Research at Hochschule Geisenheim University

Creating Strategies for a Sustainable and Livable Future

Climate Change, Biodiversity Loss, Sustainability Targets – We're Meeting the Planet's Most Urgent Challenges

Our mission is to develop resource-efficient, innovative, and sustainable solutions in the area of agriculture and food. Our work spans a broad range of key issues: advancing organic, climate-resilient cultivation strategies for specialty crops, developing sustainable production and marketing methods, and designing livable cultural landscapes and urban regions. By uniting ecology, profitability, and a focus on quality of life, we aim to create a sustainable future in which society and nature can flourish together.

Our Focus Areas

Sustainable Cultivation Systems for Specialty Crops

Cultivating grapevines, fruit, vegetables, and ornamentals is particularly resource intensive – as such, a careful balance between producing the highest quality products possible and ensuring sustainable practices needs to be struck.

Through our research, we are developing innovative, ecofriendly strategies that ensure healthy harvests and preserve resources. We breed varieties and growth forms that are optimally adapted to climate change, environmental factors, and potential pests and pathogens. Modern sensor systems help control water and nutrient supply with pinpoint accuracy, alternative plant protection strategies – such as the use of antagonists – strengthen plants and their environments, and new digital techniques make precise management measures possible. Together with our partners, we are establishing diverse cultivation strategies that promote biodiversity and preserve ecosystem functions, creating an economically and ecologically sustainable future for viticulture and horticulture.

Innovative and Safe Processing and Marketing for Plant Products

Sustainability in food production spans the entire journey, from cultivation and processing to the moment the product reaches the customer. At every stage, product quality and safety needs to be guaranteed. The bioeconomy plays a key role in this context, enabling the more efficient use of resources, processes, and systems, while supporting the livelihood of the businesses that produce them. 

Through our research, we develop energy and resource-efficient methodologies for processing plant products and extracting valuable ingredients from crops and by-products. We examine microorganisms as natural protective cultures, evaluate the health effects of plant-based ingredients, and conduct sensory tests with our university panel. Market research, consumer behavior analyses, and industry data deliver essential insights for sustainable marketing strategies, particularly in the wine industry. We also analyze the logistical processes, from packing to distribution, and boost the efficiency and sustainability of the entire value chain with the help of modern, digital technologies.

Livable Cultural Landscapes and Urban Regions

Intensified land use has reduced valuable landscape features and biodiversity in many areas. Urban regions are also under pressure to maintain quality of life through green infrastructure such as parks and green belts.

Through our research, we develop methods to optimize and assess urban open spaces and enhance their social sustainability. We create techniques for greening sites with limited soil and for using plants in urban areas in a targeted manner, particularly in the context of climate change. For viticultural landscapes, we design strategies to adapt to climate change and preserve rare species. Additionally, we develop concepts for multifunctional, ecologically valuable, and attractive landscapes that enable new, sustainable production scenarios.

Questions about Our Research?

Please get in touch!

Christiane Jost
Dr. Christiane Jost
Building 5924
Room 01.01
Phone +49 6722 502 6334
Christiane.Jost(at)hs-gm.de Details

News & Latest Projects

Professors Döring and Muschkullus Explore Sustainability and Digitization in Inaugural Lectures

Dr. Johanna Döring (Professor of Organic Viticulture) and Dr. Thomas Muschkullus (Professor of Construction Operation and Management in Landscaping) in front of the new Lecture Hall Building; Photo: Tina Kissinger

On July 3, 2025 two newly appointed professors at Hochschule Geisenheim University held their inaugural lectures. Dr. Johanna Döring (Professor of Organic Viticulture) and Dr. Thomas Muschkullus (Professor of Construction Operation and Management in Landscaping) offered guests fascinating insights into the current challenges and pressing questions of their respective fields.

In her lecture, Professor Döring explored the topic of 'Organic Viticulture – What's Its Modern Meaning and Why Are We Pursuing It?'. In the process, she demonstrated that the system behind organic viticulture is greater than the sum of its parts: it represents an environmentally-friendly, sustainable approach to producing wine with a focus on the soil, biodiversity, and the quality of the final product. During the lecture, she showed why actively choosing this path is more important than ever and how it can contribute to developing new solutions and strategies for the future of viticulture. “I'm especially excited to play a part in shaping and implementing sustainable solutions for the organic viticulture of the future", said Döring.

In his lecture “When the Machines Take Over – Robots on the Construction Site,” Professor Thomas Muschkullus provided fascinating insights into how robots have been performing important tasks in manufacturing for decades, including in the automotive and mechanical engineering industries. Although these sectors are among Germany’s most important industries, the current level of digitization and automation in the field of construction has generally remained very low, and the industry's comparatively low productivity offers great potential for improvement. This raises the question of where robots can be deployed on construction sites and what this might means for the daily work of future leaders in landscape architecture. “I am committed to preparing students for the ‘Construction 4.0’ and ‘systemic project management’ megatrends through the consistent theoretical and practice-oriented teaching of digital systems,” emphasizes Muschkullus.

The event was broadcast via live stream. Afterwards, many guests took the opportunity to network during a small reception.

 

Categories: MyHGU-App, Mein-Netzwerk, Veranstaltungen, FORSCHUNG, Landschaftsbau und Vegetationstechnik, Allgemeiner und ökologischer Weinbau, Nachrichten

Images

Professor Thomas Muschkullus; Photo: Tina Kissinger
Professor Johanna Döring; Photo: Tina Kissinger
Professor Annette Reineke, Vice-President of Research at the university, introduced the two new professors; Photo: Tina Kissinger

Research brochure (click to enlarge)

Our University has unique opportunities to conduct scientifically recognized and applied research along the entire value chain of special crops. In doing so, we benefit both from a strong network of national and international partners and our own excellent research infrastructure at Geisenheim. Vice-President of Research Professor Annette Reineke