Workshop at Burg Warberg
On February 11, 2026, the first workshop within the framework of the AGROSOIL project took place at Burg Warberg, Germany. The European research project AGROSOIL, coordinated by the Institute for Plant Protection in Field Crops and Grassland of the Julius Kühn-Institut (JKI), aims—among other objectives—to jointly develop (co-innovate) agroecological weed management strategies through the involvement of diverse stakeholders in Living Labs. In addition to four other European partners, the Institute for Epidemiology and Pathogen Diagnostics of the Julius Kühn-Institut is also participating in the project.
The workshop marked the official launch of the co-innovation process in the German Living Lab entitled “Zwischen Harz und Heide.” Together with various stakeholders, new approaches to agroecological weed management will be jointly developed and implemented on pilot farms within this Living Lab over the course of the project.
The workshop was hosted by the JKI in cooperation with the Netzwerk Ackerbau Niedersachsen (NAN e.V.). Around 30 participants from agricultural practice, nature conservation, and advisory services came together to contribute their experiences, expectations, and perspectives. An intensive exchange took place in an open and constructive atmosphere characterized by dialogue on equal footing.
The discussions focused on identifying the most pressing regulatory needs regarding arable weeds, as well as jointly assessing existing and future instruments of agroecological weed management. The workshop highlighted the value of early dialogue between practice and research for developing viable and practice-oriented solutions.
This first workshop marks the beginning of a longer-term process. In the next steps, the measures will be further specified, tested in practice, and scientifically supported by the JKI. Additional workshops within the AGROSOIL project are already being planned.
Kick-off meeting
The Kick-off meeting of the project AGROSOIL was held at the JKI in Berlin-Dahlem (Germany).
From the eight European project partner institutions, 15 colleagues came to Berlin or connected online to kick-start the AGROSOIL project. In an intense two-day meeting that included multiple presentations and discussions, the partners laid the foundations for the successful implementation of the project.
The kick-off will help the AGROSOIL project to better design its tasks and methodologies and assist the transition towards agroecological weed and soil management in Europe.
