1. Grains
Humans did not move from hunting and gathering to sedentary until they started planting and farming. Today, cereals, especially wheat, are the most important crops in German agriculture. Grains can be used to produce food, feed and as a renewable raw material.
Figure 1: Main data of grain production in Germany
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1. The Importance of Grains
The grain planting area accounts for more than one-third of Germany’s agricultural land. One-ninth of German farmers’ income comes from grain crop production. Between 2015 and 2017, the total value of cereal production amounted to EUR 6.5 billion. After France, Germany is the second largest grain producer in Europe.
2. What kind?
Wheat is by far the most common grain in Germany. The main advantage of wheat is its high yield. Barley comes in second and is mainly used for livestock feed but also for brewing beer. Rye also played an important role in history and was used to make bread. Overall, the amount of oats has been decreasing in recent decades. Along with organic farming, so has the growth of grains, especially such almost-forgotten grains as spelt and “spelt”, one of the oldest crops discovered in the Stone Age. Einkorn wheat (einkorn)”.
Picture 2: Development status of grain planting in Germany
3. What does Germany use grain for?
Contrary to common belief, grains are not primarily used to make bread. 60% of the grain in Germany is processed into feed. Less than one-fifth of all cereals are consumed directly by humans. Cereals are also used as renewable raw materials for energy production and industry, but on a smaller scale. Grain is also used to produce alcohol, and malt is used to brew beer.
Figure 3: The proportion of various uses of grain in Germany from 2015 to 2017/2018
4. How are grains grown?
Grains are divided into winter grains and summer grains. Typical summer cereals, such as oats and barley, are sown in February and harvested in July. Winter grain varieties are also harvested in July, but sown the previous fall. Winter grain varieties are more productive and thus play a more important role. Winter grain varieties are usually sown from mid-September to early November. Intercropping crops are mainly sown in autumn and spring.
The roots of intercropped crops sown in autumn can penetrate deeply into the soil, improve soil structure and fix nutrients in the soil, and are often used as cattle feed or to prevent soil erosion. In spring, farmers take soil samples and test the soil for nutrients in a laboratory. Fertilization is directed from February to June based on soil analysis and crop needs at individual planting sites. To protect grain from pests and diseases, farmers work according to the general principles of integrated plant protection. Farmers use a combine harvester to separate grain from straw in July. The piled straw is either chopped and evenly scattered on the ground, processed, decomposed and synthesized by microorganisms, and finally forms humus and stored in the soil, or is pressed into blocks as bedding for livestock houses.
Figure 4: Price changes of rye and rye bread in Germany
5. What effect does the use of grain have on the price of bread?
Bread prices rose as large quantities of the grain were used as livestock feed or as a renewable raw material. In fact, the cost of grain ingredients is only a small fraction of the cost of a slice of bread, less than ten percent. Energy, trade and taxes account for two-thirds and wage costs almost thirty percent. The price of a kilo of bread has more than quintupled over the past fifty years, while grain prices have remained at the same level over that period.
2. Fruits, vegetables, potatoes
On a relatively small amount of land, fruit and vegetable cultivation can achieve high added value. The fruit is usually grown in a few areas with better climatic conditions. Many regions are proud of their unique local produce. The area of fruit and vegetables grown organically is much higher than the average fruit and vegetable area.
Figure 5: Main data on fruit and vegetable cultivation in Germany
1. How important is the cultivation of fruits, vegetables and potatoes?
The fruits and vegetables grown in Germany are not enough to meet domestic demand. Vegetable production can only meet about one-third of domestic demand, and fruit production can only meet about one-fifth of domestic demand. Therefore, Germany must import some vegetables and fruits from abroad. Among the vegetable varieties in Germany, only potatoes are produced in excess of domestic consumption, and some potatoes will be sold abroad.
Fruit and vegetable farming is labor intensive agriculture. The daily care of many fruit and vegetable crops, especially during harvest, is labor intensive. Still, fruit and vegetable farming can be a lucrative business for farmers. The output of vegetables is relatively high, and the planting area only accounts for 0.7% of the agricultural land, but the total value of production accounts for 5% of the total value of agricultural production.
Picture 6: Development Status of Vegetable and Fruit Planting in Germany
2. What kind?
In Germany, the fruit is mostly grown in areas with the most favorable climatic conditions, such as the area around Lake Constance or the Altes Land. Apples dominate fruit cultivation, accounting for three-quarters of Germany’s total fruit production. The second most important fruit is strawberries. Plums, cherries and pears are planted less frequently. Vegetable cultivation is very diverse, not limited to asparagus, onions, cabbages, carrots and lettuce, but also spinach, peas and beans. In terms of production, carrots, onions, cabbage and lettuce account for the largest share, accounting for more than half of the total vegetable production.
3. How are the fruits grown?
Planned orchard planting is different from fruit planting in the garden. Modern apple cultivation does not require people to carry large ladders from one tree to another, and all are planted with low fruit trees, and few scattered tall fruit trees are planted. The height of trees in these orchards has long been restricted and all fruit can be picked by hand without ladders.
Mobile greenhouses are playing an increasingly important role in strawberry cultivation. These mobile greenhouses are about five to ten meters wide and about 2.5 meters high. For strawberries grown in greenhouses, the first batch of strawberries can be harvested one month earlier than strawberries grown outdoors. Soilless culture is playing an even more important role in berry cultivation. These plants are grown in a nutrient solution or sand in a greenhouse rather than in soil, which has the advantage of more precise nutrient input compared to soil cultivation. Plants are also less prone to disease when grown in soilless systems.
4. How are vegetables grown?
Field vegetable cultivation, commodity vegetable cultivation and greenhouse vegetable cultivation are different. The main feature of field vegetable cultivation, such as carrots, onions and peas, is a high degree of mechanization. In most cases, only one crop of vegetables is grown each year, and other crops are grown at other times in a crop rotation. However, commercial vegetable cultivation uses land more frequently, and several crops are planted in rotation every year, such as lettuce, cauliflower, and Chinese cabbage. Vegetables grown commercially are usually raised in greenhouses. To harvest earlier, farmers usually use different coverings such as plastic film, grass mat, etc. to speed up crop growth. The yield of greenhouse vegetables is particularly high, and the soil is often replaced by other substrates. German greenhouse vegetable cultivation accounts for only 1% of the vegetable cultivation land in Germany.
Picture 7: Production ratio of major fruit varieties in Germany
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Picture 8: Production ratio of major vegetable varieties in Germany
5. Are genetically modified fruits and vegetables grown?
Currently, the tomatoes, cucumbers and bananas on supermarket shelves are non-GMO. Only one GM crop, the “MON810” hybrid maize, is allowed in the EU and its commercial cultivation is prohibited. The export of genetically modified food and feed to the EU is also subject to strict controls, and corresponding products can only be exported to the EU with approval. GM crops exported to the EU include feed and cotton.
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