Knowledge for Agriculture: Helmholtz to fund innovative transfer project
The joint research project of the Helmholtz-Zentrum Geesthacht - Centre for Materials and Coastal Research (HZG) and the Forschungszentrum Jülich was selected in the second call of the Helmholtz Association.
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Photo: BMU/Hgoed
Rising temperatures, prolonged heat waves, and changing precipitation patterns: In addition to existing short-term weather fluctuations, climate change will pose major challenges for agriculture in the coming decades. Farmers and other stakeholders in the agricultural sector will need better information on short-term weather changes, weather extremes, water resources, and regional climate change in order to take action.
It is precisely this expertise that the ADAPTER project (ADAPT tERrestrial systems) from Forschungszentrum Jülich and Helmholtz-Zentrum Geesthacht – Centre for Materials and Coastal Research (HZG) aims to provide.
One focus of the project is to optimize the management of current agricultural production such as irrigation and fertilization requirements as well as sowing and harvesting times using hourly, almost parcel-specific, area-wide predictions of relevant parameters for the coming 10 to 15 days.
At the same time, users are to be equipped with soil moisture sensors as part of a citizen science approach. Their data will be incorporated into the forecasts to make them more precise. Processed forecast results and interactive, site-specific observation data will be available via the ADAPTER product platform.
Another priority is to support the development of appropriate adaptation strategies for regional climate change. A practice network will be gradually built up with the participants to accomplish this goal. Additionally, interactive tools will be developed that combine scientific results – such as regional climate projections – with local practical knowledge, and promote the development of suitable options for action and adaptation strategies.
The Climate Service Center Germany (GERICS) of the HZG will work out relevant information on long-term climate change from regional climate projections for agriculture. The associated changes in weather variability and extremes and their effects on agriculture will also be worked out together with selected key partners.
Helmholtz is set to fund scientists who want to make their findings useful for everyday life with up to 1.2 million euros. Four such knowledge transfer projects have now been selected in a second round of calls: in the areas of urban development, climate-adapted agriculture, security at major events, and the provision of satellite data.
Ful press release of Helmholtz about the four projects
Contact
Helmholtz-Zentrum Geesthacht