Current Research Projects
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Description
The VORWERTS research project investigates and evaluates the adoption of agroecological innovation
and transformative action using the example of wheat-grain legume mixed culture in the real laboratory. Eight
regional organic value chains are involved in the research process in a participatory manner.
The overall aim of the research project is to investigate and optimize the adoption of agroecological innovation and
transformative action using the example of wheat-grain legume mixtures for human
nutrition under practical conditions.
VORWERTS provides guidance for transdisciplinary practical research and develops concrete
recommendations for action for the application and dissemination of wheat-grain legume mixtures
in regional organic value chains. This "use case" is intended to serve as a "blueprint" for future real-world laboratories
and the structured monitoring of relevant agroecological transformation processes.
The overall objective of VORWERTS is structured as follows:
- Evaluation and optimization of agroecological innovation along the entire value chain
from primary production to the consumer using the example of mixed cultivation of winter wheat
and grain legumes for the production of baked goods
- Evaluation and optimization of the production and processing of mixed cultivation baked wheat
along the value chain (cultivation, harvesting, preparation, processing, marketing)
- Investigation and evaluation of eco-functional intensification through mixed food crops
and the potential for decoupling land use competition (fodder production vs. human
nutrition) through mixed cultivation
- Establishment of a practical research approach to analyze and implement agroecological
innovation in regional organic value chains as a so-called "real laboratory"
- Analysis and promotion of transformative action through co-production of research involving
all actors from production to final consumption.
Editing
- Dr. Benjamin Blumenstein
- Prof. Dr. Detlev Möller
Website
More information on the topic:www.vorwerts-projekt.de
Cooperation partner
- University of Kassel, FG Organic Plant Protection
- University of Kassel, FG Agricultural and Food Marketing
- Die Freien Bäcker e.V.
- Atelier Ernährungswende
Duration
01.07.2023 - 30.06.2026
Funding program
BÖLN (Federal program for organic farming and other forms of sustainable agriculture)
Description
As part of the federal funding, synergy effects between the objectives of nature conservation, agricultural economics and sustainable regional development are to be developed in the biodiversity hotspot region "Werratal with Hoher Meißner and Kaufunger Wald" and permanently established to safeguard the local habitat and species diversity. This takes place in two sub-modules: In
In sub-module 1, the conceptual basis for further projects and measures for the hotspot region as a whole will be developed with regard to the above-mentioned holistic model. Newly developed concepts are integrated into a forward-looking overall concept together with existing maintenance and action concepts that overlay the hotspot landscape.
Sub-module 2 focuses on the continued existence and further development of (herding) sheep farming as a key factor for the provision of diverse landscape and ecosystem services in the hotspot region and thus implements exemplary measures for which there is a priority need for action. Existing and newly established sheep farms are to be supported through an intelligent, high-quality nature conservation network, optimized marketing strategies and integration into public relations work and tourism concepts, and regional/local stakeholders are to be strengthened in their cooperation. This will create a sustainable infrastructure that helps to mitigate the risk factors of sheep farming and is suitable for effectively implementing the priority objectives of the National Biodiversity Strategy and the state strategies.sub-module 2 is based on three pillars that are coordinated and linked in a variety of ways: Pillar 1 comprises nature conservation-based measures for the optimization, further expansion and networking of sheep corridors. This includes the long-term securing of land through exchange and purchase as well as the nature conservation upgrading of pasture and grazing areas along the summer and winter grazing routes. The project-accompanying communication concept from Pillar 2 aims to communicate environmental and nature conservation issues affecting the hotspot to the public, as well as to build acceptance and integrate sheep products into the regional value chain. Pillar 3 supports the first-mentioned pillars by means of application-oriented research. Management procedures and measures are analyzed and evaluated in an iterative feedback process, optimized during the course of the project and transferable results are generated from the added value of the findings.
The project partners ensure the success of the project through their expertise in land management (Werra-Meißner-Kreis), maintenance and repair measures, public relations and marketing (Geo-Naturpark Frau-Holle-Land) as well as project management, network planning and success monitoring (University of Kassel). The necessary linking of the expertise of the network partners to work on the above-mentioned project priorities is taken into account by the participation of representatives of all three network partners in the committee work.
Processing
Daniel Mühlrath
Prof. Dr. Detlev Möller
Website
Cooperation partner
- University of Kassel, Department of Landscape and Vegetation Ecology
- HLNUG
- Regional Council of Kassel
- Association for Regional Development Werra-Meißner e.V.
- State Agency for Agriculture Hesse
- Werra-Meißner District Farmers' Association
- Federal Association of Professional Shepherds
- Natura 2000-Station Unstrut-Hainich/Eichsfeld
- Shepherds from the region
- Nature conservation advisory board
Duration
10.2019 - 09.2025
Funding program
BPBV project, funding focus on biodiversity hotspots
Background
A stable landscape water balance mitigates the consequences of climate change. The aim of measure L-19 of the IKSP Hessen 2025 is to adapt the landscape to ongoing climate change in such a way that local climatic effects (summer cooling through evaporation of vegetation) and other services such as water supply, soil fertility, recreational function, local climate and habitat function for animal and plant species are strengthened by increasing the water retention potential of the soil. It stabilizes the material balance in the soil and reduces the risk of soil erosion during heavy rainfall events.
