NOcsPS at the Launch of the Second Funding Phase of the BMFTR Funding Line “Agricultural Systems of the Future”

November 11 and 12, 2025 | Berlin

On 11 and 12 November 2025, the six consortia of the BMFTR funding line Agricultural Systems of the Future met at the Hochschule für Technik und Wirtschaft (HTW) in Berlin for the status seminar and the official kick-off of the second funding phase.

The consortia, which will receive funding for an additional three and a half years, provided an overview of the objectives achieved during the first funding phase and the planned scientific activities for the second phase.

For the collaborative project NOcsPS, Prof. Dr. Ralf Vögele from the University of Hohenheim presented the milestones achieved by the project partners—the University of Hohenheim, the University of Göttingen, and the Julius Kühn Institute—and offered an outlook on the continuation of the project.

Key topics included the design and evaluation of the NOcsPS cropping system, the further development of sustainability assessment, and analyses of market potential. These three areas form the framework for future research activities across 18 subprojects, focusing on optimizing the yield, quality, and environmental performance of NOcsPS cropping systems; establishing a reliable site- and system-specific sustainability assessment framework; and implementing NOcsPS production systems in practice, including the development and marketing of NOcsPS products.

Prof. Vögele outlined methodological approaches involving innovative technologies, the development of a conceptual framework for sustainability assessment, studies on consumer willingness to pay, and development work on product labelling.

Initial considerations for real-world laboratories were also presented, which may open additional interfaces with other consortia within the funding line in the future.

Two poster pitches complemented the presentation of the collaborative project: Adriana Riemenschneider from the Institute of Landscape Ecology at the University of Hohenheim demonstrated, based on her research, that NOcsPS cropping systems may have positive effects on the abundance of beneficial organisms. Gunnar Jordan from the Department of Marketing for Food and Agricultural Products at the University of Göttingen presented his research plan for a transformation concept that incorporates stakeholder and consumer perspectives to foster the long-term establishment of more sustainable cropping systems. All contributions attracted significant interest from the audience.

The intensive discussions and scholarly exchanges over the two days underscored the high relevance of the research activities and the dynamism of the funding line, providing strong momentum for the work ahead in the coming project years.