Working Group on Production and Nutrition of World Crops

Abstract

Four plant science departments of the two agricultural faculties at the Kassel University (Witzenhausen) have agreed in 1991 to establish a working group according to the Hessian law on Universities in view of the formation of a University institute for plant sciences at a later Stage. The mandates of the four departments carry on cereal and pulse agronomy, crop physiology with emphasis on tropical and subtropical field crops, plant nutrition and permanent tropical and subtropical crop production respectively.

The mandate of the working group is to safeguard concerted teaching and research Programmes among the participating departments. Research emphasis is on renewable energy cropping, multipurpose crop utilization including tree - field crop integration, sustainability of production Systems at high output levels and multiple land resource use.

The working group supports the establishment of a "Centre for Tropical Agriculture" at the intended unified agricultural faculty at Witzenhausen; the Centre is to safeguard and further enhance the international profile of this institution of higher learning.