Inter-faculty Research Networks

In Hohenheim, all faculties conduct research on various topics on the African continent. The goal of the research network is to link various initiatives, for which funds for a regional research alliance were acquired together with the University of Tübingen.

Africa is rich in natural resources but faces major challenges such as the consequences of climate change and related extreme weather events. In addition, the African population is expected to double within the next 30 years. The growing population needs secure access to clean water, food, medicine, energy, and education.

Together with local partners, the research network aims to gain insights and develop models that can make a decisive contribution to overcoming these problems.

Contributors from the faculties: Agricultural Sciences, Natural Sciences, Business, Economics and Social Sciences

Additional information

The production of raw materials and bioenergy from agricultural primary products, by-products, and co-products plays an increasingly important role in providing renewable and climate-neutral resources for the growing bioeconomy.

When supplying biogenic resources, it is especially important to trace their sustainable production and the use of by-products and waste created. To achieve these goals, Hohenheim provides an ideal platform with the State Institute for Agricultural Engineering and Bioenergy and a biogas research plant.

The Research Network coordinates the research project GRACE (GRowing Advanced industrial Crops on marginal lands for biorEfineries) from the public-private partnership between the EU and the Biobased Industries Consortium (BBI).

Participating faculties: Agricultural Sciences

Today’s European cultivation systems in agricultural economic systems link relatively low levels of biodiversity with the high use of resources. For many decades, increasing yields has been a focus of breeding interest.

Stabilizing yields at a high level (that is, yield security) is becoming more important due to climate change and the related stronger variations in weather with increasing numbers of extreme events, resources that are becoming scarcer, and growing numbers of harmful invasive organisms. The Regional Research Alliance was procured under the coordination of Hohenheim researchers. In addition, work is being done on complete applications for a DFG-IRTG with the China Agricultural University and for a consortium for the call for proposals for agricultural systems of the future. In the mid-term, a DFG consortium project is planned.

Participating faculties: Agricultural Sciences, Natural Sciences

Homepage Research Network Yield Stability

The Research Network Food Systems works together on topics such as new technologies, reducing food waste and greenhouse gas emissions in the production of food, and healthy nutrition.

Hohenheim is part of a European consortium of universities, research institutions, and industrial institutions that won the highly competitive contest to set up a new Knowledge and Innovation Community on the topic of food. The University’s institutions thus have the opportunity to apply for funds in this infrastructure program effective immediately. The Network is also a building block for the University’s transfer activities.

Participating faculties: Agricultural Sciences, Natural Sciences, Business, Economics and Social Sciences

The core of this network is the DFG research group 1695 Regional Climate Change. The scientists are pursuing the goal of using Big Data methods to more effectively protect from droughts, thereby contributing to adaptation to climate change. Developing countries in the tropics and sub-tropics suffer especially from ever more frequent drought periods, but even in Europe the situation is becoming more dire. Digitalization of agriculture and Big Data are integrated in existing and future activities to varying degrees. An application for a DFG collaborative research center is planned.

Those participating from the faculties: Agricultural Sciences | Natural Sciences

Homepage Research Network Climate Variability

Bacteria and other microorganisms that have a close connection to their hosts in the animals’ intestines or other organs contribute to climate change (producing methane), to the quality of food (pathogens), to resource efficiency (protein and phosphorus), and to animal health.

In the research network, the diverse and complex interactions between animals and microorganisms at the levels of the genome and physiology are to be investigated and, in the long term, optimized animal health, food security and quality, and the environmental effects of animal keeping. For this, funding for a DFG research unit (DFG FOR 2601) was procured. The new research building (HoLMiR) is also to contribute to additional outstanding research cooperation projects for research areas in which microbiomes are important besides livestock (soil, plants, humans) can be built up in Hohenheim.

Those participating from the faculties: Agricultural Sciences, Natural Sciences

Homepage Research Network Microbiomes in Livestock

All major areas of tropical agricultural research, agroecology, plant and animal sciences, agricultural engineering, and agricultural and social sciences, are concentrated at the Institute of Agricultural Sciences in the Tropics (Hans Ruthenberg Institute).

More than 100 scientists provide profound empirical and theoretical knowledge across the spectrum of tropical agricultural systems. This extent of coherent expertise on the topic is outstanding worldwide. The institute offers access to many international networks in addition to competent, agriculture-related education and research.

Contributors from the faculties: Agricultural Sciences

Homepage Research Network Hohenheim Tropics