Agriculture and forestry

Toward better hybrid varieties

Modern high-yielding varieties of grain and other food crops are true miracles of productivity. Through breeding, they have been optimized to deliver maximum yields under typical growing conditions. But the most widely used method of hybrid breeding has also led to a depletion of the genetic variability of these varieties. As a result, today's hybrid varieties are often poorly able to adapt to changing environmental conditions, such as those already occurring due to climate change.

More variety for rapeseed fields

In many ways, rapeseed is a very special crop. For one thing, it is still relatively young - oilseed rape originated only about 1,000 years ago by a random cross between turnip (Chinese cabbage) and cabbage. On the other hand, with its 38 chromosomes Brassica napus has a very large and complex genome, with little of it known until a few years ago. Now, the yellow-flowering oilseed is used in many industrial areas, but there is a risk that today's rape varieties will soon no longer meet the harvest and environmental requirements.

Milk money - what is it worth?

Milk and dairy products such as cheese or yoghurt are some of the food-favorites in Germany and their sales have been steadily increasing for years. Especially so-called functional dairy products such as digestive yoghurt drinks or cholesterol-lowering spreads have conquered the market in recent years. But what do these products really contain, what exactly are the health-promoting components of milk and how can they be used specifically? And last but not least: how and why does the consumer decide to buy a product?

Plant genomes at a glance

The multinational research project lasted about ten years, from 1990 to 2000, and for the first time produced reference data on the complete genome of the most important model plant, the thale cress (Arabidopsis thaliana). Today, an individual genome can be deciphered in just a few hours, and molecular biology has developed so rapidly. In many cases, the bottleneck of genome research is no longer the chemical analysis of the genetic material, but the subsequent data processing and evaluation.

In pursuit of naturally healthy flavour

Pre-processed food needs to become healthier, this is the mission of practically all producers. Sugar promotes obesity, salt cardiovascular diseases. When it comes to reducing the amount of these ingredients in a product, however, manufacturers' primary method has been to lower the recommended portion size. Tests with alternative, healthier formulations have shown that products that contain less sugar or salt than consumers are used to rarely meet their taste expectations - and fail to capture the market.

How climate change impacts fish species

Herring, pike-perch or salmon: fish is among the top healthy foods. The demand has been high for years. According to the Federal Statistical Office, in 2018 each person in Germany consumed about 13.7 kilograms. But Myron Peck knows that climate change will dictate which fish ends up on the plate in the future.

Silage films made from biopolymers

After the harvest, straw bales wrapped in white plastic film dominate the landscape of many fields. In these so-called silage bales, fodder crops such as corn are turned into food for cattle through lactic acid fermentation. But the films used for this purpose are anything but environmentally friendly. They are made of conventional plastic and have been shown to leave traces of microplastics in the soil. "In addition - and this is particularly regrettable - they have so far been purely disposable and thus bad for the eco-balance," explains Isabell Kleiber.

Europe's canopies are thinning

Forests are essential for the survival of humans and nature. They are habitats for many plants and animals, CO2 and water reservoirs and oxygen producers, but also a place of recreation and a source of raw materials. But the ecosystem has changed. Using satellite data, researchers from the University of Munich and the University of Natural Resources and Applied Life Sciences in Vienna have for the first time produced a map that shows how European forests have changed over the past 30 years.

Rapid test for the germination capacity of seeds

For seed banks, seed breeders, but also for farmers, it is essential to know whether certain seeds can still germinate. Millions of germination tests are therefore carried out every year. Depending on the method used, the seeds are used, and the results can take weeks. A spin-off of the University of Osnabrück has now presented a new test procedure that provides a result after only four hours without damaging the seed.

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