Germany seeks alternatives to rapeseed

Knowledge.” The project involves researchers from the Baltic Environmental Forum Germany (BEF) and the district of Herzogtum Lauenburg, writes Karl Bockholt for the German agri-portal Agrarheute. While rapeseed is a valuable crop, it is sensitive to spring drought and costly to cultivate. In hot years, yields fluctuate significantly. In more stable regions of Germany, rapeseed remains highly profitable, but in drought-prone areas its future is uncertain. Alternatives under consideration include soybeans, sunflowers, hemp, and camelina. Climate Change Favors Soybeans Soybeans are becoming increasingly successful, especially in Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg, which account for nearly 70% of Germany’s soybean area. These regions benefit from long frost-free periods and warm summers. The nitrogen-fixing ability of rhizobial bacteria is advantageous, though inoculation is required. Early soybean varieties are now also being cultivated in Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt, and Brandenburg. Soybeans ...