PFN at the Open Campus in Geisenheim
30.+31.08.2025 | EVENT
Farmes Led Research Network presented the ÖkoBoden4Resilienz project at the Open Campus
Under the banner of “Research. Education. Practice.” Hochschule Geisenheim University (HGU) opened its doors on August 30 and 31. More than 100 exhibitions, guided tours, tastings and hands-on activities offered exciting insights into applied research and degree programs. Visitors discovered research projects, laboratories and new buildings in the inspiring campus atmosphere.
The Farmers Led Research Network (PFN) presented itself as part of this program. Coordinated by the Vereinigung Ökologischer Landbau in Hessen e.V. (VÖL), the PFN links science, consultancy and farmers at eye level. The Landesbetrieb Landwirtschaft Hessen (LLH) provided technical support for the project and supports the farmers in an advisory role, too.
Bettina Artelt (HGU) presented the “ÖkoBoden4Resilienz” project in a speed dating format, which deals with the following question:
How can the water-holding capacity of the soil be improved to cope with increasing drought in vegetable production?
Over a period of three years, the effects of various composts and catch crops on infiltration performance, soil water retention capacity and humus formation were investigated on three vegetable farms and on the HGU trial site. Composts of animal and plant origin were used in combination with (leguminous) catch crops. The aim of the project was to strengthen the resilience of Hessian vegetable cultivation to extreme weather conditions.
In the afternoon, Prof. Jana Zinkernagel from HGU presented the results directly in the field. As the use of compost and manure has not yet been common practice on many vegetable farms, the three-year project offered the opportunity to test these methods under scientific supervision. The findings were jointly evaluated on the basis of scientific analyses.
The results show that the use of green waste compost and composted manure improves infiltration and increases soil moisture. There were clear differences between the variants, particularly in dry phases and during periods of increased precipitation. In addition, depending on the crop and location, yield increases were achieved with both methods compared to the control.
The LLH was represented at the PFN stand throughout the day and answered qestions about the network and horticultural and agricultural topics.