Implementation to date
As a first step, the HMWEVW commissioned an expert opinion in 2018. This was published online in January 2020 under the title "Adaptation to climate change through improved landscape water management". Based on an overarching approach, it describes the role of the landscape water balance in adapting to climate change. The main target groups are people working in state and regional planning. They should receive support in the application of the various planning instruments and measures.
Building on the basic report, the HMUKLV, in coordination with the HMWEVW, has launched a pilot project focusing on agricultural soils. Under the title "AKHWA: Adaptation to climate change in Hesse - increasing soil water retention through regenerative arable farming strategies", scientists from various institutions under the leadership of the University of Kassel want to answer the following questions:
- Can regenerative arable farming improve the water retention function of soils?
- Does an improved water retention function produce a significant temperature reduction in the microclimatic area?
- Does the effect of the system differ between organic and conventional agriculture?
The functional approach is new. Producers (crops), consumers (humans, grazing animals), decomposers (soil organisms in terms of number and connectivity) and the site (soil/topography) are considered together with water and the local climate. The aspect of economic efficiency is also integrated. The AKHWA pilot project began in 2020 and is expected to run for four years. Before the project began, a literature review and a survey of farmers were carried out. This preliminary work made it possible to specify the project's research questions and sharpen the experimental design.
The results will not only benefit agriculture by improving soil properties, but also groundwater and flood protection.
Future plans
Until 2024, various trials will be carried out as part of the pilot project to investigate the effects of regenerative arable farming strategies on water retention, soil, vegetation and agricultural yield. The latter is important in order to promote acceptance of the measures. The project takes an integrative approach to water, climate, soil and vegetation. Some of the experiments will take place on the University of Kassel's experimental farm, others on farms. The findings will also be used to parameterize a water balance model that will make it possible to estimate the effect of the cultivation systems even under extreme weather conditions.
At the end of the project, recommendations will be made for advice, support and planning (e.g. spatial planning, compensation planning). In the future, farmers should be able to contribute to the stabilization of the landscape water balance and thus to an increased resilience of the agricultural ecosystem in climate change - and this nationwide.
Further information can be found at
The measure is funded by the state of Hesse
Wiesbaden, 26.06.2020
Project description
Everyone is pulling in the same direction here: in the five-year, nationwide NutriNet project, practitioners, consultants and scientists are working together on the question of how nutrient management in organic farming can be improved.
On many long-standing organic arable farms, the main nutrients nitrogen, phosphorus and sulphur are becoming increasingly scarce. Nutrient surpluses are sometimes observed in vegetable production. At the same time, good examples from practice show that higher yields can be achieved through optimized nutrient management. But how can nutrients be optimally circulated within the farm and how can nutrients that leave the farm cycle be replaced? Many individual aspects of nutrient supply have already been well researched, but it has not yet been possible to transfer the existing knowledge into agricultural practice.
This is where the NutriNet project comes in. With the help of a nationwide competence and practical research network, it aims to identify successful nutrient management strategies, develop them further with practitioners and test them in order to derive concrete recommendations for practical farms. To this end, practical research trials are carried out on a total of 60 organic farms, which are grouped into six regional networks across Germany. The regional networks also aim to further develop practical research methods. To accompany the project, a data management system is being developed to support data collection, storage and evaluation in the project and, as an online application, should make it easier in future to monitor the success of nutrient management strategies for advice and practice. All project activities are accompanied by a continuous transfer of knowledge, which aims to implement the existing research in practice, consulting and vocational training in a timely manner.
Editing
Mark Plodowski
Prof. Dr. Detlev Möller
Website
www.nutrinet.agrarpraxisforschung.de
Cooperation partner
- Bioland Consulting GmbH
- Federation of the Organic Food Industry (BÖLW)
- Demeter e.V.
- FiBL Projects GmbH
- Eberswalde University for Sustainable Development (HNEE)
- Lower Saxony Competence Center for Organic Farming (KÖN)
- Kuratorium für Technik und Bauwesen (KTBL)
- North Rhine-Westphalia Chamber of Agriculture (LKW NRW)
- Öko-BeratungsGesellschaft mbH - Expert advice for Naturland
- University of Kassel, Department of Business Administration
Duration
2019 - 2027
Funding program
BMEL project, BÖLN
Project description:
In the KleeAss project, forage legume mixtures are investigated in one exact trial each under organic (Domäne Frankenhausen) and conventional cultivation conditions (Domäne Beberbeck), with combinations of different sowing times (as undersowing in wheat; as blank sowing), different mixtures (mixture partners: alfalfa; ryegrass; timothy; ribwort plantain; white clover) and different cultivation periods (1-year or 2-year). In order to investigate crop rotation effects, the subsequent crops are also considered. In the field of business administration, the variants investigated are evaluated from a business management point of view using performance-cost accounting. The internal effects of forage production (e.g. internal feed value, previous crop effects, etc.) will also be evaluated. In addition, simulation calculations fed from the agronomic findings will be carried out in order to examine the sensitivities of the input data (e.g. forage yields, etc.) and their influence on profitability in more detail. The aim is to use the economic analyses to support farms in choosing a suitable cultivation method.
