Agriculture and forestry

More precise spraying thanks to sensor technology

Eliminating competing wild plants while minimizing the impact on the ecosystem: that is the promise of a newly developed sensor for use in crop protection. Arable plants are always in competition with wild plants for sunlight, water and nutrients. To maximize yields, farmers therefore control wild plants, mostly with herbicides. But pesticides impair soil fertility, accumulate in bodies of water and contribute to species extinction.

Spruce trees in a starvation experiment

Surviving is more important than growing: This obvious insight has also been anchored in trees by evolution, as an international research team with the participation of the Max Planck Institute (MPI) for Biogeochemistry now reports in the scientific journal "PNAS". According to the findings, the spruce trees studied prefer to keep their stores filled when resources are scarce, and even stop growing to do so.

Molecular memory: Plants' reaction to heat stress

Stress is unhealthy - for both humans and plants. Unlike humans or animals, however, plants cannot avoid stress, e.g., they cannot flee from heat into the shade or into cooler areas. That is why plant cells have a number of adaptation mechanisms. Researchers have now been able to show that the mechanisms in the shoot meristem are particularly effective if the plant has already survived heat.

In duet with legumes

The cultivation of a single crop is common practice in agriculture today, i.e., crops such as wheat or corn are usually grown as pure cultures. However, as monocultures without versatile crop rotation, they are not always environmentally friendly. They use nutrients in a very one-sided way and are more susceptible to pests, which means that fertilisers are not used optimally and pesticides have to be applied regularly. This damages both groundwater and soil, leaving the soil less protected from weather extremes and erosion.

Smart farming cooperation clears antitrust hurdles

Smart farming solutions from a single source - that's what Bosch and BASF want to offer in the future with their joint venture Bosch BASF Smart Farming GmbH (BBSF), in which they have equal shares. The antitrust authorities worldwide have now given their approval for this. The company is headquartered in Cologne. The first markets for the Smart Spraying will be North America, South America and Europe, as the partners announced at the end of June 2021.

With digital sensors to healthier plants

When a crop shows symptoms of pest infestation or nutrient deficiencies, it is often too late to prevent yield losses. However, the earlier a problem is detected, the more effectively farmers can intervene. Digital sensors can be an important tool for this. The "FarmerSpace" research project is investigating which methods are suitable, what they can do, and also how they can interact. The German Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture (BMEL) is funding the project from February 2020 to February 2023.

Mulching with hybrid paper

From its invention around 2,000 years ago in China to today's high-tech material, paper production has come a long way. There are now around 3,000 types of paper - and yet there is no suitable solution for all needs. This is the case, for example, when it comes to replacing mineral oil-based plastics. The "New Hybrid Paper" (NewHyPe) research project has set itself the goal of finding such a solution for two applications at once.

"Soil organisms are important ecosystem engineers"

Climate change and industrialization are putting ecosystems under pressure worldwide. The precious resource soil is also affected by this and endangers biodiversity. Nico Eisenhauer has been studying the effects of global change on soil biodiversity for years. The Jena biologist is primarily investigating how the interaction between plants and soil organisms is affected. It is earthworms and springtails in particular that serve the researcher as a gauge of biodiversity.

Creating new food additives from hemp

Hemp is one of the oldest crops in the world. Various parts and species of the plant are used to produce textile fibers, building materials, medicinal products, but also foodstuffs. The food industry relies primarily on the healthy ingredients of the hemp plant, which are rich in proteins, carbohydrates and fats, but also vitamins and minerals. Industrial hemp, on the other hand, is cultivated specifically for industrial use.

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