Photo Gallery: Open-air farm show in former East Germany features different crop technologies

Jun. 28, 2012

Wheat

In this region, you will see a lot of wheat. So it’s no surprise that many of the field trials and demonstration plots centered around wheat. What was interesting about the field day was that many of the demonstration plots were located at the company’s tent on the show grounds.
Corn

Yes, there was corn. A new hybrid was being touted, but it wasn’t the latest Bt or herbicide-tolerant hybrid.
Education

Part of the Field Days included educational programs. Within the show grounds, four specific locations focused on specific topics. Here, attendees could learn more about GMO crops and talk with scientists and company representatives.
Root pits

Root pits were a good draw at the show and were visual reminders of root structure of various crops.
Variety

What was striking was the variety of crops on display. Here, field plots of various grasses are available for inspection.
Wheat trials

Did I mention that we saw a lot of wheat trials?
Demonstrations

Representatives were on hand to demonstrate the effectiveness of new crop protection products.
1950s tractor

Recognize this tractor? It’s likely you won’t see one like this in the Midwest. This is a 1950 RS01/40 “Pionier” made by the Schlepperwerk Nordhausen, a tractor manufacturer in the former East Germany.
Antique tractors

Old tractors draw a crowd, no matter what farm show, and no matter where in the world. This is a 1926 Acker-Grossbulldog HR2.
Fire it up

And the best way to gather the crowd around old machinery is to show that it still can be fired up!
Sprayers

Machinery was also present at the show, especially spraying equipment. This is a Laser FZC-Modell, made by Tecnoma. The cab can be raised and lowered.
Gravity drop

One of the more popular stops at the show, especially at the end of the day, was a “gravity drop” ride. Lines were long, and it wasn’t just for the kids.
Soggy mud

No outdoor farm show is immune to weather challenges. And despite reassurances that the rainfall on the third day of the show was “unusual” for the area during early June, the clouds still opened up and created some challenging driving—without the aid of four-wheel drive. Waiting for a tow in the pouring rain is not fun, but organizers had the tractors running quickly and I was soon on my way, albeit soggy and a bit muddy.

The DLG Field Days is a three-day open-air agricultural show that is held every other year, organized by the DLG (Deutsche Landwirtschafts- Gesellschaft – German Agricultural Society). This year’s show was held in Bernburg-Strenzfeld, Germany, at the site of DLG’s International Crop Production Center. The region, which was located in the former East Germany, has some of the most highly productive farmland in all of Europe.