A desire for community: HNEE promotes regional exchange of experience in organic farming

To increase biodiversity in the fields in the Brandenburg districts of Oberhavel and Barnim, a new research project at the Eberswalde University for Sustainable Development (HNEE) is supporting regional, organic farms in setting up a network that focusses on crop rotation management, intercropping and flower strips. Farms are still being sought for this.

The summers of recent years have made it clear that climate change is particularly noticeable in agriculture. Drought, insect mortality and pests are indicators that farmers in Brandenburg are also confronted with. They have various measures at their disposal, some of which have not been tried and tested, but many farms are unable to fully implement them on their own. "They don't have the resources or expertise to do so, which is why we are offering a project that is based on collaborative experimentation and provides a network where farms can find out about the latest scientific findings and network with colleagues, researchers and advisors from the region," says Johannes Hofstätter, Network Coordinator for the HNEE project "Biodiversity in Arable Farming" („Biodiversität im Ackerbau“). Various activities are planned, such as group meetings and specialist events on the network farms, which are free of charge for participants. Furthermore, practical trials are planned on the farms and at the HNEE Teaching and Research Station Gut Wilmersdorf, where questions from the network farms will be discussed. Collaborative problem-solving is always at the centre of this. "By exchanging experiences, the companies learn from each other, can support each other and possibly also develop opportunities for cooperation," says project coordinator Sabrina Scholz. The network focuses on three areas that play a key role in increasing biodiversity in Brandenburg's fields:

• Crop rotation management: existing crop rotations are analysed and possible recommendations for action and crop rotation optimisations are derived
• Catch crop cultivation: Possible options for catch crop cultivation on the farms are recorded and evaluated
• Flower strips in arable farming: Various flower strips are scientifically monitored on selected network farms and their effect and integration into operational processes are evaluated and optimised by the network stakeholders

"Each farm alone could not easily implement this scope of measures. It would cost a lot of time, staff and money and ultimately entail various risks. In the network, these measures can be selected, ordered, assessed and evaluated by the participants according to the different areas. This experience enriches all companies and offers new security in in-house innovation management," says Johannes Hofstätter, summarising the added value of the HNEE project.
The university takes on the role of coordinator. It mediates between the farms, organises meetings and farm visits and evaluates the results. It has already done this in a previous project called Kompetenznetzwerk Ökologischer Acker- und Pflanzenbau Nordost Brandenburg - Cropping School, which focussed on the district of Uckermark. "On the one hand, this showed that the interest of the farms in regularly exchanging technical and social information with each other is very important. On the other hand, the group network made it possible to work on and solve individual farm problems and issues together. As a result, all companies benefited from learning from each other and sharing experiences," reports Sabrina Scholz, network coordinator of the Cropping School. The HNEE researchers are hoping for something similar in the current project.

Save the date
On 22 February 2021, 13:00 to 14:30, a first online opening event will take place as part of the new arable farming practice network "Biodiversity in Arable Farming". Organic farms from the Brandenburg districts of Oberhavel and Barnim and neighbouring regions are invited to attend. Registration is now open. The contact person is Johannes Hofstätter, Network Coordinator, contact: T +49 (0)3334 657-564, M +49 (0)175 4515865, Johannes.Hofstaetter@hnee.de

Key project data
Project name: Regional Arable Farming Practice Network "Biodiversity in Arable Farming" in Brandenburg
Project duration: 08/2020 - 12/2022
Cooperation partners:
Leibniz Centre for Agricultural Landscape Research (Leibniz-Zentrum für Agrarlandschaftsforschung, ZALF) e. V., Julius Kühn Institute (JKI), Federal Research Institute for Cultivated Plants, State Office for Rural Development, Agriculture and Land Consolidation (Landesamt für Ländliche Entwicklung, Landwirtschaft und Flurneuordnung, LELF), Uckermark-Schorfheide Landscape Conservation Association (Landschaftspflegeverband, LPV), various land utilisation stakeholders, including Ökodorf Brodowin, Gut Temmen Agrar GmbH & Co. KG, Anna und Franz-Christoph Michel GbR, Gut Wilmersdorf GbR, Gut Klepelshagen, Gut Kerkow Uckermark Landwirtschaftsbetrieb KG, Gut Hessenhagen GmbH & Co. Haaren Mittenwalde GbR, Ökolandwirtschaft Wallmow GmbH, Landwirtschaftsbetrieb Paulsen, Gut Polßen-Schmiedeberg
Funding:
This project is funded by the Ministry of Agriculture, Environment and Climate Protection of the State of Brandenburg (MLUK) as part of the development programme for rural areas in Brandenburg and Berlin for the 2014 to 2020 funding period Measure M16 (Cooperation for the implementation of resource-conserving land use methods and cultivation methods as well as sustainable farm management). The funding for this project is made up of EAFRD and state funds. The project is managed by the project management organisation ILB.

Further information
HNEE project page
Competence Network for Organic Farming and Crop Production North-East Brandenburg - Cropping School (duration: 01/04/2018 to 28/02/2021)