Background
Germany and China have a long history of cooperation in agricultural research, characterized by joint projects and personal connections. Following the Covid-19 pandemic, during which contacts between both countries had decreased significantly, the study tour aimed at reactivating and recalibrating bilateral scientific exchanges within a changing geopolitical environment.
From 1 – 7 September, a group of 10 researchers from departmental research institutes of the German Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture (BMEL) and German universities had the opportunity to visit research institutes, laboratories, and field facilities associated with the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS)—China’s largest research institution for agricultural sciences.
On the German side, representatives from Julius Kühn Institute, Fraunhofer Institute for Process Engineering and Packaging, Leibniz Institute for Agricultural Development in Transition Economies (IAMO), Max Rubner Institute, Friedrich Loeffler Institute, as well as from the Universities of Göttingen, Bonn, and Brighton participated in the exchange.
Hosted by CAAS and co-organized by the DCZ, the study tour presented an opportunity for a return visit following a study trip of eight CAAS institutes to agricultural research institutions in Germany and France in 2023.
Itinerary
The study trip involved visits to eight different CAAS institutes. Of these, five were located in Beijing, one in Xinxiang in Henan Province, and another two in Chengdu, Sichuan Province. The institutes covered a wide range of research areas, from agricultural economics to urban farming, providing a window into agricultural science and development in China.
The trip ended with the “2nd Sino-German Agricultural Science Conference”, hosted by the Institute of Urban Agriculture (IUA) of CAAS in Chengdu.
Visits of CAAS research institutes in Beijing
The program started on Sunday, 1 September with a visit to the research station of the Institute for Environment and Sustainable Agriculture (IEDA) in Shunyi District. The head of the station, Dr. Han Xue, and her team presented major fields of research undertaken at the station. These included prevention and management of alien invasive species as well as experiments on the conversion of agricultural residues such as straw into bio-char, cellulose and pellets as alternative fuel sources. In a workshop, researchers demonstrated the production of biodegradable plastic film.
In the field, we were able to visit the FACE (Free Air Carbon Dioxide Enrichment) facility of the CAAS. There, research is being carried out on the effects of increased CO2 emissions on wheat yields. In another test field, we saw experiments with agro-photovoltaics, where the combination of various solar panels with the cultivation of crops such as soybeans is being investigated. In the greenhouses of the research station, the energy efficiency of traditional Chinese greenhouse technology (north-south orientation, clay construction for the rear wall) was presented.
On Monday, 2 September, the program continued with an official welcome by Ms. Qian Yu and her team from the Department for International Cooperation at the main campus of CAAS in Beijing. This was followed by a visit of the Institute of Agricultural Economics and Development, whose director Hu Xiangdong has been successfully collaborating with DCZ, Thünen Institute and IAMO for many years. A round of introductions was followed by an exchange on current issues of world trade and agricultural economics.
In the afternoon, the delegation visited the Institute of Agricultural Resources and Regional Planning (IARRP). The institute was founded in 1959, following a merger of the Institute of Soil and Fertilizers and the Institute of Rural Planning. After being welcomed by party secretary and deputy director Wang Xiufang, the delegation was guided through an exhibition presenting the institute’s main areas of research. Afterwards, the German delegates visited the National Microbial Research Center, which, among other things, develops fertilizers based on microorganisms.
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The day ended with a visit to the Institute of Feed Research, which develops more efficient feed for ruminants, pigs, poultry, and aquaculture. The ruminant department also deals with the effects of feed on the digestion and methane emissions of livestock.
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On the morning of 3 September, a visit to the National Genebank of the Institute of Crop Sciences was on the agenda. The new building was put into operation in 2022 and, with a capacity of 1.5 million accessions, is one of the largest in the world. 500,000 accessions are currently stored there. The operation is fully automated, so orders can be processed around the clock.
In the early afternoon, the German delegates met with representatives from the Institute for Environment and Sustainable Development in Agriculture (IEDA). Scientists from the institute’s eight research groups were present for the exchange. The research groups focus on climate change and mitigation, intelligent meteorology for agriculture, efficient water use in drylands, modern water-saving materials and control of pollution when using plastic film in agriculture, technologies for modern greenhouses (controlled environment agriculture), environmental science, livestock farming, as well as clean and efficient use of agricultural waste.
Visit of CAAS research institute in Xinxiang, Henan Province
On 4 September, the German delegation visited the Farmland Irrigation Research Institute in Xinxiang. Deputy director Zhu Donghai accompanied the delegation on a visit to the experimental fields on the institute’s premises, where researchers test irrigation technologies developed in cooperation with local companies and adapted to the irrigation needs of various crops and ornamental plants. This was followed by a trip to the experimental station an hour away, where the delegation was able to visit a newly built lysimeter, among other things.
Visit of CAAS research institutes in Chengdu, Sichuan Province
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On 5 and 6 September, the German delegates had the opportunity to learn more about the agricultural research landscape in Sichuan. During a joint dinner, He Minxiong, vice director of the Biogas Institute of MARA (BIOMA), and the Head of International Cooperation introduced the work of the institute and its cooperation projects.
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A visit to the Institute of Urban Agriculture (IUA) completed the program. As CAAS’ youngest institute founded in 2019, IUA boasts a seven-story vertical farming facility, where vegetables are grown in a controlled and automated environment. In its laboratories, IUA is experimenting with fast breeding rice and wheat varieties that thrive in greenhouses and are already being used in desert regions in Xinjiang, among other places.
