With regard to nutrient management, organic farming presents a varied picture: on long-term organic arable farms, all the main nutrients are step by step declining towards the minimum, while organic vegetable farming shows nutrient imbalances and P oversupply. Moreover, there is a great deal of uncertainty in practice regarding soil analyses and their interpretation. Science understands the problems well for the most part, but so far it has not succeeded sufficiently in transferring this knowledge into agricultural practice. This is where NutriNet comes in, using the format of on-farm research. This dialogical format with a long tradition in organic agriculture strengthens the innovative power and ensures the feasibility of new measures through practical participation and direct practical application. 60 organic farms in six regional networks are closely integrated into the NutriNet and supported in each region by a Regio adviser.
The NutriNet pursues the following overarching objectives: It aims to test improvement possibilities for a more efficient nutrient management in organic farming in practice, to anchor the implementation of effective measures in practice and, in addition, to collect feedback from organic farming on the application of the legal requirements of the German fertilizer ordinance.
Ten stakeholders in (organic) agricultural research are working together nationwide in the NutriNet network. In addition, the round tables and actor platforms closely link other practical research networks and R&D projects on nutrient management in Germany to the NutriNet.
Leader WP7: Knowledge transfer
