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14.12.2007 14:18
Miscellaneous scientific news/publications, Research projects, Scientific conferences

Heaven help!? - Are modern technologies in agriculture able to reduce nitrogen and phosphorus losses into the Baltic Sea?

Photo 2: Scientists of FAL in Braunschweig introduced satellite navigation (GPS) to agriculture for reducing fertiliser and pesticide inputs almost 30 years ago. The equipment is still running and is displayed in the clock museum in Bad Grund (www.uhrenmuseum-badgrund.de). From left to right: Holger Lilienthal and Ewald Schnug, FAL Braunschweig, Germany; Rob Bramley, CSIRO Adelaide, Australia, Jim Schepers, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, USA.
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Photo 2: Scientists of FAL in Braunschweig introduced satellite navigation (GPS) to agriculture for reducing fertiliser and pesticide inputs almost 30 years ago. The equipment is still running and is displayed in the clock museum in Bad Grund (www.uhrenmuseum-badgrund.de). From left to right: Holger Lilienthal and Ewald Schnug, FAL Braunschweig, Germany; Rob Bramley, CSIRO Adelaide, Australia, Jim Schepers, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, USA. | Quelle: photo: FAL-PB | Download
Photo 1: Experts for "heavenly" technologies in agriculture (from left to right): Rob Bramley, CSIRO Adelaide, Australia; Holger Lilienthal, FAL Braunschweig, Krysztof Kubsik, IUNG Pulawy, Poland; Kerstin Panten, FAL Braunschweig, Germany; Aleksandra Izosimova, University St. Petersburg, Russia; Jim Schepers and Anatoly Gitelson, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, USA; Audun Korsæth, Bioforsk Apelsvoll, Norway; Viesturs Jansons, University Riga, Latvia; Görres Grenzdörffer, University Rostock, Germany; Ivan Vasenev, University Moscow, Russia; Ewald Schnug, FAL Braunschweig, Germany.
Hinweis zur Verwendung von Bildmaterial: Die Verwendung des Bildmaterials zur Pressemitteilung ist bei Nennung der Quelle vergütungsfrei gestattet. Das Bildmaterial darf nur in Zusammenhang mit dem Inhalt dieser Pressemitteilung verwendet werden. Falls Sie das Bild in höherer Auflösung benötigen oder Rückfragen zur Weiterverwendung haben, wenden Sie sich bitte direkt an die Pressestelle, die es veröffentlicht hat.
Photo 1: Experts for "heavenly" technologies in agriculture (from left to right): Rob Bramley, CSIRO Adelaide, Australia; Holger Lilienthal, FAL Braunschweig, Krysztof Kubsik, IUNG Pulawy, Poland; Kerstin Panten, FAL Braunschweig, Germany; Aleksandra Izosimova, University St. Petersburg, Russia; Jim Schepers and Anatoly Gitelson, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, USA; Audun Korsæth, Bioforsk Apelsvoll, Norway; Viesturs Jansons, University Riga, Latvia; Görres Grenzdörffer, University Rostock, Germany; Ivan Vasenev, University Moscow, Russia; Ewald Schnug, FAL Braunschweig, Germany. | Quelle: photo: FAL-PB | Download

The actual condition of the Baltic Sea is alarming: In particular, nitrogen and phosphorus losses from agriculture, which result in eutrophication, have a strong impact on the highly sensitive ecosystem. On November 15, 2007 the member states of the Helsinki Convention (HELCOM) for protecting the Baltic Sea decided in Krakow on a Baltic Sea Action Plan for reducing nutrient inputs into the Baltic Sea, which implies among others the distribution of country-wise quota for upper nutrient loads. The Task Force Sustainable Agriculture (TFSA) of the Agenda 21 for the Baltic Region (Baltic21) discussed strategies other than a political administrative limitation of nutrient surpluses and fertiliser use on the Symposium "Protection of Water Bodies from Negative Impacts of Agriculture". The experts (photo 1) concluded that modern technologies such as precision agriculture (PA) which employs satellite navigation systems (GPS, photo 2) and remote sensing will yield fertiliser savings and consequently improve environmental quality because of the advanced technical progress. The experts univocally agreed that the actual economic constraints impede an overall implementation of PA and remote sensing on farms. However, the specialists estimate that political support for the introduction of new technologies in agricultural production will have a significant potential for reducing nutrient losses from agriculture. This would be an alternative to political restrictions of nutrient inputs. Additionally, they expect that their proposed investment into future technologies will find a broader acceptance by farmers than further legal confinements. At the moment Germany is in charge of TFSA, represented by the Federal Ministry for Nutrition, Agriculture and Consumer Protection (BMELV) within the scope of its marine protection politics. Prof. Dr. Dr. Ewald Schnug is chairman of the group and head of the Institute of Plant Nutrition and Soil Science of the Federal Agricultural Research Centre (FAL) in Braunschweig. The presentations of the Symposium will be published on the website of BALTIC21: http://www.baltic21.org/.

Contact: Prof. Dr. Dr. Ewald Schnug and Dr. Holger Lilienthal, Federal Agricultural Research Centre (FAL), Institute of Plant Nutrition and Soil Science, Bundesallee 50, D-38116
Braunschweig, phone: +49 531 596 2101; e-mail: pb@fal.de.

Weitere Informationen:
http://www.baltic21.org - presentations of the Symposium will be published on this website
http://idw-online.de/pages/de/news240343 - deutsche Fassung der Pressemitteilung

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