Day 1: Kickoff, Networking, and Working Groups
The first day was entirely devoted to getting to know one another and interactively identifying topics. Following the official opening by Prof. Dr. Ingar Janzik (BioSC), participants presented their personal research focuses in short talks. Afterward, in a co-working format, the central themes and interdisciplinary working groups for the week’s small-group projects were defined.
Day 2: Focus on Soil—Quality, Microbiome, and Digitalization
The second day of the conference was devoted to an in-depth exploration of soil as the living foundation of sustainable agricultural systems. The focus was on critically assessing regenerative agriculture—navigating the balance between hype and systemic change—as well as the interactions between plant protection, soil health, and the root microbiome. The potential of microbial fertilizer substitutes and the distinction between mere abundance and function in the soil were also examined in depth. Presentations on digital twins—which combine geophysical measurements, satellite data, and simulations for precise soil and water management—as well as targeted root research to combat carbon losses, bridged the gap to high technology. New approaches to nutrient management were demonstrated through concepts for enhancing marginal soils using biochar, as well as the use of microalgae for nutrient recycling from wastewater.
Invited Speaker were:
Day 3: Crops, Smart Farming, and Field Trip
On the third day, the focus was on modern cultivation systems, robotics, and the transfer of knowledge to practical applications. Presentations covered AI-powered field robots and drones for precise weed and disease control in sugar beet cultivation, as well as the legal framework and benefits of new breeding technologies such as CRISPR/Cas. The potential for synergy from photovoltaic systems installed above experimental fields was explored, as was the potential of multi-purpose crops and the utilization of residual biomass for a sustainable bioeconomy. The afternoon featured an excursion to the University of Bonn’s experimental field on the Klein-Altendorf campus, with a brief stop at the Agri-Food-Energy Park in Merzenich-Bürgewald, where on-site approaches to growing miscanthus as an alternative biomass crop and as protection against heavy rainfall were presented. The steps involved in processing miscanthus as biomass for subsequent use in various energy or material applications were also explained in the laboratories. Finally, the experiments conducted by the PhenoRob Cluster of Excellence, as well as experiments on plant adaptation to climate change, were discussed, and the associated field trials were toured.
Invited Speakers were:
Day 4: Socioeconomics, Economics, and Practical Implementation
The fourth day examined the economic drivers, societal conditions, and obstacles to the practical implementation of new agricultural concepts. In her keynote address, Prof. Dr. Lene Lange emphasized the need to accelerate the bioeconomy in order to reduce food waste and biomass losses through the smarter use of biological resources. Florian Grebe then analyzed regional innovation systems and highlighted how crucial both formal and informal networks are for the successful transfer of knowledge from research to practice. The second part focused on global case studies and sustainable business models. Dr. Felix Frimpong presented integrated precision and circular systems from Ghana that contribute to increased yields and food security. Dr. Arthur Monhonval (SoilCapital) spoke about scaling up regenerative agriculture: He presented a certified model that offers farmers financial incentives for CO₂ reduction and soil health. Finally, Vanessa Berghoff used the “CiCo” project in Honduras to demonstrate how the circular use of coconut byproducts specifically contributes to empowering smallholder farmers and promoting the economic empowerment of women. The day concluded with a joint networking session following an intensive workshop phase.
Invited Speakers were:
Day 5: Results from the International Small Groups & Closing Ceremony
To conclude the Summer School, the interdisciplinary working groups presented the project concepts they had developed for various regions of the world. Among other things, a concept was presented for reviving domestic buckwheat cultivation in Germany as a gluten-free superfood and a building block for biodiversity. An approach from Southeast Asia focused on decentralized rice-husk carbonization to produce biochar, while strategies were developed for Kenya to efficiently utilize smallholder farmland through mixed cropping systems of corn and cowpeas. For the Mediterranean region, adaptation concepts for olive groves through vegetation cover and water management were presented, and a presentation from the Netherlands and Germany highlighted a six-year crop rotation system for the sustainable regeneration of potato soils. The event concluded successfully with a summary of the results and closing remarks.
Photos: Forschungszentrum Jülich
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