Hemp and Safflower Field Day 2025

Innovation & Diversity in Baden-Württemberg

Date: Friday, 25.07.2025
Time: Presentations 12:00–15:40 · Field Tour from 16:10
Location: University of Hohenheim, Stuttgart, Germany

Registration is not required. However, we kindly request that you register in advance to help us plan.

Important note: The event start time has been moved forward!

The event will start on 25 July 2025 at 12:00 noon.

Programm

Kurzvorträge und Diskussion

Ort: Universität Hohenheim, Schloss Balkonsaal

12:00 Uhr	Begrüßung Patrick Thorwarth, Universität Hohenheim Landessaatzuchtanstalt
12:05 Uhr	Henrik Pauly, Hanfingenieur
12:25 Uhr	Raum der Stille Jens Betha, Hochschule für Technik Stuttgart
12:45 Uhr	Besichtigung Raum der Stille und Fingerfood
13:45 Uhr	Das Projekt PoHaBi Vanessa Schulz, Landwirtschaftliches Technologiezentrum Augustenberg
14:00 Uhr	Potentialanalyse Nutzhanf Annkathrin Wahbi, Rootcamp
14:15 Uhr	Hanfanbau ohne Schönfärberei – Ein Praxisbericht zur Ölnutzung Stefan Kerner, Erlenbacher Ölmühle
14:30 Uhr	Substitution von Sojaprotein für die Lebensmittelindustrie durch nicht legume Proteine, insbesondere Hanfprotein Lothar Richter, Perconversion
14:45 Uhr	Saflor – eine vielseitige Ölpflanze: Von der Züchtung bis aufs Feld, Einblicke aus dem Projekt CarthBreed und erste Praxiserfahrungen Ralf Marold, Marold - Ökologischer Samenbau GmbH & Co. KG, und Hans Peter Maurer, Universität Hohenheim Landessaatzuchtanstalt
15:10 Uhr	Das Nutzhanfnetzwerk Ludwig Wreesmann, Nutzhanfnetzwerk
15:25 Uhr	Übersicht zu den Hanfsorten Frank Plinke, Hahn & Karl

Felddemonstration von Hanf und Saflor

Anschließend Fahrt zu den Hanf und Saflor Feldversuchen am Heidfeldhof

Die Fahrt zum Heidfeldhof kann entweder mit dem eigenen Fahrzeug erfolgen. Zusätzlich stehen zwei Mini-Busse zur Mitfahrt bereit.

Ort: Heidfeldhof

Adresse: Filderhauptstraße 201, 70599 Stuttgart-Plieningen

Beginn: 16:10 Uhr

Vor Ort erwartet Sie eine Führung durch die Hanf- und Saflor-Versuche mit Bernd Wortmann und Hans Peter Maurer. Im Anschluss bleibt noch genügend Zeit für Austausch, Fragen und gemeinsames Fachsimpeln direkt am Feld.

Hemp in Practical Cultivation – A Traditional Raw Material with Future Potential

Hemp is currently experiencing a renaissance – as a sustainable crop with diverse applications in agriculture, construction, the textile industry, and food. This robust plant stands out for its low cultivation requirements, rapid early development, and its positive effects on soil structure and crop rotation.

For agricultural businesses, hemp offers interesting opportunities: short growing periods, site-adapted varieties, low pesticide requirements, and a wide range of uses – from fiber and seed to whole-plant utilization.

As part of our Hemp Field Day, we aim to provide practical insights into current variety trials, cultivation methods, and utilization concepts. Key features include demonstration plots, trial results from the region, and discussions with breeders, farmers, and processors.

Whether you're a practitioner, advisor, researcher, or simply curious – you're warmly invited to explore the potential of this fascinating crop on site.

Benefits of Hemp Cultivation from the EU’s Perspective

Carbon Storage

One hectare of hemp captures 9–15 tons of CO₂ — comparable to a young forest, but in just 5 months.

Interrupting Disease Cycles

Hemp disrupts disease cycles in crop rotation and suppresses weeds through rapid early growth.

Preventing Soil Erosion

Dense hemp leaves cover the soil early, reduce water loss, and prevent erosion.

Biodiversity

Hemp provides pollen in summer months, food for wildlife, and shelter for birds.

Low Pesticide Use

Hemp rarely needs pesticides — natural predators help control pests effectively.

Source: EU Agriculture

Available Varieties On Site:

Bialobrezeskie

Diocia 88

Djumbo 20

Earlina 8FC

Estica

Fedora 17

Felina 32

Finola

Finola 2

Fiona

Futura 83

Henola

Kompolti

Mona 16

Nashinoide 15

Ostara 9

Santhica 27

Uso 31

Safflower: a versatile and ancient crop with new opportunities?

We cordially invite you to get to know safflower directly in the field and learn more about the potential of this oil plant, which has hardly been used in Germany to date. With its pronounced drought tolerance, suitability as an ecological flowering plant and high-quality oil composition, safflower is exemplary for the crops of the future – especially with regard to climate adaptation, biodiversity and sustainable crop rotation.

During the field day, we will provide insights into current breeding work from the CarthBreed project, present the first promising genotypes and discuss the prospects for safflower in organic and conventional farming with breeders, farmers, processors and other interested parties.

Demonstration plots of the following safflower varieties have been planted:

Sabina, historical variety
Salem, breeder: Streng-Engelen GmbH & Co. KG
Calin, breeder: exsemine GmbH
Catima, breeder: Gert Horn
Ara, breeder: Research Institute for Fodder Crops, Ltd. Troubsko
Tereza, breeder: Research Institute for Fodder Crops, Ltd. Troubsko
Dornburger
Finch
and many more

Exchange and cooperation

The field day not only offers technical insights, but also the opportunity to network along the entire value chain. Whether breeding, cultivation, processing or marketing – safflower opens up new perspectives for sustainable agriculture. Together, we want to derive breeding goals, further develop cultivation techniques and plant protection, and discuss market strategies and utilisation pathways. Take this opportunity to meet stakeholders from research, practice and industry and develop concrete starting points for cooperation.

Breeding of Safflower (CarthBreed)

CarthBreed is a collaborative research project aimed at establishing a modern, site-adapted breeding programme for safflower in Germany. The goal is to develop robust, high-yielding and ecologically suitable varieties using modern methods such as speed breeding, genomics and rapid analysis. In this way, CarthBreed is making an active contribution to the implementation of the 2035 arable farming strategy, particularly in the areas of plant breeding, climate adaptation and crop rotation diversity.

contact persons:

Kim Steige
Hans Peter Maurer

project partner:

exsemine GmbH, Gert Horn
Streng-Engelen GmbH & Co. KG, Dr. Carsten Reinbrecht

funding:

The project is supported by funds of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Regional Identity (BMLEH) based on a decision of the Parliament of the Federal Republic of Germany via the Federal Office for Agriculture and Food (BLE) under the innovation support programme.