From the lab to the field – How innovation reaches the farms

ENAJ and EU-FarmBook organized a three-days-presstrip to Bonn, Germany, on the topic of innovation transfer and innovative farms.

The press trip took place in Bonn from 22 to 24 September. It was the second press trip, which has been organized by ENAJ in cooperation with the EU-funded project EU-FarmBook and again agricultural journalists from all EU countries were invited. The three-day programme kicked off with a panel discussion and an exhibition of spin-offs and start-ups at the University of Bonn. On the following two days, the journalists visited the Klein-Altendorf outdoor laboratory and four farms that have set themselves up for the future with innovative ideas.

The central panel discussion at the Poppelsdorf Campus of the University of Bonn focussed on the transfer of innovation and the upcoming launch of the digital platform EU-FarmBook. Representatives from science, business, project funding and agricultural journalism discussed how farmers can best be informed about new scientific findings and project results.

 

Pieter Spanoghe, professor at the University of Ghent and coordinator of EU-FarmBook, emphasised the importance of innovation transfer: “Billions are invested in agricultural research in the EU. Without robust mechanisms to transfer the results into practice, much of this knowledge remains inaccessible to those who could benefit from it. This jeopardises the impact that research is supposed to achieve.”

Yanne Boloh, ENAJ Chair, journalist and director of the French press agency Phileas Info, represented the EU agricultural journalists in the panel discussion. She reported on innovation reporting in France. Innovation is considered very important there, which is why the French Association of Agricultural Journalists AFJA has been awarding the ‘Graine d’innovation’ (Seed of Innovation) prize every year since 2018, a prize that recognises reporting on forward-looking and innovative topics in the fields of agriculture, the environment, food and rural life. Yanne Boloh believes that innovation opens up opportunities, but also raises questions. And this is where agricultural journalists come in to connect, translate and communicate these complex issues with clarity, fairness and empathy. Yanne Boloh sees great potential in the EU FarmBook platform as it could provide journalists with a source of good stories for farmers. However, EU-FarmBook will not replace journalists, she said.

The EU FarmBook digital platform is set to become a central instrument for the transfer of innovation. The launch is planned for the end of the year, Pieter Spanoghe informed. Project organisers from all over the EU are currently uploading practical information, which can then be accessed in all EU languages. Pieter Spanoghe said: ‘EU-FarmBook is more than just a digital archive – it is becoming a reference point for farmers, foresters and advisors looking for practical, research-based solutions.’  The results will be available in all EU languages and users will have access to an AI-supported chatbot for their queries, which can already be tested.

There was great interest in the EU FarmBook platform, but there was also scepticism. It was important that the platform could be tested as soon as possible. For Peter Dissenbacher, founder of the spin-off Wegreen, it is important for success that the innovations on EU-FarmBook are successful in practice. Prof. Dr. Heiner Kuhlmann, spokesperson of the Phenorob Cluster of Excellence, emphasised that a lot of communication was needed to make EU-FarmBook known and successful. However, great efforts are always a prerequisite for success, as the story of the Wegreen spin-off showed.

Accompanying the panel discussion, 16 spin-offs and research projects presented themselves at an ideas market in the foyer of the lecture centre on the Poppelsdorf Campus. The spin-offs of the University of Bonn were prominently represented with WeGrow and spin-offs from the Phenorob Cluster of Excellence. VisioChick, a current research project at the university, was also presented. VisioChick is developing smart glasses that improve the understanding of animal welfare, focussing on visual aspects. Garrulus, a spin-off from Bonn-Rhein-Sieg University of Applied Sciences, presented a drone that can be used for reforestation.

 

 

 

 

 

The following day, the journalists visited the Klein-Altendorf Satellite Campus. This is where research on plant cultivation topics takes place under practical conditions. Current research projects include the cascade utilisation of Miscanthus, an arable crop that can prevent erosion and flooding in flood-prone areas and can be used in a variety of ways as a renewable raw material. In horticulture, Miscanthus has proven its worth as a planting substrate in greenhouses and as bedding for horses. After this utilisation, lignin recovery as a raw material for the chemical industry would be conceivable, followed by use as a fertiliser or in thermal utilisation.

 

Gerd Möhren, a farmer from Bengen, confirmed that cultivation of Miscanthus can be successful under practical conditions. Many of his arable fields are located on a slope and valuable arable soil is washed down into the valley during heavy rainfall. For this reason, he began growing Miscanthus across the slope back in 2011. Since then, the permanent crop has not only protected against erosion, but is also financially worthwhile. He sells the shredded crop as bedding for horse owners. An example of a new crop that both protects against heavy rainfall and contributes to a secure income.

Fruit growing dominates in nearby Gelsdorf, where Johannes and Christian Nachtwey operate an organic fruit farm. They are specialised on apple and pear production, combining organic production with modern quality standards. They operate a test Agri-PV system for climate-friendly fruit growing on his farm together with the Fraunhofer Research Institute. The impact of the system on apple cultivation is now being recorded over several years. Although the test results are not yet available, Christian Nachtwey is already certain that the system has a positive influence on apple production. On the one hand, the solar panels protect against extreme weather conditions such as hail and the increasingly strong sun, and on the other hand, the panels create a favorable microclimate and the amount of fungizides can be reduced. The system replaces the hail nets required in the region, but of course the investment for an Agri-PV system is very large.

The apple harvest was in full swing and the journalists enjoyed a few juicy apples from the Nachtweys’ orchard, ready for harvesting.

 

 

On the third day the journalists visited the dairy farm “Schöpcher Hof” of Christoph Lüpschen and the farm of family Trimborn, who have specialized on regional products, self marketing and tourism. Both farms are located in the hilly region “Bergisches Land”. Christoph Lüpschen is a real innovator: Since taking over the farm, he has always been the first in the region to try out new technologies – from milking robots and biogas to exporting livestock all over the world. For some years now, his farm has been supplying a nearby industrial estate with electricity and district heating. His motto is to improve the added value of traditional milk production. His wife and his three children work on the farm.

The family farm Trimborn “Bauerngut Schiefelbusch” is run by the parents Helga and Albert and their son Andreas run the farm. The Trimborns focuss on regional products, direct marketing and tourism 40 years ago: The farm is open 24/7 to hikers, cyclists, schools and holidaymakers. From the farm shop you can see into the cowshed, from the café into the chicken run and when journalists visited Gut Schiefelbusch, 1500 geese grazed next to the farm. Son Andreas works on the farm, son Simon and the two daughters support the business with good ideas. The press trip ended with a snack at the farm restaurant.

 

 

 

 

Text: Katharina Seuser
Pictures: EU-FarmBook Jonathan Schmitt and  Aysegül Yasari