The future will see increasing demands being exercised on the Danish agricultural industry for environmentally sustainable productions of healthy and tasty high-quality food, nutritious fodder, and plants for biomass. At the same time the industry is expected to maintain economic sustainability, to increase production as a contribution to the global food supply, to provide employment and export in the food sector, and to contribute to rural development.

 

The challenges facing the industry are thus the optimisation of existing production systems and the integration of new crops that are adapted to future climate changes and that satisfy future requirements for product qualities.

 

At Aarhus University a number of relevant research activities in relation to crop production are being implemented. The research is aimed partly at developing sustainable agricultural practices and strategies for existing crops with research activities in crop development, crop pollination and maintenance of healthy Danish bee colonies, and crop protection including development of decision support systems; and partly at factors of importance for the development and/or selection of future crops as well as optimization of growth and yield of these crops with research activities taking place within plant physiology and stress, genetic resources, biotechnology, GM crops and coexistence.