Restart after pandemic – 350 exhibitors from 16 countries – Unique range of information with forward-looking developments in seed varieties, cultivation methods, technologies and farm input
(DLG). For the DLG Feldtage event, which will be held June 14-16, 2022 at the venue of the Kirschgartshausen Versuchsgut “experimental farm” near Mannheim, Germany, organizer DLG (German Agricultural Society) has announced excellent exhibitor registrations.
“Some 350 companies, associations and institutions from 16 countries have already registered for this first in-person event since the Corona pandemic,” said Andreas Steul, project manager of the DLG Feldtage. “This means that the registration result is only slightly below the level achieved in 2018, the previous registration peak.” Under the guiding theme of ‘My crop production. My Future.’, exhibitors will be presenting future-oriented developments in seed varieties, cultivation methods, technologies and farm inputs that will enable visitors to adopt increasingly individual strategies for their farms. “The DLG Feldtage will once again prove its great appeal and its position as the most important innovation platform for modern crop production,” emphasized Steul. DLG expects around 23,000 visitors over the three days of the event.
Current general conditions
Martin Umhau, farmer in Oschatz; member of the DLG Supervisory Board; and Chairman of the Advisory Board of the DLG Feldtage trade fair, commented: “The current situation on the agricultural and the corresponding wholesale markets is unclear and will remain volatile. In this respect, this year’s DLG Feldtage comes at a time when information and orientation at the operational level is both necessary and indispensable.”
“The entire agricultural price structure is in flux. There are, it is true, many areas where the price is fixed in multi-year contracts. However, it remains to be seen whether the contract partners will consider the significantly increased costs for fertilizer, crop protection and petroleum in the current pricing. This applies in particular to sugarbeet cultivation, potato cultivation for the processing industry and the cultivation of field vegetables. The contracted cultivation of silage corn for biogas plants is also affected. For the other field crops, there could also be shifts within the crop rotation depending on competitive advantage. “In the current situation, it is clear that a sophisticated optimal production technique adapted to the location is the prerequisite for continuing to be active in the market,” Martin Umhau commented as a practitioner. “The DLG Feldtage 2022 will also offer optimal information opportunities for this.”
Comprehensive range of information
At the heart of the wide range of exhibitors are the seed variety trials by plant breeding companies from Germany and abroad. In the 13-hectare trial field, plant breeders will show established and new varieties as well as seeds for all market-relevant cultivated plants. In addition, numerous companies, organizations and institutions will present other individual aspects of plant production, such as fertilization, plant protection and different cultivation methods as well as the latest solutions in relation to precision farming and digitization. An extensive range of specialist products displayed in the tent hall and at other exhibition stands on grass in the open air area around the trial plots, as well as machinery demonstrations and special features on the latest topics, guarantee visitors to DLG Feldtage 2022 a complete range of comprehensive information. The event strongly supports farmers to make their farms fit for the future and to be able to meet the major challenge of sustainable production.
New: Special “Field Vegetables”
A DLG special feature “Field Vegetables” will be presenting, for the first time, information on the cultivation, care and efficient irrigation of field vegetables. The focal points of the exhibition are seeds and young plants, fertilization and plant protection as well as care, harvesting and processing. In addition to the central meeting point, exhibition stand VA24, some exhibitors can also be found in the tent hall or at the machinery demonstrations. An array of systems for the efficient irrigation of field vegetables will be presented on a demonstration area. “Smart” solutions for watering into field corners and headlands as well as for digital monitoring and documentation complete the range.
Special feature “Organic Farming”
For the second time, the DLG is offering a specialized information platform that explores organic farming topics in-depth. Cultivation associations and companies will be presenting both established and new varieties as well as cultivation strategies on trial plots. Exhibitors will provide information on current issues relating to plant cultivation management and the use of resources, with scientists presenting the latest research results for practical use. The organic farming feature is supplemented by daily forum presentations and discussions. Machines conducting “mechanical weed control” will also be presented with live demonstrations of hoeing and weeding technologies.
