorb light. A team of researchers from the Universities of Rostock, Leipzig and HU Berlin has now elucidated how this plant sun protection is regulated.

Besides France, Italy, Serbia and Romania, soy is also cultivated in Germany. In the 1980s, there were just 1,000 hectares of arable land for soy; in 2022, according to the Deutschen Sojaförderring ("German Soy Promotion Ring"), there were around 51,400 hectares - an increase of almost 50% compared to the previous year. In the long term, soy production in Europe could continue to increase significantly, as more and more arable land is suitable for cultivation. This is the result of a recent study by the Leibniz Centre for Agricultural Landscape Research (ZALF).

Plant-based meat substitutes have long since conquered supermarket shelves. There is still a need for research in terms of taste and texture, but development is running at full speed. For example, Project Eaden works on a technology that makes it possible to produce "ultra-realistic meat from plants." In January, the Berlin-based food tech start-up presented its platform technology in Berlin. Back in December, the trio of founders was again able to raise fresh capital from investors for the further development of the technology as part of a seed round.

Due to its versatile properties, palm oil is one of the most sought-after vegetable oils - especially in the food industry. However, the economic, social and ecological consequences of palm oil cultivation in countries such as Malaysia and Indonesia are controversial. Researchers at the Max Rubner Institute in Detmold and the Technical University of Berlin have now found a domestic alternative.

CRISPR-Cas was a breakthrough for plant breeding: The genome editing method works more precisely than classical genetic engineering and avoids many of the things for which classical genetic engineering was criticized. But although the "gene scissors" produce results much faster than conventional breeding, they are still quite slow, especially for woody plants. Researchers at the Max Planck Institute for Molecular Plant Physiology have now removed the backcrossing bottleneck with a combination method.

More and more consumers are turning to plant-based meat substitutes. Even though these products look very similar to their animal counterparts, the difference is noticeable when consumed. In terms of texture and taste, they often cannot yet compete with the original. Symrise AG, based in Holzminden, Germany, will work with researchers at Wageningen University in the Netherlands to improve the sensory quality of meat substitute products.

Plants have several protective strategies against insect pests: They can mechanically make it difficult for them to pierce or eat the leaves. They can make their taste or nutritional value unattractive. Or they can go one step further and produce substances that harm predators. But sometimes, in the course of evolution, insects fight back and bypass these defense methods. The cabbage white butterfly is a case in point.

From vanilla crescents to pepper nuts: Cookies and pastries are very popular at Christmas time. Many of these treats contain imported spices that only grow in faraway countries like India. As an alternative, vanilla and pepper could soon also thrive in domestic indoor farms. Osnabrück University of Applied Sciences has now paved the way for this. After two years of construction, the "Indoorfarm - Agricultural Systems of the Future" research center was officially opened at the Haste campus at the end of November.