Crop Pest

Jun 10, 2022

Insects: Flea beetle levels are high in some areas, and there has been some foliar insecticide applications for flea beetles. High levels of cutworms have been noticed in some fields in the Northwest region.

Diseases: There are no pressing disease concerns now. Winter wheat is a crop that is advancing and leaf diseases are not likely a concerns, but it is important to anticipate heading and flowering for Fusarium head blight risk. Risk forecast maps to be posted before the end of June.

Weeds: A great week of seeding for most of the province also saw good progress with weed control. Many operations were able to keep the sprayer going while planting, getting a good pre-seed or pre-emerge burn-off. We continue to see weeds like biennial wormwood, wild buckwheat, round-leaf mallow, as well as weeds like kochia and foxtail barley that became well-established in the last couple of dry years. Weeds are growing very rapidly and are fast approaching or past the maximum leaf staging for control.

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Video: How farmers are protecting the soil and our food security | DW Documentary

For a long time, soil was all but ignored. But for years, the valuable humus layer has been thinning. Farmers in Brandenburg are clearly feeling the effects of this on their sandy fields. Many are now taking steps to prepare their farms for the future.

Years of drought, record rainfall and failed harvests: we are becoming increasingly aware of how sensitively our environment reacts to extreme weather conditions. Farmers' livelihoods are at stake. So is the ability of consumers to afford food.

For a few years now, agriculture that focuses solely on maximum yields has been regarded with increasing skepticism. It is becoming more and more clear just how dependent we are on healthy soils.

Brandenburg is the federal state with the worst soil quality in Germany. The already thin, fertile humus layer has been shrinking for decades. Researchers and farmers who are keen to experiment are combating these developments and looking for solutions. Priority is being given to building up the humus layer, which consists of microorganisms and fungi, as well as springtails, small worms and centipedes.

For Lena and Philipp Adler, two young vegetable farmers, the tiny soil creatures are invaluable helpers. On their three-hectare organic farm, they rely on simple, mechanical weed control, fallow areas where the soil can recover, and diversity. Conventional farmer Mark Dümichen also does everything he can to protect soil life on his land. For years, he has not tilled the soil after the harvest and sows directly into the field. His yields have stabilized since he began to work this way.

Isabella Krause from Regionalwert AG Berlin-Brandenburg is convinced after the experiences of the last hot summers that new crops will thrive on Brandenburg's fields in the long term. She has founded a network of farmers who are promoting the cultivation of chickpeas with support from the scientific community.