For the first time, the DLG (German Agricultural Society) will offer an information platform for those interested in organic farming at this year’s DLG-Feldtage. The new Organic Farming special feature will be centered on organically managed areas of the DLG’s International Crop Production Center, at Bernburg, Germany, where the 2018 DLG-Feldtage takes place from 12 to 14 June.
The special feature will offer visitors the opportunity to gain a comprehensive overview of the latest trends and developments in organic farming. The extensive program provides a host of information for farmers who are interested in organic principles or are already converting their land to organic farming, as well as those who are already running successful organic farms.
This year’s Organic Farming special feature will include plant breeders with demonstration plots where they will show proven and new organic crop varieties. In addition, experts from Germany, Austria, Denmark and the Netherlands will present trial plots of organic quality wheat to explain their individual cultivation strategies. Other exhibitors will provide information on topical questions about managing organic crops, and scientists will present the latest research findings related to organic farming.
The special feature will be supplemented by: live machinery demonstrations showing different options for “mechanical weed control”, including both hoe and tine technology; expert forums and discussions; and a platform for “matchmaking” between traders, processors and growers. There will also be opportunities to visit organic farming varietal and endurance trials conducted by Saxony-Anhalt’s State Institute for Agriculture and Horticulture (LLG).
Organic farming has developed into a significant pillar of German agriculture; about eight percent of the country’s farmland is currently farmed in line with organic principles, and the trend is growing. A recent business survey conducted by the German Farmers Association (DBV) suggested that 15 percent of all German farmers were interested in making the transition to organic farming, and reached the general consensus that having 20 percent of the country’s farmland under organic cultivation was a reasonable goal.
The Organic Farming special feature at the DLG-Feldtage 2018 is funded by Germany’s Federal Office for Food and Agriculture (BLE) as part of a project to promote organic farming and other forms of sustainable agriculture.
More information about this year’s DLG-Feldtage are available online at: www.dlg-feldtage.de
