Science in agriculture

Prof. Dr Christoph Scherber: Where can farmers do better still? What does the agriculture of the future look like to you?

Bernd Olligs: I work sustainably. We farmers are always interested in improvement. Fifteen years ago, we never even considered paying attention to biodiversity in agriculture. Since then, we have come to understand that improvement was needed in this area. My tasks when managing my farm include making sure that my grandchildren will still consider it a job well done. I will scrutinise every available idea to see whether it works out or not. I use modern technologies and integrated crop protection as a farmer. My father and grandfather used to say: “We have to try different things to figure out the right path.”

C. Scherber: We try things out in research as well. In the second step, we figure out what is economically feasible. Can we achieve more together?

B. Olligs: I think that research and agriculture can discover many new and exciting things together. As farmers, we do need some advice: What crop rotations are suitable, what flowering mixtures work, and when is the best time to sow? If ten farms all work on the same thing, we can figure out together what is working, where we need further research, and where we can join forces on specific issues. The FlowerBeet project* is a good example for this. We have only just started using digital technology to record data that tracks developments and helps us share information. So far, observation results do not go beyond their individual farmers in too many cases. Transfer of knowledge from young to old is about knowing what is going on in the field.

C. Scherber: How do you reconcile conventional and organic farming?

B. Olligs: We try to avoid insecticides by monitoring our plants with digital technology and artificial intelligence. I look at the pest observations and then decide how much plant protection to use and when to do so. We need to use just as much as necessary, when necessary, rather than applying it prophylactically. I want to be able to control the pest if it happens. We farmers still run businesses that need to make a profit. There is an imbalance here within Europe that politics needs to resolve. We should stop importing any products from third countries that do not meet our standards and that have been treated with pesticides that are not authorised in Germany.

C. Scherber: How do you feel about the authorisation of the pesticide glyphosate?

B. Olligs: Use of glyphosate is not a contradiction to sustainable agriculture for me, though its incorrect use is. It must be used responsibly, for example before sowing or only on selected sub-areas and with high precision.

“Where the flower strips are concerned, it seems that their effect equals the application of insecticides as far as six metres into the sugar beet field. As a scientist, I did not expect us to reduce aphids to such a large extent. It was a great experience.“

Prof. Dr Christoph Scherber

C. Scherber: If it were to be approved again, application should be limited to avoid harm to insects and vertebrates. This includes, amongst other things, not using it in the time of toad migration or during the main vegetation period, when many pollinators are out and about. However, I would like to emphasise that a large number of studies have clearly shown that glyphosate will cause lasting damage to insects, soil micro-organisms, amphibians, and fish.

As a result, we have a number of projects in addition to FlowerBeet, enabling farms to exchange ideas on how they can do without pesticides. The FINKA project is one option that we are trialling, involving a mixed form of organic and conventional farming. It has brought about some promising results. How do you rate the results of the FlowerBeet project?

B. Olligs: It is looking like we will be able to achieve very positive results with the flower strips in a networked structure as well. We have noticed many different species of ground beetle here already that have spared us the need to apply pesticide sprays. This is the kind of knowledge that we need to preserve and pass on to the next generation and this is also why it’s important to know what’s living in our fields. Digital technology speeds up the process of figuring out whether a beetle is good or bad for arable farming.

C. Scherber: Where the flower strips are concerned, it seems that their effect equals the application of insecticides as far as six metres into the sugar beet field. As a scientist, I did not expect us to reduce aphids to such a large extent. It was a great experience. We merely do not know yet how this project can be put into practice in order to save pesticides.

B. Olligs: Yes, the effects were enormous. We also need a political framework for this, and politicians supporting us in our actions. They need to view us as competent dialogue partners. It is important that we agree on goals, e.g., that we want to promote beneficial organisms in agriculture through flower strips and other measures. We may develop a concept in which the land is farmed in the area and networking elements such as flower strips or hedges are set up in between.

C. Scherber: We need to completely change the way we are thinking about nature conservation in order to promote biodiversity. Broad land management must also be considered since rare species in protected areas surrounded by fields have been found to die anyway. This calls for a political framework at municipal level in terms of landscape planning. An interlinked structure is important in terms of biodiversity, which leads us to the question of which areas should be included, i.e., in the form of flowering meadows instead of a golf turf, in the planning offices of the municipalities.

B. Olligs: One of my colleagues has planted a small flowering area because he still had space next to his turnips. This area formed a stepping stone between two biotopes. We were able to find two bees there that we previously had on the red list.

C. Scherber: Science, politics, agriculture all share the same goal. We need to talk to each other.

B. Olligs: The same applies between generations. My sons come home on Fridays and say: “Dad, you’re doing it all wrong”. And I say: “All right, I know.” But then we’re back on the same page by Sunday.

C. Scherber: Let us quickly return to those two bee species. That makes me wonder how we can inspire others to pay attention to what is going on in their fields. We have to bring the positive things to the fore. Politicians need to reward farmers that create high-quality flower strips with a good mixture that is ecologically beneficial. What do you think? Should we leave some parts of the land to its own devices again? What would be your strategy for bringing farmland birds back?

B. Olligs: I can bring partridges and pheasants back with a good mixture for the flower strips – and, of course, the insects. The annual flower strips quickly grow into ecological traps because they attract animals and then they simply disappear again. Perennial flower strips, on the other hand, provide a resting place for animals and are ecologically more valuable.

C. Scherber: What role do you think consumers play in this, and where do you see politics?

B. Olligs: Consumers just need to be consistent. If they don’t want farmers to use pesticides and if they want products to be produced with perfect methods, as is the case amongst our organic farmers in Germany, then they should also buy those products rather than looking for cheaper alternatives from Eastern Europe, for example, where wages are lower. We also need laws to stipulate the content and origins of different products.

C. Scherber: I think that we need some political control in addition to consumer action. I also think it’s important that we introduce the next generation to agriculture. We have to take even the pre-school children out into the fields. People need to understand how nature works. What animals and plants are living in a wheat field? What do some endangered butterflies look like? We can only act responsibly and make heart-felt decisions on what to buy if have the knowledge to back it up.