Established by the DLG (German Agricultural Society) in 2010, the International Crop Production Center is situated at Bernburg-Strenzfeld, Saxony-Anhalt, about 65 km north-west of Leipzig. Located in the rain shadow of the Harz region, it has annual rainfall of 511 mm, combined with good-quality black topsoil. The center supports the society's non-profit goal, in place since the organization started in 1885, which is to share practical international agricultural knowledge in order to optimize and improve farming methods.
“When we set up the DLG International Crop Production Center, our aim was to actively convert the valuable input from our members through practical research into specific areas of arable farming of interest to them,” says the center's head, Dr. Klaus Erdle. “The land's superior soil conditions, combined with agro-scientific institutions nearby, provide the perfect ingredients for cultivation plot trials and machinery tests.”
This is the third time that the DLG International Crop Production Center has been chosen to host the DLG-Feldtage, the first time being 2012, and again in 2014 when it attracted a record attendance of 23,000.
“The location is ideal, as it is convenient for visitors from both Western Europe and Eastern Europe, where there is great interest in visiting the show to learn about new methods.”
The DLG, which has 27,000 farming members, supports 80 working committees that are made up of DLG farming members and companies, and are dedicated to specific topics. About 20 of these committees, which deal with subjects such as precision farming, crop nutrition and crop protection, are connected to the work carried out at the organization's International Crop Production Center. Through these committees, practical suggestions from farmers are captured and evaluated by experts, and some of these are then tested at the center. Examples of studies that originated from the committees include irrigation management and strategies for using phosphate fertilizers.
“A decade-long study at the site is currently looking for ideal crop rotation combinations, and that is just one research area that will provide farmers with useful knowledge,” added Dr. Erdle. “As well as improving soil structure, we are looking at the interplay between different crops and the effect that has on yields and crop health. Likewise, we are testing out different irrigation methods based on up-to-date drip irrigation and innovative application systems for phosphorus fertilizer in wheat and canola.
“Another research project is using different tillage methods and comparing them to produce results that farmers can use in making appropriate cultivation and machinery investment decisions.”
The DLG International Crop Production Center also works with international customers on research projects, and has welcomed many international delegations in recent years, including several groups from China and visitors from Paraguay, the US, Mongolia and Japan.
The center works with the agriculture department at Martin-Luther-University, Halle-Wittenberg, and Anhalt University of Applied Science in Bernburg-Strenzfeld. This relationship enables its scientific results to be transferred into academia, but also ensures that complementary research is carried out by the two organizations.
The DLG-Feldtage 2018 takes place from 12 to 14 June at the DLG's International Crop Production Center at Bernburg (Saxony-Anhalt)in Germany. The event is co-organized by the State of Saxony-Anhalt's Ministry of Environment, Agriculture and Energy, and Allianz, together with Münchener und Magdeburger Agrarversicherung AG (Munich and Magdeburg Agricultural Insurance). Trade partners are: Fachagentur Nachwachsende Rohstoffe e.V. (Agency for Renewable Resources); Union zur Förderung der Öl- und Proteinpflanzen (Union for the Promotion of Oil and Protein Plants); and Nordzucker AG.
More information on the DLG-Feldtage 2018 is available online at: www.dlg-feldtage.de
