Plant cultivation

The approval of glyphosate is under scrutiny. In Germany, current insect protection measures are paving the way for the phase-out of the herbicide which has been the cornerstone of no-till farming from the very beginning. Yet, in the recent past, conservation tillage schemes have become a viable option thanks to technical developments and because they offer environmental advantages for arable farming and, not least, help reduce costs. If glyphosate is no longer used to control the green bridge in min- and no-till systems, stubble cultivation will become particularly important.

The use of advanced machines and advanced cropping systems is required to meet the challenges of the future. Innovation spoke to Hans-Peter Schwarz, professor of viticultural equipment at Geisenheim University, who researches intriguing growing techniques that he also tests out on his farm near Gießen, which he runs as a sideline business.

Economic yield optimisation and biodiversity: how can these two apparently 
competing goals be reconciled? This is where the agro-ecological arable farming system „Controlled Row Farming“ comes in.