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

Professor Dr. Karl H. Mühling is Elected New President of Geisenheim University

Professor Dr. Karl H. Mühling / Source: Jürgen Haacks, Uni Kiel

The new president of Geisenheim University has been elected: Prof. Dr. Karl H. Mühling, an internationally renowned expert in plant nutrition, will succeed Prof. Dr. Hans Reiner Schultz. Prof. Mühling was elected at the end of January in the first round of voting by the university's extended senate with 21 out of 32 votes. The newly elected president's term of office will be six years and will begin after his appointment by the Hessian Ministry of Science and Research, Arts and Culture.

The starting date is planned for spring 2026, with the exact date still to be announced. 

"I am delighted about the election and the extended Senate's trust in me. It is a great honor for me to take on the role of president at Geisenheim University, with its long tradition. Geisenheim University (HGU) is a new type of university with a unique focus and facilities and a bright future. I am very pleased to be involved in ensuring that both applied and fundamental research can be conducted at this university. Together with all members of the university and all sectors involved, I would like to build on the university's outstanding teaching, research, and transfer activities and explore further potential in agricultural systems research for the university," said Prof. Mühling. 

Prof. Mühling has been Professor of Plant Nutrition at Kiel University since 2007, where he also held senior positions including Dean and Vice Dean for several years. Prior to this, Mühling researched and taught as Professor of Plant Nutrition at Justus Liebig University in Giessen from 2003 to 2007. From 1999 to 2001, he was also a DFG scholarship holder and research associate at the Department of Land, Air and Water Resources at the UC Davis in the USA. 

Thanks to his many years of scientific and practical work, Prof. Mühling brings with him a wide network of connections in various scientific associations. He currently holds the office of President of the Umbrella Organization of Scientific Societies for Agricultural, Forestry, Food, Veterinary, and Environmental Research (DAF e.V.), has been a permanent member of the Executive Board of the German Society for Plant Nutrition (DGP) since 2019, and has been an honorary member of the German Society for Quality Research in Plant-Based Foods (DGQ) since 2023. In addition, he is Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Plant Nutrition and Soil Science, Section Editor-in-Chief of the Journal Plants, and Associate Editor of the Journal Frontiers in Plant Science.

The Chairman of Geisenheim University's University Council, Dr. Hermann Kolesch, congratulated Prof. Mühling on his election as President: “We warmly congratulate Prof. Mühling on his election and look forward to working with him. As a proven expert in plant physiology and with his vision and international network, Prof. Mühling is an excellent choice to further develop the university's many different thematic areas and further sharpen its profile.”

At the same time, Kolesch thanked the long-standing president, Prof. Dr. Hans Reiner Schultz: "Prof. Schultz has had a special influence on and promoted the development of Geisenheim University. During his 13-year term as president of the university, the former Research Institute with an affiliated faculty at Hochschule Rhein-Main developed into an independent, new type of university. The profile was expanded, many new research collaborations were established, and the university's facilities were modernized with a total of five new buildings and research facilities. In addition, Prof. Schultz's recognized scientific expertise contributed significantly to the internationalization and reputation of HGU. We thank Mr. Schultz for his outstanding contribution to the development of the university."

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Professor Dr. Karl H. Mühling / Source: Jürgen Haacks, Uni Kiel

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

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