NEW PROJECT “Greener Fields - Healthier Lives”

(06/26)

The goal of this project, which is funded by the Swedish EKHAGA Foundation as well as the Alexander-von-Humboldt-Stiftung, is to develop sustainable intercropping systems using cowpea (Vigna unguiculata) and sorghum (Sorghum bicolor) in East Africa, particularly in Ethiopia, to strengthen food security, improve soil health, and increase resilience to climate stress. Project leader on site ist Dr. Eltayb Abdellatef Farah Abdellatef. The local partner is the “Bio and Emerging Technology Institute” (BETin) in Addis Ababa, represented by Dr. Yohannes Gedamu Gebre.

The research is conducted through field trials, nutrient analyses, and participatory selection involving smallholder farmers. The cowpea’s nitrogen-fixing capacity, its drought resilience, and its high iron content—combined with sorghum’s role as a staple food and its micronutrient content—make intercropping an effective strategy for increasing yields, reducing production costs, and combating hidden hunger. This agroecological method avoids dependence on chemical fertilizers and is consistent with the goals of sustainable land management. The research aims to help transform traditional monocultures into resilient, diversified systems that benefit smallholder farmers, ecosystems, and public health.

NEW PROJECT: ACCLAIMED

(05/26)

The collaborative project “Agri-ecological Farming and Climate-Resilient Land Management for Alkaline Soils in the Mediterranean Region” (ACCLAIMED) is receiving federal funding. This funding supports collaboration with the southern and eastern Mediterranean region as part of the institutionalized partnership “PRIMA” (Partnership for Research and Innovation in the Mediterranean Area).

The project is being carried out in collaboration with
• University of Tuscia, Viterbo - Italien,
• Agricultural Genetic Engineering Research Institute (AGERI), Giza - Ägypten,
• Plant Micronutrient Stress Physiology Group, Zaragoza - Spanien,
• Selcuk Üniversitesi, Konya - Türkei.

The project addresses the challenge that alkaline soils pose to agriculture. In such soils, plants have difficulty absorbing essential nutrients such as iron, zinc, and phosphorus. As a result, plants grow more poorly and yield lower harvests. These soils are widespread in the Mediterranean region - especially in North Africa. At the same time, climate change, drought, and intensive agriculture are further exacerbating these problems. The goal is to develop new, sustainable farming methods that work even on difficult soils while also contributing to environmental protection.

SFB-TRANSREGIO TRR341 

(05/26)

As has now been announced, the German Research Foundation (DFG) has extended funding for the SFB-Transregio TRR 341 “Ökologische Genetik der Pflanzen” - a collaborative project involving various universities and institutes - for another four years. In addition to the University of Cologne as the lead institution and HHU as a co-applicant, the universities in Bochum, Marburg, and Potsdam, as well as the Max Planck Institute for Plant Breeding Research in Cologne, are participating in the project.

The goal of this research project is to investigate the genetic basis for the survival and adaptation of plants to ecological challenges: For example, how do plants react to global environmental changes and limited resources?

Further information under HHU News.

An important aspect of this research project has been and remains the involvement of citizens in the research. The Citizen Science-Project PUKI aims to involve students, experts from the environmental sector, non-governmental organizations, educational institutions, school students, and the interested public.

RP-COLUMN "WISSENSDRANG"

(2026)

Since March 2023, Prof. Dr. Petra Bauer (Institute of Botany) and Prof. Dr. Nicole Teusch (Institute of Pharmaceutical Biology and Biotechnology) have been taking turns with philosopher Maria-Sibylla Lotter to discuss scientific topics in this column.

Folge 01/26 (27.01.2026) > Wie leben Pflanzen in der Stadt?

Folge 02/26 (24.02.2026) > Glyphosat oder Alternativen

Folge 04/26 (21.04.2026) > Agrarökologie im indischen Bundesstaat Sikkim

Folge 06/26 (16.06.2026) > Wie KI uns hilft, die Natur zu verstehen

Folge 07/26 (14.07.2026) > Die Gen-Schere richtig regeln

Previous episodes can be found in the news archives.