Name Prof. Dr. Ulrich Köpke
Personal data born 1951 (Berlin), married, 4 children  
Professional Career :  
1970 -1974 Study of agricultural sciences at Georg-August-Universität, Göttingen, Germany
1973 - 1977 Scientific activities at the Institute of Plant Physiology, University of Goettingen and at the Institute of Agronomy and Crop Science, Georg-August-University, Goettingen; Assistant Botany-lecturer for agriculture and plant-anatomy and microscopy (Prof. Dr. R. Bünsow)
1974 Diploma thesis "Blooming and Fructification of Rapeseed: Consequences for Breeding-Programmes" (Prof. Dr. G. Röbbelen)
1975

Investigations on root-growth of cress (Lepidium sativum L.) at the Institute of Plant Physiology, supervision of voluntary student seminars and excursions dedicated to the development of environmentally sound agriculture, Institute of Plantphysiologiy, University of Goettingen
1976 - 1979

Supervision of practical work-groups working on the development of Organic Agriculture
1979 Doctorate (Dr. sc. agr.) „Comparison of Methods for Measuring Root Grows of Field Crops in situ.

1997 – 1983 Nitrogen management in systems of reduced tillage
1979 – 1986 Assistant Professor of Prof. Dr. K. Baeumer, Institute of Agronomy and Crop Science, Georg-August-University, Goettingen.
1983 – 1986 Research project (DFG) on ‘Faba beans: Nitrogen-Fixation and pre-crop effect’, Georg-August-University, Goettingen (habilitation, dissertation II).
1987 Finishing habilitation, application (upon request) for the Professorship for Agronomy at ETH Zurich, Switzerland, to preceed Prof. Dr. E. R. Keller (Position 2)
1987 Call for Professorship for Organical Agriculture (C3) at the Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-University, Bonn. Creation and extension of ‘Organic Agriculture’ at Bonn University. Developing ‘Wiesengut’, Experimental farm for Organic Agriculture in Hennef/Sieg, Germany.
1989 Denial of the offered professorship for ‘Biological Production Systems’ (C4) at the Justus-Liebig-University, Gießen.
1992 Call for C4-Professorship at Bonn University. Denial of the offered Professorship of ‘Agronomy’ (C4) at Georg-August-University, Goettingen.
Foundation of the ‘Institute of Organic Agriculture’ at the Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-University, Bonn, and first director of the same.
Application as director of ZALF - Research Centre, Müncheberg, Brandenburg (Position2).
1994 Foundation and head of the interdisciplinary researcher group "Optimizing Strategies in Organic Agriculture" (German Research Foundation, DFG) consisting of seven scientists and 15 doctoral students at the Faculty of Agriculture, Bonn University.
Since then, further development of the teaching- and scientific subject of ‘Organic Agriculture’ (Institute, Laboratory and Experimental farm), establishing, cooperating in several interdisciplinary national and international research projects: ENOF, AIR, WECOF, QLIF.

Areas of research
Optimizing methods and techniques of agronomy in Organic Agriculture including nutrient management especially in cereals, pulses, potatoes and field vegetables.

• Pulses: Maximising symbiotic nitrogen fixation, strategies to reduce soil nitrate losses.

• Potatoes: Reducing soil nitrate losses and exporting nitrogen via cultivating second annual cashcrop (field-vegetables).
• Cereals: Optimizing competition of crops against weeds by using shading ability as a function of seed density, row distance, drilling direction and crop morphology. Methodological evaluation.
• Cereals: Strip-cropping of spring wheat and grass/clover-mixtures. Use of precrop-effect and mulch to increase grain quality. Nitrogen efficiency of winter wheat cultivars.
• Potatoes: Optimizing yield performance, yield and product quality of potatoe tubers via optimized precrop effect, amount and application pattern of farmyard manure with and without bio-dynamic preparations.
• Farmyard manure: Strategies to optimize storage and rottening process to reduce nutrient losses.
• Root research: Developing and using in situ methods for studying and quantifying root systems under field conditions.

Others

• Extending criteria for determining nutritional quality
• Development and application of environmental lifecycle assessment (LCA)
• Optimizing resource use in Organic farms: Analysis of nutrient flow and efficient use of energy
• Water protection: Development and application of environmentally sound land use systems and agronomic strategies in water catchment areas.
• Climate change: Comparison of climate relevant gaseous emission and sink potential in Organic and conventional agriculture.
• Cross-disciplinary studies on ‘Ecological and Habitual Agriculture’ and ‘Conservation and Ecology’ at Bonn University

Stays Abroad 1988 until today:Stays Abroad 1988 until today
   

1988

Visiting Burkina Faso; Participant of the 7th International IFOAM-Conference in Ouagadougou
   
1989 Visiting the Soviet Union for the International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements (IFOAM); Visit to the Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Moscow, and various institutes and agricultural kolchoses in the Ukraine
   
1989 Lecture tour to Hungary: 8th International IFOAM-Conference, Budapest
1992 Lecture tour to Brazil; lectures held at IRC Campinas, IAPAR, Londrina and 9th International Scientific Conference of IFOAM; Sao Paulo, Brazil (Editor of the proceedings of the 9th International IFOAM-Conference "Organic Agriculture, a key to a sound development and a sustainable environment", November 16-21, 1992, Sao Paulo, Brazil)

1991-1997

 Further lecture tours to Brazil, Spain, Switzerland, Denmark, Italy, Finland, Wales, Poland, Belgium, Luxembourg

Memberships

  • International Society of Organic Agriculture Research (ISOFAR): President
  • German Society of Agronomy (Gesellschaft für Pflanzenbauwissenschaften); Head of working group Agroecology and Production Ecology
  • German Research Foundation (Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, DFG): Senate for graduate colleagues; Granting (Approval) Committee for graduate colleagues
  • German Soil Science Society (Deutsche Bodenkundliche Gesellschaft, DBG)
  • German Council for Land Stewardship (Deutscher Rat für Landespflege, DRL)
  • Main Committee Society of Environmental Matters (Arbeitsgemeinschaft für Umweltfragen e.V. i.L., AGU)
  • Member of the commision "Soil Protection" of the Umwelbundesamt, Berlin
  • Curator of the EDEN-Foundation, Bad Soden, Taunus
  • German Agricultural Society (Deutsche Landwirtschaftsgesellschaft, DLG)
  • coopted board member of the association German Water-protection (Vereinigung Deutscher Gewässerschutz e. V. VDG)
  • International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements (IFOAM)
  • EU-Concerted Action ENOF (European Network for Scientific Research Coordination in Organic Farming): Coordinator for Plant building and plant deseases
  • EU-Concerted Action Fertilization Systems in Organic Farming (FerSy)
  • Board of the Science and Research centre Agriculture and Environment (Lehr- und Forschungsschwerpunktes Landwirtschaft und Umwelt, USL) at the faculty of Agriculture of the University of Bonn: member of the project areas Research, Science, Wiesengut (Speaker)
  • Scientific advisory board of the German Journal of Agronomy
  • Editorial Advisory Board: „Biological Agriculture and Horticulture" (BAH)
  • Associate Editor: American Journal of Alternative Agriculture/Renewable Agriculture Food Systems
  • "Honorary Scientist" - Rural Development Administration of the Republic of Korea