Institute of

OF Organic Farming

Working group Agronomy

Since 2002, the Thünen Institute of Organic Farming has been working on various topics in the field of organic crop and plant production. The research focuses on both overarching themes such as soil fertility, nutrient management, and the control of weeds, pests, and diseases, as well as crop-specific issues, particularly the cultivation of legumes.

Based on soil fertility and environmental conditions, crop and plant production is the central production level of organic farming, producing food for humans or feed for livestock. In organic farming, synthetic chemical pesticides and easily soluble mineral fertilizers are not allowed. This presents significant challenges for maintaining product quality and production volume. Research is centered on developing improved techniques to produce more stable and high-quality products. Key research areas include nutrient management, pest, disease, and weed control, as well as soil-conserving cultivation techniques.

Working group Agronomy

Dr. Herwart Böhm

Phone: +49 4539 8880 313
Phone: +49 531 2570 1456

: herwart.boehm@thuenen.de

Dr. Nora Honsdorf

Phone: +49 4539 8880 225
Phone: +49 531 2570 1896

: nora.honsdorf@thuenen.de

Projects

Development of soil fertily, plant production and biodiversity after conversion of the experimental farm in Trenthorst/ Wulmenau towards organic farming in 2001

Agricultural ecosystems are mirroring their management. Maintaining farming practices will drive them in direction of a steady state, provided that climate and environmental conditions remain constant. Changes in cultivated crops, crop rotations, fertilisation, use of pesticides, soil tillage, grazing, livestock keeping and density and other management changes will influence ecosystems development. A long term farming system comparison on these questions is established in Trenthorst. The development of soil parameters, yields and qualities of plants and biodiversity is analysed since ...

Evaluation of organic feedstuffs

Organic farmers should feed the animals with 100 % organic produced feedstuffs in the near future. Not only ruminants, but also monogastric animals – poultry and swine – must be feed with protein from domestic feedstuffs to meet requirements.

Treated common vetch seeds for monogastrics

The protein-rich seeds of common vetches contain valuable nutrients, but also anti-nutritive factors, to which especially chicken and pigs are sensitive to. In this project, we examine if the treatments germination and ensiling, respectively, can reduce these negative effects.

Optimized grass clover ley establishment through situation adjusted sowing techniques

Grass clover leys play a significant role in organic farming, both as animal feed and as an important crop rotation component that influences the productivity of subsequent arable crops. An optimized, situation-appropriate sowing technique aims to ensure that the potential of grass clover ley is fully utilized, both in livestock feeding and as a precursor crop in arable farming.

Further development of cultivation, processing and utilisation of protein crops

Protein crops, especially legumes, play a crucial role in overcoming current challenges such as the climate crisis, feeding the world's growing population, species loss and the resulting need to transform agricultural and food systems towards greater sustainability and resilience.

Winter vetch as preceding crop to maize and as silage for pigs

The object of the project is to test different varieties of the downy vetch (Vicia villosa), the Pannonian vetch (Vicia pannonica) and the Narbonne vetch (Vicia narbonensis) for their suitability for winter intercrop cultivation in Northern Germany, their preceding crop effect on maize and their suitability as high-protein, riboflavin-supplying feed for fattening pigs.

Regulation of weeds in silage maize by using winter cash crops

Due to growing importance of silage maize cultivation in organic farming, attempts need to be made to find solutions to existing problems by developing suitable cultivation methods and crop rotations. Within this project the potential for weed regulation of mulch or no-till methods is to be examined.

Optimization of intercropping for biomass production

Intercropping contributes to the biodiversification of cropping systems and often increases yield, as plants with different resource requirements are combined. We develop new intercropping systems for the Andean lupins with maize as well as for white lupins and oats for biomass production.

Maize and beans in mixed cropping

In the future, the amount of on-farm or locally produced feedstuff should increase to ensure a sustainable protein supply for farm animals. In our project we analyze the potential of the mixed cropping of maize with runner or scarlet runner beans.

Small grain legumes in organic feeds for pigs and poultry

The use of early harvested alfalfa and red clover (small grain legumes) as valuable feedstuff for pigs and poultry is studied. Both legumes are processed either to whole crop silage or to dried leaf mass.

