They have names like field bindweed, ragweed or couch grass – but poppies and corncockle count amongst them as well. For farmers, all these plants are weeds. Nature conservationists, on the other hand, speak of wild herbs or 'arable flora'. Many weeds are becoming increasingly resistant to herbicides, hindering the growth of actual crops in the process. The consequences can already be measured in terms of lower harvests.
Deforestation and climate change are putting more and more pressure on the forest ecosystem. Not only are the habitats of many animals under threat, the capacity of forests to absorb CO2 and emit oxygen is diminishing as well. A comprehensive international study now reveals the positive influence of biodiversity on global forest productivity.
Bayer’s new partner, based in Redmond, Washington is involved in a wide range of space-based enterprises, including asteroid mining. With the new deal, Bayer intends to purchase data from Planetary Resources to create new agricultural products and improve existing ones. The new collaboration will be part of Bayer’s Digital Farming Initiative. Financial details were not disclosed.
Agriculture and forestry are important industries. According to the BMEL, in 2020, Germany counted almost 263,000 agricultural enterprises and around 29,000 forestry enterprises. Agriculture and forestry are responsible for a large part of the value created in rural areas. Farmers and foresters manage and maintain more than three quarters of the land. Apart from their primary task of growing food and feed, they also produce bio-based raw materials for industry and biomass for the generation of renewable energy.
Paris, 1981. The twelve-year-old Emmanuelle comes home from school, where she has been studying her favourite subject – biology. The girl says to her mother: “One day, I’m going to work at the Pasteur Institute!” A confident prediction, but Emmanuelle Charpentier did indeed go on to complete her doctoral thesis at the renowned Parisian research centre. However, the twelve-year-old Charpentier could not foresee that 30 years later, as a weathered biologist, she would be responsible for a minor revolution in her field.