Machine demonstrations on four courses
This year, the machinery demonstration concept has been expanded: three demonstrations will take place daily on all three exhibition days and will include live technical commentary on the topics of “technology for mechanical weed control” on DLG course 1 and “comparison of crop protection sprayers” on the DLG course 2. The demonstrations of “mineral fertilizer spreaders & Nitrogen-sensor technology in practical comparison” can be found on DLG course 3. Live commentary in DLG course 4 on “Lifting, loading and filling in the field” is also new. Individual demonstrations on shallow tillage will be conducted on demonstration areas behind the exhibition stands.. In total, more than 70 machines will be demonstrated live at the DLG Feldtage 2022 every day.
International Field Robot Event
The 19th International Field Robot Event (FRE) is now taking place for the fifth time at the DLG Feldtage event. The organizer is the University of Hohenheim in cooperation with the DLG and other European universities and colleges. FRE is an annual field robot contest in which international student teams compete with their field robots for the best solutions to agricultural mechanization problems.
International wheat cultivation comparison
The tradition event in the trial field, which has been an important part of the DLG-Feldtage since 1988, this year include agronomists from six countries. With their crops in the ground since October 2021 at the event venue in Mannheim, Germany, each participant strives to achieve the highest direct cost-free performance on the site. The cultivation options include crop variety, sowing method, fertilizer strategy and crop protection planning means that a wide range of growing strategies will be on display.
Arable and plant cultivation themes presented by specialist partners:
The range of exhibitors is supplemented by various specialist partners with current topics related to agriculture and crop production:
– Meeting place for oil and protein plants
The Union for the Promotion of Oil and Protein Plants (UFOP – Union zur Förderung von Oel- und Proteinpflanzen) is presenting winter rape, sunflowers, field beans, field peas, sweet lupins and soybeans on an 800 square meter trial plot (stand VE 41). The focal points of the winter rape presentation are current challenges in oil and protein crop cultivation, such as the new fertilizer regulation and integrated crop protection.
– Sugarbeet meeting point
At its exhibition area, the “Sugarbeet Meeting Point” (Stand VE34), Südzucker AG is presenting in a trial field an overview of a wide range of topics and the challenges associated with sugar beet cultivation. The main topics are the increasing demands on sustainability and biodiversity.
– Plant protection meeting point – sustainability in agriculture
The industrial association Agrar e. V. (IVA) will provide information at stand VJ 51 on the sustainable use of plant protection products and biostimulants in agriculture using practical examples. The main topics are the promotion of biodiversity in the agricultural landscape, water protection and user safety when using plant protection products.
– Meeting point for promoting innovation
At the DLG Feldtage, the German office for Agriculture and Food (BLE – Die Bundesanstalt für Landwirtschaft und Ernährung) (BZL/BLE) will present various innovation promotion projects relating to the topic of “soil”: the competence network for digitization in agriculture, the protein crop strategy; the European innovation partnerships and the “Initiative 4per1000”.
Current topics in discussion forums
Short discussion events that take place over three days in two forum areas will be offering visitors valuable additional applicable information. Current topics will be on the agenda every hour of the event. More than one hundred experts from practice, business, science and consulting will be commenting on production technology and economic issues.
Job Wall
Current information on job advertisements from exhibitors at the DLG Feldtage is available at www.dlg-feldtage.de and on site at the job wall at the DLG stand VK51. Job seekers can meet up with potential new employers personally at the DLG Feldtage.
Co-organisers of the DLG Feldtage 2022 in Mannheim are the Ministry of Food, Rural Affairs and Consumer Protection of Baden-Württemberg, Vereinigte Hagelversicherung, Raiffeisen Waren GmbH, Raiffeisen Waren-Zentrale Rhein-Main eG (RWZ) and ZG Raiffeisen eG. This year’s event is supported by the Union for the Promotion of Oil and Protein Plants (UFOP – Union zur Förderung von Oel- und Proteinpflanzen), German office for Agriculture and Food (BLE – Die Bundesanstalt für Landwirtschaft und Ernährung), Südzucker AG and the Ministry of Economics, Transport, Agriculture and Viticulture of the State of Rhineland-Palatinate as expert partners (Ministerium für Wirtschaft, Verkehr, Landwirtschaft und Weinbau).
