Spring is emerging in the field trials
After a long winter, we can finally feel that spring is on its way. In the fields, we can see crops slowly waking up after being covered by snow, and the emerging life reminds us why our work with field trials is meaningful. For us working with field trials, this means that this year’s experiments are about to begin, and we look forward to following the journey of crops from seed to harvest.
The first months as Operations Manager have been spent establishing a strategic foundation for our work, initially at Foulumgård. We have worked on defining our core tasks and reflecting on the values that should guide us in our daily work. Together, we have chosen three key values: quality, respect, and teamwork.
These values are intended to ensure that we deliver the best possible support to researchers and colleagues every day in the execution of field trials. They should be a natural part of everything we do—from planning and conducting experiments to collaboration and knowledge sharing—so that together we can create results that are both scientifically and practically robust.
We are currently in the middle of an election campaign in Denmark, and as employees with a strong interest in agriculture and food production, this can give rise to reflection when agricultural interests become part of the political debate. My best advice is: do not lose heart. When the election is over and a new government takes office, the political discussion will hopefully settle down.
One thing is certain: we will all need food—also in the future. What we eat and how it is produced are questions we are ready to explore and contribute to—always guided by quality, respect, and teamwork.
Another topic that has featured prominently in the political debate during this election campaign is drinking water and its protection. As a society, we all share responsibility for ensuring clean drinking water now and in the future, and this is naturally also something that concerns us in field trials. In our daily work, we actively collect valid data that can be used to understand how agricultural practices affect groundwater—work that is important both for regulation and for understanding the risk of pesticide leaching.
One example is our participation in PLAP – The Danish Pesticide Leaching Assessment Programme, a monitoring programme established in collaboration between GEUS, the Danish Environmental Protection Agency, and the Department of Agroecology. The programme investigates whether approved pesticides or their degradation products can reach groundwater under realistic field conditions, and the results are used, among other things, to support authorities in their assessments and decisions regarding the protection of water resources.
This work is a clear example of how our practice-oriented trials contribute to society’s understanding of both agriculture and the environment—and at the same time underline the importance of having robust, valid data as the foundation for decision-making.
At the moment, we are following the development of the AGRO Institute’s Strategy 2030, and we look forward to actively contributing to turning these visions into practice. As employees working with field trials, we see this as an exciting opportunity to connect our experience with the institute’s overall goals and ensure that the strategy becomes both ambitious and realistic.
Spring is full of opportunities, emerging life, and growth—and this is reflected in everything we do. We look forward to a busy and inspiring season, where together we can follow the journey of crops, strengthen collaboration, and create results we can be proud of.