Bioeconomy | Agriculture

Artificial fertilizers, chemical-based pesticides and the increased use of machines and technical processes have significantly boosted agricultural yields over the decades. While it took one farmer to feed ten people after World War II, the yield of one farmer can now supply 135 people, a transition that has more than left its mark on the ecosystem. Biodiversity is on the decline, pesticide residues in food and water are a major problem, and the ecological balance has been destroyed. Fraunhofer researchers are working on making agriculture more sustainable.

 

Environmentally compatible crop protection: managing insects and fungal disease

Innovative and eco-friendly strategies for modern-day crop protection should make it possible to effectively manage pests without affecting other species.

 

Helping plants withstand the effects of climate change with X-ray technology

How should plant breeders respond to climate change? Fraunhofer researchers use X-ray technology to identify crops that are more resistant to heat and dry conditions.

 

Insect protein

Researchers in the Bioresources division at the Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology IME are working on establishing insects as the livestock feed of the future.

 

Indoor Farming

Continuous, pesticide-free and sustainable farming of plant-based food inside buildings? Within the project “OrbiPlant®”, the Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology IME has developed an innovative, automated plant farming system to make this possible.

 

Fraunhofer lighthouse project “Cognitive Agriculture”

Development of a comprehensive information-based ecosystem for the agricultural sector