Alternative construction materials: mycelium-based materials - 20/12/2023

Using fungi to create sustainable and economical mycelium-based materials

Most of us see fungi as just food - and possibly pathogens. This is a mistake, because these amazing organisms are capable of much more: they grow on plant residues of all kinds, forming a dense and interconnected structure as they spread. The resulting material can be moulded into desired shapes and be turned into new sustainable and economically attractive products such as leather and polystyrene substitutes or building materials.

Autonomous and robust navigation is an essential capability for agricultural robots or machines that are to reach a new level of autonomy to manoeuver safely and reliably in their environment. Fraunhofer IPA will showcase what is currently technologically and economically feasible with live demos at agritechnica, the agricultural trade fair taking place in Hanover from November 12 to 18, 2023.

Rising sea levels due to climate change and artificial irrigation cause soil salinity to increase. This has a negative impact on agriculture, including viticulture. The plants die, yields decrease. Researchers of Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) have therefore studied a wild grapevine of higher salt tolerance. Their goal is to identify the genetic factors that make the grapevine resilient.

At the Fraunhofer Center for Chemical-Biotechnological Processes CBP in Leuna, Germany, representatives from politics, research and industry opened a novel pilot plant for the mild processing of rapeseed to increase the added-value potential of rape as a raw material.

Researchers at the University of Freiburg have examined how mulching at different times affects insect flower-visitors and larvae.

nova-Institute’s take on the recently published EU proposal for a Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation as well as the new policy framework for biobased, biodegradable and compostable plastics.

Think Tank FYI: Agriculture 5.0 - 16/02/2023

Agriculture 5.0: fighting the climate crisis with agrophotovoltaics and biochar

Climate protection, agriculture and biodiversity are closely intertwined. Agriculture 5.0 provides positive guidance, as the Offenburg University of Applied Sciences has demonstrated: agrophotovoltaics (or agrivoltaics), which is currently in vogue in Germany, can be used to generate solar power on high-yield fields. Biomass strips and biochar remove CO2 from the atmosphere. All this improves soil quality and promotes biodiversity.

Around 7 million euros to promote more sustainable use of the world's limited phosphate supply: The German-Chinese Research Training Group AMAIZE-P can continue its research on phosphorus as one of the most important nutrient elements for plants. The German Research Foundation (DFG) has approved a second funding period of another 4.5 years.

AI & robotics from the University of Hohenheim advance environmental protection & sustainability in agriculture / German Chancellor Scholz impressed by potential of Swabian multi-talent robot

Tübingen biotechnologist Lars Angenent is being awarded the Leibniz Prize by the German Research Foundation (DFG) in appreciation of his outstanding work in the field of environmental biotechnology, it was announced in Bonn on Thursday. The DFG said: “In view of climate change and the resulting need to develop a sustainable food, chemistry and energy economy, his work is highly relevant.”

Carbon sequestration - 28/07/2022

Carbon farming - climate protection on agricultural land?

Agriculture plays a key role in helping to achieve European climate targets. Central to this goal are measures that are collectively referred to as carbon farming and are often used for offsetting greenhouse gas emissions. Two Baden-Württemberg companies - CarboCert and Carbonfuture - are active in addressing the challenges and potentials of carbon farming.

In Provence, the lavender fields are in full bloom again. This blaze of color may soon also be seen in Baden-Württemberg. In a joint research project, the German Institutes of Textile and Fiber Research Denkendorf (DITF), the University of Hohenheim and the company naturamus are testing suitable lavender varieties and developing energy-efficient methods for producing essential oil from them.

Renewable raw materials and the circular economy in the textile industry - 08/12/2021

Outdoor equipment made from cellulose, castor oil and coffee grounds - functional and durable

VAUDE develops outdoor gear made from natural or recycled materials that are harmless to people and the environment while protecting against the wind and rain. The company relies on renewable raw materials, biobased plastics and the circular economy.

Alpha-Protein GmbH - 27/07/2021

Insect farming for sustainability

Mealworms instead of fish meal and soybean meal - this is what the sustainable future of feed production looks like as Alpha-Protein GmbH see it. The company has built a highly efficient automated production plant in which residual materials from local food production are used to breed mealworms.

Zero Bullshit Company - 31/05/2021

From being thrown away to becoming a recycled product - Stuttgart start-up produces healthy snacks

Throwing away food? The Stuttgart-based start-up Zero Bullshit Company is declaring war on food wastage by making nutrient-rich products largely from food industry leftovers. The three food technologists who created this transparent brand are looking to develop more than just delicious and nutritious products.

Qualitative soil fertiliser - 10/07/2020

How natural cycles can be closed with wood ash

Recycled material instead of waste: wood ash is good for soil and plants - if the quality is right. The German Federal Quality Association for Food Ash ensures reliable wood ash standards with its certifications. The RAL-Dünger label for fertilisers provides the necessary certification for natural wood ashes to be used in the circular economy.

The “Rhizo-Lentil" EIP-AGRI project - 20/05/2020

NovoCarbo turns plant waste into biochar

NovoCarbo GmbH produces biochar from plant residues such as wood chips, nutshells and manure. Different feedstocks, and the way these materials are processed, create biochars with different properties. This makes biochar suitable for different uses, including as a soil conditioner, in biogas plants or as bedding for stables and cowsheds. The Rhizo-Linse project is currently investigating whether biochar is also suitable as inoculant carrier for…

The “Rhizo-Lentil" EIP-AGRI project - 03/03/2020

University of Hohenheim wants to improve the conditions for lentil cultivation

Lentils were once considered poor man’s food, but in Germany demand for them has never been greater. And to satisfy this growing demand, more lentils need to be cultivated. This is why the University of Hohenheim is involved in the EIP-AGRI "Rhizo-Linse" project. The aim of the project is to find rhizobia strains that go well with lentil plants to increase yield and improve quality.

Dossier - 15/04/2019

The alternative: “bioplastics”

Plastic waste takes years to decompose and pollutes the environment. Nevertheless, plastics are an indispensable part of everyday life. It is therefore all the more important to find a meaningful alternative that is sustainable, environmentally friendly and has better properties and more functionality than conventional plastics. In addition, such an alternative should not be dependent in any way on fossil resources.

Dossier - 25/03/2013

Biotechnology goes automated

Processes that previously required pipetting analysis and production to be carried out manually are increasingly now controlled by automated systems. However this has not necessarily involved a complete reinvention of the wheel instead automation systems used in the plant construction and mechanical engineering sectors are being adapted and optimised for application in the life sciences.