With the research conducted by the research group "Plant Quality for Human Consumption" (QUALITY 1), we contribute to developing future-oriented agrifood systems that ensure sustainable, sufficient, and healthy nutrition in an ever-changing environment.
This includes exploring alternative food sources, testing recycled fertilizers, and developing innovative cultivation and production systems for both urban and rural settings.
These research findings feed into the transformation process toward sustainable and resilient agricultural systems (Project "Agricultural Systems of the Future"). A key focus is the study of alternative food sources such as sea vegetables, with a particular emphasis on macroalgae and their integrative indoor cultivation in urban areas—either alone or in combination with other alternative food sources such as halophytes (salt-tolerant plants), jellyfish, and crickets (Project food4future).
Innovative cultivation techniques require the development and application of novel materials, including functional integration of temperature and light units (Projects food4future, NaFuVer), as well as the advancement and use of state-of-the-art sensor technology (Project NaFuVer).
Local pilot facilities for targeted upscaling and integration of innovative land-based sea vegetable cultivation approaches demonstrate regional cooperation between established and emerging companies to develop novel and sustainable production systems (Project SolKubiM).
Closing nutrient cycles, particularly for critical biological resources such as nitrogen and phosphorus, is another key aspect of sustainable, circular agricultural production. This is exemplified by the development and use of recycled fertilizers derived from human sanitary waste (Projects P2GreeN and zirkulierBAR). Participation and practical relevance are crucial for a successful transformation and broad societal acceptance. Our research findings are implemented in German urban gardens through effective knowledge and technology transfer (Project U-Cycle).
The acceptance of new agricultural and horticultural concepts also depends significantly on how well they are communicated and integrated into society. Therefore, we employ various modern communication formats to transparently share our research findings with the interested public and other stakeholders through participatory dialogue (Projects "Agricultural Systems of the Future," food4future, P2GreeN, zirkulierBAR, U-Cycle).