Peas, lupins and partners in field trials

Legumes are essential in the system of organic farming because of the nitrogen fixation and their function for the nutrient supply. They improve soil fertility, and provide a protein-rich feed stuff. In field trials with the focus of mixed cropping of grain legumes, especially the cultivation of blue lupins and peas we focused on yield optimisation and weed management. , We also evaluated the feed quality and their contribution to protein supply in organic animal husbandry.

Making blue lupins more competitive

Blue lupines have due to their slow youth development only a low competitive ability against weeds. Lupin varieties with higher competitive ability could help to facilitate weed control. We want to develop a test system that detects the weed suppressive effect for Blue lupins, evaluates and helps to identify competitive strong breeding lines.

Optimization of spring- and winter pea cultivation by intercropping and a reduced intensity of soil tillage

The agricultural advantages of mixed cultivation in low-input-systems are often demonstrated for the higher yield stability, a more effective weed suppression and a better use of the growth factors light, water and nutrients. We wanted to evaluate in the system of organic farming the mixed cropping especially under a simultaneous reduced intensity of soil cultivation in constricted crop rotations with grain legumes.

The future of grain legumes

The cultivation of legumes is declining in many European countries for many years, despite of a lot of positive properties, but they are usually economically not competitive with other crops. Therefore, cultivation systems with legumes need to be evaluated and developed further on.

Alternatives against the pollen beetle

For rapeseed cultivation in organic farming, pest infestation has up to now been an unpredictable, high risk. Because no biological plant protection agents are available in organic farming, alternatives are needed and should be sought.

Delicious chips and French fries made from organic potatoes

For years consumers in Germany have been consuming more and more processed potato products, such as chips or potato crisps, than fresh potatoes. But the predominant proportion of organically produced potatoes is marketed as table potatoes, so that the proportion of processed organic potato products has up to now been low. Reasons for this are the high, specific required quality demands for potato processing and a low consumer demand for table potatoes.

Organic potatoes: Better and tastier

Organic potatoes are highly popular among consumers. At the same time, the requirements on quality are increasing. Quality is a complex concept and includes both the "external quality" and the "internal quality".

Unpopular guest in potatoes: wireworms

Wireworms, the larvae of click beetles, damage many agricultural and horticultural crops, including potatoes. In organic farming, it is not yet possible to combat this pest effectively.

Compost against Rhizoctonia

The fungus Rhizoctonia solani causes various symptoms in potatoes, including black scurf, stem and stolon cankers on underground stems and stolons, and is a well-known, increasing problem in the cultivation of organic potatoes. Farmers suffer significant economic losses because highly infested potatoes are not marketable. This increasingly affects also the organic seed potatoes: if seed potatoes are infested by Rhizoctonia, the resulting potato harvest is also much more strongly infected.

Keeping after dock and thistles

Again and again root weeds, particularly dock species (Rumex spp.) in grassland and creeping thistles (Cirsium arvense) on the field, give organic farmers a hard fight. Both can spread quickly. Once they have gained a foothold, it is difficult to banish them again. We examined the factors that foster the spread and which measures will help to get rid of them.

Organic farming in Korea

Organic Farming in South Korea has developed positively in recent years. One of the main products is rice, which is cultivated on paddy soils. If organic cultivation were to have advantages compared to conventional cultivation, compensation payments could be made to organic farmers.

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Institute of

OF Organic Farming

Working group Agronomy

Working group Agronomy

Projects

Development of soil fertily, plant production and biodiversity after conversion of the experimental farm in Trenthorst/ Wulmenau towards organic farming in 2001

Evaluation of organic feedstuffs

Treated common vetch seeds for monogastrics

Optimized grass clover ley establishment through situation adjusted sowing techniques

Further development of cultivation, processing and utilisation of protein crops

Winter vetch as preceding crop to maize and as silage for pigs

Regulation of weeds in silage maize by using winter cash crops

Optimization of intercropping for biomass production

Maize and beans in mixed cropping

Small grain legumes in organic feeds for pigs and poultry

Peas, lupins and partners in field trials

Making blue lupins more competitive

Optimization of spring- and winter pea cultivation by intercropping and a reduced intensity of soil tillage

The future of grain legumes

Alternatives against the pollen beetle

Delicious chips and French fries made from organic potatoes

Organic potatoes: Better and tastier

Unpopular guest in potatoes: wireworms

Compost against Rhizoctonia

Keeping after dock and thistles

Organic farming in Korea

Johann Heinrich von Thünen Institute

Federal Research Institute for Rural Areas, Forestry and Fisheries