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Interplay of climate, soil, lime covered in Agritechnica show

By CINDY LADAGE
Illinois Correspondent

HANOVER, Germany — Besides the display of equipment, Germany’s Agritechnica 2009 also hosted a soil and water show that focused on some of the science of agriculture and how to make things better for farmers around the world.

With soil and water being two of the most critical inputs in agriculture production and reduced arable land with each passing year, Agritechnica wanted to address the shift in climate patterns and the challenge of securing adequate water supplies. The “World Soil and Water Show” (WSWS) tackled these issues as well as new concepts in water-saving tillage and irrigation equipment and systems. Information was available in German, English and Russian.

One of the topics covered by Joachim Pollehn of the German Assoc. of Agricultural Lime Producers was to share a study it conducted titled Fertilizer from the Soil.

“The aim is to show the influence from the soil. Lime adds stabilization to the soil. Clay is a three-dimensional structure and lime stabilizes it,” Pollehn explained.

“Acidification is a very important threat of soils, it affects bacteria. Lime helps increase the population and activity,” added Brian Annis, a retired colleague who worked on this project.

The threat to which Pollehn was referring was the possible lack of the breakdown of organic material in the soil.

“We just try and propose to transfer lime materials as lime fertilizer into the EC fertilization regulations,” Pollehn added. “We describe different types of materials and the qualities to harmonize on the European level.”

The promotion of lime was just one of the topics that touched on soil and water. With international experts from research, industry and practice, the WSWS demonstrated the effects of climate change on the soil and on water supply and potential solutions for many regions of the world.

One point was that extreme weather patterns have resulted in droughts or floods, and they “have an unmistakable and adverse impact on farming, with different regions experiencing this to varying degrees.” There were also experts from Germany’s Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research, who shared their analysis on the effects of climate change on future water supply levels and crop yields.

Along with the weather patterns that affect farming, methods must be adapted to changes in the agriculture landscape. The show provided examples of ways tillage systems should be adapted for each specific condition.

Malene Conlong of Agritechnica explained why this portion of the show is so important: “The many specialist technical events on current and future challenges facing agriculture and agricultural machinery and equipment are a hallmark of Agritechnica.”
The next Agritechnica will be held Nov. 15-19, 2011 (Preview Days Nov. 13-14), at the Exhibition Grounds in Hanover. For details, visit www.agritechnica.com

12/2/2009