Dr. Margita Hefner
Research associate
- Telephone
- +49 5542 98-1554
- m.hefner[at]uni-kassel[dot]de
- Site
- Nordbahnhofstr. 1a
37213 Witzenhausen
- Room
- Grüne Schachtel, 1607
| since 2023 | Research associate in the Department of Organic Agriculture and Plant Production, University of Kassel |
| 2021 - 2022 | Research associate at the Leibniz Institute for Vegetable and Ornamental Crops (IGZ) e.V., Großbeeren |
| 2018 - 2021 | Postdoc on plant-based fertilization, crop rotation, and reduced tillage in vegetable production at the Department of Food Science, Aarhus University (Denmark) |
| 2015 - 2018 | PhD on "Plant-soil interactions in reduced tillage organic vegetable systems with agro-ecological service crops - focus on nitrogen dynamics and root growth" at the Department of Food Science, Aarhus University (Denmark) |
| 2014 - 2015 | Trainee program in organic agriculture, FiBL Projekte GmbH in cooperation with Hofgut Oberfeld Landwirtschaft AG in Darmstadt, Germany |
| 2012 - 2014 | Master studies in Organic Agriculture and Food Systems at the University of Hohenheim (Germany) and the University of Aarhus (Denmark) |
| 2011 - 2012 | Internship in a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) A Rocha, Surrey (Canada) |
| 2009 - 2011 | Bachelor studies in Biology at the University of Bielefeld (Germany) |
- Field vegetable production - fertilization - nitrogen dynamics - tillage - root-soil interaction - soil fertility
Hefner, M., Gebremikael, M.T., Kristensen, H.L., 2024. Soil microbial activity improved while intensifying vegetable production by use of plant-based fertilisers, cover crops and reduced tillage. Pedobiologia 102, 150926. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pedobi.2023.150926
Ruch, Benjamin; Hefner, Margita; Bruns, Christian (2023): Vorsicht mit Kompost als Mulch. Ökologie & Landbau (4). www.oekologie-landbau.de
Pokhrel, Bhaniswor; Sorensen, Jorn Nygaard; Dresboll, Dorte Bodin; Hefner, Margita; Kristensen, Hanne Lakkenborg; Petersen, Karen Koefoed (2023): Organic acids to adjust pH of chicken manure extract for fertilization of potted coriander. In: Journal of Plant Nutrition https://doi.org/10.1080/01904167.2023.2240830
Hefner, M.; Sorensen, J. N.; Kristensen, H. L.; Xie, Y.; Petersen, K. K. (2021): Replacing animal manure with plant-based fertilizer in organic blackcurrant (Ribes nigrum L.) production. In: Scientia Horticulturae 285. DOI: ARTN.
Hefner, M.; Sorensen, J. N.; Visser, R. de; Kristensen, H. L. (2022): Sustainable intensification through double-cropping and plant-based fertilization: production and plant-soil nitrogen interactions in a 5-year crop rotation of organic vegetables. In Agroecology and Sustainable Food Systems 46 (8), pp. 1118-1144. doi: 10.1080/21683565.2022.2104419.
Hefner, Margita; Canali, Stefano; Willekens, Koen; Lootens, Peter; Deltour, Pauline; Beeckman, Annelies et al. (2020a): Termination method and time of agro-ecological service crops influence soil mineral nitrogen, cabbage yield and root growth across five locations in Northern and Western Europe. In: European Journal of Agronomy 120, pp. 126144. DOI: 10.1016/j.eja.2020.126144.
Hefner, Margita; Gebremikael, Mesfin Tsegaye; Canali, Stefano; Sans Serra, F. Xavier; Petersen, Karen Koefoed; Sorensen, Jorn Nygaard et al. (2020b): Cover crop composition mediates the constraints and benefits of roller-crimping and incorporation in organic white cabbage production. In Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment 296, p. 106908. doi: 10.1016/j.agee.2020.106908.
Hefner, Margita; Labouriau, Rodrigo; Nørremark, Michael; Kristensen, Hanne Lakkenborg (2019): Controlled traffic farming increased crop yield, root growth, and nitrogen supply at two organic vegetable farms. In Soil and Tillage Research 191, pp. 117-130. doi: 10.1016/j.still.2019.03.011.
Navarro-Miró, D.; Iocola, I.; Persiani, A.; Blanco-Moreno, J. M.; Kristensen, H. Lakkenborg; Hefner, M. et al. (2019a): Energy flows in European organic vegetable systems: effects of the introduction and management of agroecological service crops. In Energy 188, p. 116096. doi: 10.1016/j.energy.2019.116096.
Navarro-Miró, David; Blanco-Moreno, José M.; Ciaccia, Corrado; Chamorro, Lourdes; Testani, Elena; Kristensen, Hanne Lakkenborg et al. (2019b): Agroecological service crops managed with roller crimper reduce weed density and weed species richness in organic vegetable systems across Europe. In: Agronomy for Sustainable Development 39 (6). DOI: 10.1007/s13593-019-0597-8.
Shanmugam, S.; Hefner, M.; Pelck, J. S.; Labouriau, R.; Kristensen, H. L. (2022a): Complementary resource use in intercropped faba bean and cabbage by increased root growth and nitrogen use in organic production. In: Soil Use and Management 38 (1), pp. 729-740. doi: 10.1111/sum.12765.
Shanmugam, Sindhuja; Hefner, Margita; Labouriau, Rodrigo; Trinchera, Alessandra; Willekens, Koen; Kristensen, Hanne Lakkenborg (2022b): Intercropping and fertilization strategies to progress sustainability of organic cabbage and beetroot production. In: European Journal of Agronomy 140. DOI: 10.1016/j.eja.2022.126590.