Agriculture and forestry

Jonagold, Boskop or Elstar: apples are the Germans' favorite fruit. There are almost 2,000 different varieties in the country. The fruit has few calories, but many healthy ingredients such as vitamins and minerals. Researchers at Osnabrück University of Applied Sciences have developed an apple that is even richer in one health-promoting ingredient and is also said to strengthen the immune system. The innovation: The new fruit called Selstar impresses with a particularly high selenium content.

Competition is part of the natural environment: animals compete for food sources while plants mainly compete for light, which is essential to their growth. Similar to animals, plants have several options of how to react in the face of competition. Biologists from the University of Tübingen have now demonstrated that plants can in fact choose between alternative competitive responses according to the stature and densities of their opponents.

Sharp teeth and spiky stings are a common defense mechanism across the animal kingdom. However, plants are using thorns and spikes as well, to ward off herbivores and insects. And now botanists of Bonn University found out that the use of calcium phosphate incrustations to strengthen their defences is far more widespread among plants than previously thought.

Beech, or rather beech wood is on the rise in Germany and is even used to manufacture bioplastics. However, similar to other tree species, beech also has to cope with the changing climate, meaning increasing temperatures and prolonged periods of drought. The researchers hope that the complete analysis of the beech genome could enable the targeted breeding of more climate-stress tolerant beech trees.

The so-called heterosis effect is not only well-known among plant breeders, but also very popular. It describes the fact that a crossbreed of two maize inbred lines provides a significantly higher yield than either of the two parent plants. However, until now it has been unclear which molecular mechanisms this effect is based on.

An estimated 300 soil researchers came together in Berlin for the BonaRes conference from February 26 to 28 to discuss their newest findings regarding the soil.

New concepts for the cultivation of food in urban environments are in demand to ensure food security for future generations. Under the umbrella term"urban farming", methods like aquaponics have proven to be a promising alternative. The combination of fish and plants, which use each other in a recirculation system to grow tomatoes and lettuce, not only saves arable land, but above all fertilizer and water. Fish excretion is processed into plant fertilizer by bacteria. In return, the hydroponic plants purify the water of the fish in the aquarium.

Globalization has many advantages for humans and technology. But for flora and fauna the mixing of native with foreign organisms can be dangerous. Because non-indigenous animal and plant species often have no natural enemies. Therefore, they spread unhindered and decimate the resources for native species. 

Two years ago Bayer, mostly known as a chemical and pharmaceutical company, announced their plans to take over the US-based agriculture specialist Monsanto. The future merger caused quite the stir from the get-go, as the resulting super agro-chemical company would be the largest worldwide. With a price tag of US$62.5 billion, the takeover would also be the largest one ever to be realized by a German company.

There are many reasons why insects are vanishing in alarming numbers. One reason is intensive farming and the corresponding use of synthetic crop protection agents and pesticides. For instance, the widespread use of the neonicotinoids has been shown to be hazardous to the health of bees and bumblebees.