FELD 1/2025

PROF. FRANK EWERT talks about ZALF in the desert, LAND-INNOVATION-LAUSITZ, and Lusatia as a model region. A scientist and a farmer join forces to sing the praises of the queen of forage crops. Selected plants are intended to provide food for humans and animals as well as enable efficient use of energy and fiber. Using algorithms, drones, satellites, and other technology, researchers want to put together the Lusatia landscape puzzle. If the researchers at ZALF have their way, truffles will soon be known and loved as the black gold of Lusatia.

Digital Lusatia The soil

Digital Lusatia The soil must be better protected from drying out, especially after harvesting JENNY KRÖCHER The view from above of the Lieberoser Heide with its extensive sandy heaths and pine forests Kröcher’s observations show the impact climate change is already having on vegetation in Lusatia. To ensure, the sandy soils remain productive in the future, as much water as possible must be retained in the landscape. »It is important that we consider ways to raise the groundwater level,« says the geoecologist. »In addition, the soil must be better protected from drying out, especially after the harvest.« FLIGHT OVER THE DESERT The LauMon project provides data not only for climate adaptation in agriculture. Köllner and Neumann also fly their drones over nature conservation areas. One of these is Germany’s largest desert area on a military training ground near Cottbus: the Lieberoser Desert. The two researchers do not yet have any conclusive results from these flights. But Neumann can already say one thing: the Lieberoser Desert is by no means a dead landscape. »Despite the desert appearing very static, when we look more closely at the drone images, we can see that the vegetation is changing and developing—that a desert is a very dynamic ecosystem«, Neumann explains. 26

Digital Lusatia RESEARCH IN LUSATIA FOR THE WORLD When the LauMon project comes to an end in early 2026, the research results should be put to practical use as much as possible—ideally beyond the model region of Lusatia. »In the future, our methods could be offered by professional drone service providers for farmers and conservationists,« says Köllner. Farmers could use the drone data to forecast their harvests and examine where specifically their fields needs to be irrigated, fertilized, or treated. Drones could also simplify the monitoring of various nature conservation projects in the future—especially on the large agricultural areas of Lusatia. Kröcher’s method could also be applied beyond Lusatia. »Authorities could use our method to monitor the water levels regionally,« says the scientist. »It can also help to accompany the renaturation of water bodies and landscapes locally and ensure effective implementation.« The scientists still have a few months left until the end of the project. Kröcher will investigate the development of organic carbon in the Lusatian soils. Köllner and her team want to show possible land use approaches for each of the surveyed areas using storytelling. This will then be accessible to everyone as a so-called story map on the LIL portal. At the end of the project, the results from the LauMon project will be transferred to the LAIZ (Lusatia Agricultural Information Center), an information portal that will continue even after the LIL alliance has ended. This is another step toward a digital, but above all climate-resilient region. Text: Luise Mösle Jenny Kröcher assesses water resources and soil organic carbon at ZALF using various statistical methods. Nicole Köllner heads the GFZ’s sub-project »Multiscale and multitemporal recording of landscape indicators for monitoring transformation processes« within LauMon. Dr. Carsten Neumann conducts research at the GFZ on biodiversity, artificial intelligence, and remote sensing. 27