NOcsPS in the EU network „T0P-AGRI“
Conference of the EU network ‘T0P-AGRI’ from 9 to 11 June 2026 in Berlin
In June, the conference of the COST Action “Towards zer0 Pesticide AGRIculture – European Network for Sustainability (TOP-AGRI network)” took place at the Julius Kühn Institute (JKI) in Berlin. Researchers from the NOcsPS project are members of this network and took part in the conference with several presentations and poster contributions, presenting findings from various NOcsPS sub-projects.
This EU-funded COST Action initiative promotes networking amongst researchers at an international level to strengthen collaboration on reducing dependence on chemical pesticides through agroecological and systems-oriented approaches. Several members of the NOcsPS consortium, in particular young scientists, have taken part in workshops, training courses, researcher exchanges and thematic working groups, and have benefited from the transdisciplinary European research community and networking opportunities. The key areas of focus for this COST Action include the following topics and working groups:
1. Setting the scene: identifying research gaps and needs
2: Transformation and transition steps towards zero pesticide-based value chains
3: Breakthroughs in biological research offering new prospects in zero pesticide agriculture
4: Redesigning cropping systems for zero chemical pesticide use based on functional biodiversity and agroecological principles
5: Community building, dissemination and communication
As part of an excursion to the JKI’s experimental site in Dahnsdorf, conference participants were able, amongst other things, to visit the NOcsPS system trials being conducted by the JKI in Brandenburg, which are taking place in parallel with the system trials in Hohenheim. Together with the various NOcsPS conference presentations, these provided a vivid insight into the NOcsPS research project.
