idw – Informationsdienst Wissenschaft
Nachrichten, Termine, Experten
Nachrichten, Termine, Experten
idw - Informationsdienst
Wissenschaft
What role can millet play as a crop of the future in Brandenburg – for animal feed, human nutrition and as a climate adaptation measure in agriculture?
This was the central question of a Field Day and Future Dialogue held at the Wilmersdorf Teaching and Research Station of the Eberswalde University for Sustainable Development (HNEE). In the height of summer, farmers, processors and researchers gathered to explore the opportunities and challenges of millet cultivation.
On the trial plots, 44 different millet varieties were on show – from knee-high plants to towering specimens over two metres, with panicles shimmering in shades from greenish-yellow to deep reddish-brown. Alongside field visits, expert talks explored variety selection, crop rotation, soil preparation, crop protection and processing. And to round it off, participants sampled an array of millet-based products – from porridge and pasta to biscuits and pretzel sticks.
Once dismissed as bird feed, millet is one of the world’s oldest crops and features in stories and fairy tales such as The Sweet Porridge or The Land of Cockaigne. Today, it is making a comeback – gluten-free, nutrient-rich and, above all, climate-resilient. Compared to conventional grains, millet needs far less water, withstands drought, and with its deep root systems, even improves soil structure. Few pests or diseases pose a threat.
Yet consumption in Germany remains modest – just 300 to 500 grams per person each year. Still, the trend is turning: millet flakes, drinks and pasta are finding their way into organic shops, and regional initiatives are beginning to scale up. A case in point: the Spreewald BioMühle, founded in 2024, which partners with five farms and two wholesalers to put millet firmly on the map as a food of the future in Brandenburg.
The event was jointly organised by the HNEE, the Association for the Conservation and Recultivation of Crop Plants (VERN), the Institute for Food and Environmental Research (ILU) and the Julius Kühn Institute (JKI), the Federal Research Centre for Cultivated Plants.
Prof. Dr. Ralf Bloch
ralf.bloch@hnee.de
Sabrina Scholz
sabrina.scholz@hnee.de
Criteria of this press release:
Journalists
Zoology / agricultural and forest sciences
transregional, national
Research projects, Transfer of Science or Research
English
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