Institutes
The main tasks of the Agricultural Institute (MGI) include the provision of the biological basis for a healthy diet, developing environmentally friendly and economical crop production methods, developing durable plant stress resistance, and studying the impact of climate change on agriculture. While the research groups of the institute carry out internationally recognized fundamental research activities, MGI also has a decisive influence in the crop production sector with its plant varieties, patents and a nutrient replenishment advisory expert system.
The activities of the Plant Protection Institute (NÖVI) include the biology of pathogens and pests, intra-species communication between arthropod pests, the mechanisms of plant resistance to diseases and abiotic stressors, interactions between pathogens and arthropod pests and their natural enemies, and agro-ecosystem research. NÖVI is also involved in research on issues of plant protection in forestry, nature conservation and the inhabited environment. Its profile is primarily concerned with basic research using morphological, molecular and ecological methods, though it also contributes to the development of new plant protection strategies for agricultural and other cultivated crops.
The Institute for Soil Sciences (TAKI) carries out interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary research activities on the interactions between soil and the environment, on the environmental and earth sciences, and in the more general agricultural fields (rural development, spatial planning, agricultural water management, etc.). Current key research areas include soil water, material and energy flows, quantitative and qualitative changes in soil organic matter, exploration of soil microbial and macro-communities, spatial and temporal modeling of soil properties, processes, functions and services, the use of soil biomass for environmental indication purposes and the support of the objectives of the circular economy through the utilization of bio-waste and sewage sludge suitable for soil improvement or alternative nutrient replenishment.
