Strengthening biodiversity in agriculture by integrating buckwheat and other small-grain, late-flowering seeds into existing native crop rotations.
Funding | Ministry for Rural Areas and Consumer Protection Ba-Wü (MLR) |
Duration | 2020 – 2022 |
Research partners | Universität Hohenheim, Arbeitsgruppe Anbausysteme und Modellierung (340 AG) |
Industrial partners |
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Team | |
Buckwheat (Fagopyrum esculentum Moench) is native to the Central Asian steppes and was first cultivated around 1000 BC in what is now Ukraine. Buckwheat is one of the most promising crop species that could be grown in south-west Germany and is suitable for two-crop systems or as an intercropping partner with other late flowering small-seeded cereals (chia, sesame, caraway, linseed, poppy), if the right varieties are available. Because buckwheat develops very quickly, it can be harvested as early as September and winter crops can be sown as a follow-on crop. Buckwheat also provides valuable nectar for pollinators and attracts beneficial insects, greatly increasing their diversity in agriculture. The late flowering period is particularly important as it provides a food source for insects at a time when most other crops are withering. In this collaborative project with Prof. Dr. Graeff-Hönninger, Working Group Cultivation Systems and Modelling (340 AG), University of Hohenheim, a wide range of buckwheat cultivars are being evaluated for their suitability for cultivation in southern Germany. Agronomic parameters such as yield, stand development, flowering time, stability and quality characteristics such as grain shape, size and constituents are being determined. Further trials are investigating different sowing dates and nitrogen fertilisation regimes and their effect on the above mentioned characteristics. Baking and cooking trials with buckwheat and insect monitoring in the field trials complete the project. | |