Editing:
Jan Albus
Prof. Dr. Detlev Möller
Website:
Cooperation partner:
Domain Beberbeck
Domain Frankenhausen
University of Kassel, Department of Organic Farming and Crop Production
University of Kassel, Research Group Grassland Science and Renewable Resources
University of Kassel, Research Group Environmentally Compatible Animal Nutrition
Laufzeit: 01.11.2022-31.12.2025
Funding program: BMELH project, protein crop strategy
The model and demonstration project "SALIX AFS - Production of willows in agroforestry systems as a raw material for willow wood threads and salicylates" analyzes the complete process chain of willow wood production from the breeding of suitable willow types to the cultivation of willows in agroforestry systems to the design of an end product in the field of furniture and boat building.
The research focus of the project includes the selection of optimal willow types, which are cultivated in agroforestry systems at four locations in different regions of Germany. These will be examined in terms of their growth and yield as well as their suitability for the production of willow wood thread. For additional value creation, willow bark is being tested as a by-product as a source of natural salicylates for medicine and cosmetics. Another focus is the further processing of the willow rods into a continuous filament. To this end, a high-performance machine for the fully automated production of willow wood thread is being developed in the project. In addition, analyses will be carried out on the further processing of the willow wood thread into semi-finished textile products using industrial looms and the selection and design of the target product, which will be in the field of furniture construction and boat building.
Several innovative approaches in the SALIX AFS project are particularly noteworthy: the cultivation of shrub willows in agroforestry systems means that there is little or no competition for land between the production of food and the production of renewable raw materials. Harvesting the willow rods in the year of establishment enables immediate value creation through the woody component, which is a potentially very interesting innovation in economic terms compared to other Central European agroforestry systems. The use of the traditional material willow wood as a solid wood thread and the innovative approach through weaving and braiding is also predestined for lightweight construction and offers a completely new appearance of the end product.
The Business Administration group is concerned with the economic evaluation of these processes, with a focus on the agricultural process chain. The following questions, among others, are dealt with primarily using the methods of cost-performance accounting, dynamic investment calculations, modeling and risk analyses:
- What economic impact does the cultivation of willow agroforestry systems have on farm income compared to the cultivation of annual crops?
- Which forms of land use are typically replaced by the implementation of willow agroforestry systems and what are the ecological and socio-economic consequences for the farm and the region?
What area ratio of pastures, cereals and timber in willow agroforestry systems achieves the highest economic returns as well as the greatest ecological and social benefits, and how would this optimum shift if the focus were on the most favorable rod production instead of a balanced objective?
How high are the production costs for 1 m of willow twine, and what proportion of the added value must remain with the producing company for the cultivation system to be adapted by farmers?
- To what extent can sustainable end products made from willow twine (e.g. sustainable building materials or textiles) compete with existing products on the market?
Editing
M.Sc. Janika Volkamer
Prof. Dr. Detlev Möller
Website
Cooperation partners
Network partners Universities and research institutions:
University of Kassel
Department 06 Architecture, Urban Planning, Landscape Planning Research Platform BAU KUNST ERFINDEN
Institute for Materials Science
Hof University of Applied Sciences
University of Kassel
Department 15 Mechanical Engineering
Institute of Production Engineering and Logistics
Department of Separating and Joining Manufacturing Processes
University of Kassel
Department 11 Ecological Agricultural Sciences
Department of Business Administration
Leibniz Institute for Agricultural Engineering and Bioeconomy e.V.
Collaborative partners Company:
Dendroquant GmbH
Agricultural and value wood - breeding and certification
Heinrich Kuper GmbH
Network partners Practice locations:
Biolandhof Werragut
Dendroquant GmbH
Agricultural and valuable timber - breeding and certification
Managing Director
Frankenhausen domain
Teaching and Research Institute for Animal Breeding and Husbandry e.V.
Duration
October 2024 - September 2027
Funding program
The MuD SALIX AFS is part of the nationwide model and demonstration network for agroforestry in Germany MODEMA of DEFAF e.V.
(https://agroforst-info.de/modema/)
The SALIX project is funded by the Federal Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Home Affairs (BMLEH) on the basis of a decision by the German Bundestag. The project is supported by the Fachagentur Nachwachsende Rohstoffe e.V. (FNR) as part of the "Sustainable Renewable Resources" funding program. Funding reference 2222HV048A.