“Good afternoon, Mr. Director,” said Sven Schulze as he was welcomed by Nicolaus von Wirén at the IPK gates shortly after 2 pm on Thursday. The Minister-President stopped off in Gatersleben as part of his summer tour. Wearing blue sneakers, black trousers and a yellow-and-white jersey bearing the state’s motto #moderndenken, he got off his bike. “I already enjoyed tours like this when I was a minister, and that is why I know Saxony-Anhalt almost as well as the back of my hand,” he said on the way to the PhenoSphere. After a short refreshment break, he was soon called upon there as a “harvest helper”.

Thomas Altmann, head of the ‘Molecular Genetics’ department, handed the head of government a folding rule and a pair of secateurs. He then climbed six rungs of a stepladder to measure the height of one of the twelve rapeseed varieties being grown as part of the experiment in one of the containers. In the ongoing experiment, this task is carried out daily by a laser scanner mounted on the PhenoCrane, which is equipped with various sensors and cameras. “1.60 to 1.70 metres” was the result of Sven Schulze’s measurement. The Head of Government then cut off the pods, which were to be analysed in detail later. This made it clear that even in this highly automated and globally unique facility, precise manual work remains indispensable.

However, Sven Schulze familiarised himself with the latest research being carried out across the entire institute. “We are tackling major global challenges such as climate change, the loss of biodiversity and ensuring future food production,” said Nicolaus von Wirén. At the heart of the research, and serving as its starting point, is the Genebank, which contains more than 151,000 samples. “Ultimately, we need a transformation of agriculture, and we want to continue providing the necessary knowledge for this in the future.” This approach found a receptive audience with the Minister-President. “We must put the results of your research in to practice,” explained Sven Schulze. This also applies to Saxony-Anhalt. “We may have the best soil here, but we have too little water.”

The PhenoSphere is a key component of this research. “We are trying here to establish links between the genetic makeup and the characteristics of the plants,” Thomas Altmann explained. “But we are also investigating interactions between the genetic makeup and environmental conditions.” Many environmental conditions, such as temperature, light and wind, can be adjusted in the PhenoSphere in a controlled, reproducible and, at the same time, field-like manner. “This frees us from the vagaries of chance,” said Thomas Altmann, “and in addition, it enables us to integrate environmental scenarios expected in the future into our research today.” In this way, the IPK is providing essential answers to the challenges of tomorrow.

But Sven Schulze also had his work cut out for him at the Genebank, the second stop at the IPK. “Just under 50 per cent of our accessions are already stored as duplicates in the Global Seed Vault on Svalbard.” “Now we’d like to ask you to prepare the next consignment for us,” said Nils Stein, head of the ‘Gene Bank’ department, with a wink. Peas, soya, field beans - Sven Schulze packed a few sachets of seeds into one of the green crates, which would then set off on their journey to Spitsbergen.

One of the IPK’s stated aims is not only to preserve the vast diversity of the gene bank, but also to conduct ever more in-depth research into it. “We want to investigate the key genes that are of particular importance for the adaptation of the old lines, so that we can use this as a basis for developing new, improved varieties,” said Nicolaus von Wirén. Research into the history of adaptation is also at the heart of a so called extraordinary item of expenditures that the IPK intends to submit shortly. This essentially involves annual funding of € 3.3 million, to be shared between the federal and state governments, with the institute contributing its share. The Institute’s Scientific Advisory Board expressly welcomes the application, and the federal government has already signalled its financial support. “Now we also need your support,” Nicolaus von Wirén said, addressing the Minister-President directly and personally.

“What you’re doing helps the agricultural sector, which is why I’m very keen on this approach,” said Sven Schulze. Given the tight budget, the priority now is to “define exactly what we want”. For Sven Schulze, the importance of the IPK is beyond question. “You are a real flagship not just for Saxony-Anhalt, but for the whole of Germany,” explained the Minister-President. This applies not only to science in the narrower sense. “The IPK also shows researchers from almost 40 countries just how international Saxony-Anhalt is.”   

After an hour and a half, Sven Schulze got back on his bike. There was still one more stop on his summer tour that day. He was due to arrive in Hedersleben at 4 pm. There, too, the focus was on the future. This time, however, it was the state competition ‘Our Village Has a Future’.