Austria has begun construction of a new AGES research station in Großnondorf to evaluate climate-resilient crops under dry conditions. The site will support variety testing, drought stress research and climate-adapted plant breeding.
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The new AGES facility in Großnondorf will support variety testing and research into drought stress, crop production and climate-adapted plant breeding.
Austria has begun construction of a new agricultural research station designed to advance the development and evaluation of climate-resilient crop varieties.
The Austrian Agency for Health and Food Safety (AGES) launched the Großnondorf project with a groundbreaking ceremony attended by Federal Minister Norbert Totschnig, AGES managing directors Johannes Pleiner-Duxneuner and Anton Reinl, and Elisabeth Jöchlinger, head of the Institute for Sustainable Crop Production.
The investment comes as drought and prolonged heat increasingly affect Austrian crop production. Depending on the region, farmers are expected to experience harvest losses of 30% to 50% compared with last year.
Testing Crops Under Dry Conditions
Großnondorf is located in Austria’s Pannonian dry region and represents approximately 250,000 hectares of arable land. Its deep soils can store rainfall for extended periods, but the research site does not use artificial irrigation, according to a press release.
These conditions make it particularly suited to evaluating drought stress, testing climate-adapted varieties and supporting crop breeding for increasingly dry production environments.
Trials will examine crops including cereals, soybeans, maize, sunflowers, potatoes and sugar beets. Researchers will also study plant nutrition, fertilizer use, irrigation, soil management and crop protection.
Supporting Austrian Variety Approval
AGES operates eight agricultural research stations representing the major climatic and soil conditions found across Austria’s arable regions.
Testing varieties at multiple locations allows researchers to determine how they perform under different soil and climate conditions. Only varieties that demonstrate benefits for Austrian agriculture and consumers are approved.
Data from the trials will support variety registration, crop research, risk assessments and production recommendations for Austrian farmers.
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