Agriculture: an intense exchange between science and practice

The Chamber of Agriculture of Lower Austria is heavily involved in intensifying the exchange between science and practice by leading and participating in research and innovation projects in a variety of fields.

One of the aims of the Chamber of Agriculture is to make knowledge and solutions available to farmers. Project topics cover all agricultural sectors and range from plant cultivation to technical fields. A just completed research project related to the cultivation of garlic in Austria. We also present projects on digitization, securing sugar beet production and biodiversity.

“It is about developing strategies and, above all, practical solutions and making them usable for farmers. With this we want to help companies to be able to respond better to changing conditions in management and new challenges, ”

Lower Austria Chamber of Agriculture President Johannes Schmockenschlager explains.

Measures against soil-borne diseases in the cultivation of Austrian garlic

Meanwhile, garlic cultivation gained an important place in Austria and became an important mainstay for farms in eastern Austria. From extensive cultivation methods to self-sufficiency, more and more companies have been specializing in garlic cultivation in recent years. The intensification of cultivation was accompanied by the emergence of diseases that mainly affected the garlic bulb itself. Rotting in the field and spoilage during drying and storage prompted garlic growers to start a nationwide project with representatives from research, association, education, and consulting. The project, which has been in operation since 2019, has now been completed, and results on pathogens and avoidance strategies in garlic cultivation have been presented.

Fungi can destroy your garlic crop

It turns out that green rot (Penicillium spec.), especially in the early stages of garlic cultivation, is responsible for significant losses during the winter and spring. A previously unknown Fusarium species in this culture in Austria, responsible for dry rot, was discovered as the most important pathogenic fungus associated with garlic spoilage. In either case, no effective plant protection products are available or no products are allowed. Approaches to reducing infestation can be seen in cultivar selection, seedling quality, appropriate site selection, and gentle harvesting and drying methods. As part of the project, a brochure was created as a guide to growing garlic in Austria, but it should not hide the fact that plant protection options are very limited.

Digitization in agriculture

At LK-Technik Mold, the focus is on developing practical solutions through the use of modern technologies for sustainable and sustainable management. The Innovation Farm, an innovation project within which LK-Technik Mold operates one of the three sites in addition to HBLFA Raumberg-Gumpenstein and BLT Wieselburg, also pursues this goal. With the help of site-specific management with smart technology and the use of drones, it was possible to save 89 per cent of herbicides compared to treating the entire area as part of the “Thistle control corn” innovation farm use case.

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