From flooded fields to attic-dusted grain separators, Andre Gohlke is tackling the everyday realities of intercropping in Germany. As supervisor of the German LEGUMINOSE living labs and research field at Deutsche Saatveredelung AG (DSV), he is responsible for overseeing field activities, collecting and processing harvests, and planning how results can be shared with farmers. In this interview, he reflects on surprising findings, creative problem-solving, and the value of getting your boots dirty.
AG: “My name is Andre Gohlke and I work at Deutsche Saatveredelung AG (DSV) in Germany. I supervise the LEGUMINOSE living labs in Germany. I also serve as the central collection point for harvest samples from all living labs of the LEGUMINOSE project: I receive the samples from our partners abroad and prepare them for further analysis. Besides my living lab duties, my responsibilities also include preparing, supervising and evaluating the German research field in Asendorf.”
Looking back…
AG: “Last year, I evaluated the first field trials for protein content and yield. I also coordinated the German living labs and developed a strategy for separating the different intercropping mixtures.”
…and ahead
AG: “Right now, I am preparing for the harvest at our research field. I am also currently planning two field days for the coming year. I am especially looking forward to seeing whether we can replicate the results from last year.”
From challenges…
AG: “We had very heavy rainfall in the winter of 2023/24. Water flowed straight down the plots of our research field. In some places, the soil was so soaked that I sank in completely with my rubber boots. I was alone at the time and had left my mobile phone in the car. Fortunately, I managed to get out of this muddy situation on my own – and luckily there are no pictures of me in that situation!
Another time, I got stuck in the field with my car and had to be pulled out by tractor. As a thank-you, I baked cinnamon rolls for the tractor driver – a small price to pay for being rescued!
The heavy rainfall also meant we could not harvest any peas that season; they had died off in spring. But I am glad to report that this year, the peas are coming along nicely.”
… to surprises
AG: “I received most of the harvest samples from the living labs and many of the intercropped samples still needed to be separated. I had to come up with a way to do that myself. In the end, I managed to separate a lot of them using sieves and a very old snail trieur that we still had in the attic. What really surprised me: the protein content of the grain was higher in the intercropping plots than in the monocultures.”
The value of intercropping
AG: “So far, the mixed plots have looked healthier than the monocultures. The protein content of the intercropped grain is higher. If we can get these results to farmers, I believe we could drive real change.”
Andre’s hands-on work in the German living labs and research field shows how research often depends on flexibility, curiosity, and a good dose of humour. Whether finding unexpected tools to separate grain or dealing with weather extremes, his efforts help turn intercropping from a research topic into a practical option for farmers.