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Technical University of Munich

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Recycling urban soils

Excavated soil from construction sites usually ends up in landfills, but it has great potential. Researchers at the Technical University of Munich (TUM) show how excavated soil can be enriched with organic waste so that it can be reused in cities. By adjusting the mixture, the specific properties can be adapted to each use case, such as fertile green spaces or for the protection of groundwater.

Holiday Greetings

The scientific director of the HEF, Prof. Senthold Asseng, and the members of the HEF look back on the year 2025. We wish you happy holidays and a good start to 2026.

More yield with less fertilizer: multispecies mixtures strengthen grassland

Grassland farming benefits from increased biodiversity, as demonstrated by the work of an international research team involving TUM. An optimized species mix can increase yields by over 10% while using less than half the usual amount of fertilizer.

Collaboration for emergency management

Energy, equipment, land—agricultural businesses and infrastructure can make a big contribution to disaster control. On November 20, 2025, representatives from HSWT and TUM joined guests from politics, agriculture, and emergency services to discuss the potential of this collaboration at the kick-off symposium for the agriculture and emergency management (LuKaS) project.

How plants search for nutrients

What makes plants tolerant to nutrient fluctuations? An international research team led by the Technical University of Munich (TUM) and involving the Leibniz Institute of Plant Genetics and Crop Plant Research (IPK) has investigated this question on the micronutrient boron. The researchers analyzed 185 gene data sets from the model plant Arabidopsis. Their goal is to then be able to transfer the findings to the important crop plant rapeseed.

TUM again in the lead in agricultural sciences

The "Shanghai Rankings" evaluate the research performance of various subjects at universities worldwide. This year, TUM ranks sixth worldwide in agricultural sciences and once again first in Germany.

TUM@Agritechnica 2025

At this year’s Agritechnica, the chairs of Agrimechatronics and agricultural systems engineering represented the HEF and TUM. Students and staff are providing information about their work and give an overview of TUM. In a joint Expert Stage organized by TUM, HSWT and LfL, we discussed how AI is currently being used in research, teaching, and consulting, and what hurdles have yet to be overcome.

We remember Prof. Mariana Rufino

Mariana Rufino, Professor of Livestock Systems at HEF, has dies. The colleagues and employees of the HEF remember her as a valued scientist and colleague.

How AI shapes agriculture

On September 18, we held a symposiumat HEF on the topic of “AI for sustainable agriculture.” From current applications and challenges to future potential, ten speakers and the audience discussed various aspects. One obstacle emerged as the most pressing that has to be overcome for the further integration of AI in agriculture and agricultural research.

Strengthening the international agricultural research network

Am 9. September begrüßte das HEF eine Delegation aus Thailand. Im Austausch informierten sich die Gäste zu aktuellen Forschungsprojekten in den Agrarwissenschaften an der TUM.

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