Please note: This is the new date for the cancelled event originally planned for December 11, 2024.
Dr. Frank Marthe, Dr. Jürgen Gross, and Dr. Oliver Trapp, three renowned scientists from the Julius Kühn Institute (JKI), have been appointed as professors by Hochschule Geisenheim University as part of an ongoing cooperation with the JKI.
The JKI Federal Research Center for Cultivated Plants in Germany serves as an independent higher federal authority within the Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture’s portfolio. Due to the proximity of the two organizations’ subject areas, Hochschule Geisenheim University has been working closely with the JKI for many years. The focus of this collaboration is on joint research and teaching in the fields of viticulture, horticulture, and biosciences.
The three professors have joined the university’s Department of Crop Protection and Department of Plant Breeding. Professor Frank Marthe has held the Professorship for Horticultural Breeding Research since 2021. Professor Jürgen Gross assumed his role as Professor of Biotechnical Plant Protection in Fruit Growing and Viticulture in 2024, the same year that Professor Oliver Tapp took over the Professorship for Resistance Breeding in Vines. All three scientists are heads of their respective technical departments at the JKI.
During their inaugural lectures on May 7, 2025, Professors Marthe, Gross, and Trapp will present their research areas and future projects to the wider university audience as well as any interested members of the public. Each lecture will last around 20 minutes and will conclude with a short Q&A session. To round off the event, guests are invited to enjoy drinks in the foyer of the new lecture hall building.
Lecture Titles
• Professor Frank Marthe: Does Plant Breeding Research and Breeding in Medicinal and Spice Plants Make Sense?
• Professor Jürgen Gross: Biotechnical Plant Protection in Fruit Growing and Viticulture – Sustainability Measures in Integrated and Organic Crop Production
• Professor Oliver Trapp: Vine Breeding and PIWI Grape Varieties – An Answer to the Challenges Facing Viticulture?
If you would like to attend the lecture but are unable to come in person, a livestream of the event will be available via the following link: https://vc-green.hs-gm.de/b/har-lkb-6zr-47i
