News from the Network

A research team led by the ​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​Leibniz Centre for Agricultural Landscape Research (ZALF) is testing how farmers can actively contribute to insect conservation in three German agricultural regions. Initial results show: Their participation is crucial. Together with scientists, they are implementing measures such as flower strips and more diverse crop rotations. The innovative co-design approach promotes practical solutions and long-term cooperation between agriculture and research. The findings should help to further develop sustainable strategies for insect conservation.

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As part of the UrbanNBS project, the Leibniz Institute of Ecological Urban and Regional Development (IÖR) has published a practical guide to promoting biodiversity in cities and municipalities. The brochure provides basic and practical knowledge for municipal stakeholders on the development and implementation of biodiversity strategies. It is aimed at nature conservationists, urban developers, local politicians and interested citizens.

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Artists transformed the subway of Bonn's UN Campus railway station into a large mural that draws attention to insect protection by preventing light pollution. The project, initiated by go.Rheinland and Deutsche Bahn in collaboration with the Museum Koenig Bonn of the Leibniz Institute for the Analysis of Biodiversity Change (LIB), was implemented by the association InUrFaCE.

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Researchers at the Leibniz Centre for Agricultural Landscape Research (ZALF) have published a new study showing that an agriculture with an optimised silicon supply is better adapted to climate change. Systems with sufficient amorphous silicon in the soil require less phosphorus fertiliser and pesticides, improve water retention and protect plants from fungi and insects.

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The Leibniz Centre for Agricultural Landscape Research (ZALF) receives approval for the special status “Innovation Center for Agricultural System Transformation” (IAT) for the expansion of practice-oriented agricultural research. From 2026, the IAT will form the organizational framework for developing a total of five regional real-world laboratories in Hesse and Brandenburg.

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The General Assembly of the Federation of European Microbiological Societies (FEMS) elected Braunschweig researcher Dr. Cecilia G. Flocco from the Leibniz Institute DSMZ-German Collection of Microorganisms and Cell Cultures to the FEMS Board of Directors from 2025-2027 on September 12, 2024 in The Hague (Netherlands). The pan-European organization can play a central role in promoting the field of microbiology for the sustainable advancement of societal and environmental well-being.

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Researchers from the Leibniz Institute German Collection of Microorganisms and Cell Cultures (DSMZ), including Dr Amber Hartman Scholz, are calling for better global coordination of benefit-sharing rules for the use of digital sequence information (DSI) to ensure open and equitable access for life science research. They emphasise that clear and harmonised rules are crucial to promote scientific progress and innovation.

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On 12 September 2024 researchers from the Leibniz Centre for Agricultural Landscape Research (ZALF) shared their latest research on the resilience of community-supported agriculture (CSA) with the Apfeltraum market garden in Eggersdorf near Müncheberg. The gardeners made their farm available to the researchers as a case study and provided detailed insights into their operations. The study, published in the journal Agricultural Systems, shows how CSA farms can strengthen their resilience to market and environmental changes through community and diversity.

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