News

The Bayerisches Landwirtschaftliches Wochenblatt reports on the information day in Grub on cow-bound calf rearing. Here, the Technical University of Munich (TUM), Weihenstephan-Triesdorf University of Applied Sciences (HSWT) and the Bavarian State Research Center for Agriculture (LfL) presented the joint project “Cow-bound calf rearing on dairy farms in southern Germany - development of indicators of animal welfare and milk quantity”.

Research for theory and practice - from now on you can take a look at the Agri-PV plant in Dürnast. On 10 vertical rows with bifacial modules and 4 tracking rows, researchers can investigate the effects of agriphotovoltaic systems on soil, microclimate, economic factors and many other areas. We will report on specific research questions and results here.

A team from the Technical University of Munich (TUM) has made a contribution to German animal welfare legislation with research into the pain sensation of chicken embryos: For animal welfare reasons, the destruction of eggs as part of the sexing of chicken embryos has been banned from the 13th day of hatching since 2024. The TUM researchers, including HEF member Prof. Benjamin Schusser, are awarded the Felix Wankel Animal Welfare Research Prize 2025 for this commitment.

Strengthening scientific cooperation, promoting the global agricultural community, developing new ideas - On March 6, 2025, the TUM School of Life Sciences and HEF welcomed a high-ranking delegation from Nanjing Agricultural University (NAU), a leading Chinese university in agricultural sciences. The participants report and explain what makes these exchanges so valuable.

When nitrogen levels are too high, for example due to excessive fertilization, plants become more susceptible to certain diseases. However, the exact reasons are not yet fully understood. A group of researchers involving the Technical University of Munich (TUM) has now taken the first steps towards answering this question. They identified a small protein (peptide) that makes the plant resistant to certain bacteria. However, its effect is limited when there is a high nitrogen supply.

Construction of the agri-photovoltaic systems at the TUM research station in Dürnast began in early February. In the future, this will enable precise research into the interactions in areas with dual use for food and energy production.

Fertilizer Ordinance (DüV) put to the test: fertilization according to DüV achieves high yields and shows high efficiency in nitrogen use. This was the result of a three-year field experiment by researchers at the Technical University of Munich (TUM). The studies show similar yields with sensor-based systems— though their potential lies in fertilizer optimization.

From the soil to the atmosphere – ammonia emissions pose a global issue for human health and the environment. In Germany, two regulations aim to reduce ammonia emissions from agriculture: the Fertilizer Application Ordinance (DüV) and Technical Instructions on Air Quality Control (TA-Luft). Research led by the Technical University of Munich (TUM) suggests that their implementation led to a significant reduction. The research identifies which measures are particularly effective and which are yet…

Rural development, climate change, economic viability - the European Commission identifies these and other topics as core challenges for agriculture in the 21st century based on scientific findings. But is scientific knowledge reflected in political discussions? To answer this question, a researcher from the Technical University of Munich (TUM) analyzed 707 speeches by the German Bundestag from 2017 to 2022. The results show a large overlap between the topics debated and the challenges defined…

Full hall and lively discussions - Over 120 interested people took part in the third Weihenstephan Future Forum on agricultural policy. Even before the opening by Prof. Johannes Sauer, everyone was already focused on the topic: “Subsidy-free agriculture: conceivable, feasible, desirable?”.