Witzenhausen University Day 2025 – The future of long-term experiments
17.11.2025 | EVENT
When research takes 5-7 years, but practice has to decide tomorrow, a space is created that all too often remains unconnected: the space between knowledge and application.
It was precisely in this area of tension that the University Day 2025 in Witzenhausen took place. While the morning impressively demonstrated how much long-term experiments reveal about soils, crop rotations or climate-relevant processes, in the afternoon the focus shifted to the question of how this knowledge reaches those who have to make decisions on a daily basis.
The panel discussion, moderated by the Praxisforschungsnetzwerk Hessen and the LLH, brought together eight perspectives: Politics, science, practice and consulting – represented by Kerstin Geis (SPD), Dr. Christian Hey (HMLU), Prof. Dr. Tobias Weber (University of Kassel), Dr. Christian Bruns (University of Kassel), Dr. Ute Williges (LLH), Martin Trieschmann (VÖL/Naturland), Andreas Sünder (LLH) and Christoph Förster (Gut Marienborn).
Quickly it became clear where the crucial bottleneck lies: The findings from long-term trials are not adequately being put into practice. Because the research cycles are long. Because interim results are rarely communicated in a structured manner. Because farmers are only to a limited extent part of the research process.
This joint diagnosis resulted in a clear direction for the future:
- The AKIS structure of the LLH could prepare interim results and make them accessible more quickly.
- Scientific experiments should be interlinked more closely with farmers in order to bring research and application closer together. The PFN was highlighted as a positive example in this context.
- Long-term experiments need reliable, long-term funding that does justice to the nature of this research.
- A closer exchange between science and politics.
The day thus demonstrated not only the importance of these attempts, but also what it needs for them to be fully effective: better communication, stable structures and close cooperation between the stakeholders, many of whom have been discussing together at the University Day.
