Excursions are always a highlight of academic teaching—for both students and teachers. This is especially true when the destination offers not only fascinating production systems but also opportunities for international exchange and collaboration. From March 24 to April 2, Dr. Shyam Pariyar, Junior Professor Dr. Janina Dierks, and Dr. Jan Ellenberger had the unique opportunity to lead a student excursion to Nepal, organized on the behalf of the ARTS study program (Agriculture and Resource Management in the Tropics and Sub-tropics). The excursion aimed to explore Nepal’s agricultural landscape and its agroecological diversity.

The 68th Maize Genetics Conference took place in Cologne from February 25 to March 1, 2026. 

For many years, the Nature Conservation and Landscape Ecology association (NaLa e. V.) and the Faculty of Agricultural, Nutritional and Engineering Sciences at the University of Bonn have organized a Christmas tree event. Spruce and pine trees from the Eifel are then handed over to Christmas tree fans. Those who take a tree are asked to make a voluntary charitable donation, with all proceeds going to social and environmental projects around the region.

On January 21, 2026, the advanced-level biology class (Biologie Leistungskurs) of the Gesamtschule Rheinbach visited the Department of Plant Nutrition at the Institute of Crop Science and Resource Conservation (INRES), University of Bonn, as part of a scientific excursion. 

When a maize plant is attacked by the fungus Ustilago maydis, tumor-like tissue growths occur at the site of infection. How the pathogen causes this response in its host has long been unknown. But a University of Bonn study has now shown how the fungus takes over the plant’s function for forming lateral roots. The findings have been published in the journal New Phytologist.

The EU’s Environment Commissioner Jessika Roswall visited Bonn on December 1 to find out about the research being done in the University of Bonn’s PhenoRob Cluster of Excellence. Discussions focused on three main topics: digital agriculture, sustainable food systems and preserving biodiversity.

We mourn the loss of Dr. Holger Hindorf, who passed away on November 17, 2025, after a long illness. He began his phytopathological work with a dissertation (on coffee berry disease) in the early 1970s under Prof. Kranz at the University of Giessen, which included extensive field studies in Kenya. In 1973, he moved to the Institute for Plant Diseases at the Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität Bonn, where he worked until his retirement in February 2007, initially as curator and, from 2002, as academic advisor. He was also responsible for training agricultural technical assistants for many years.

The Bonn–St Andrews Joint Academic Appointments Scheme, now in its third year, continues to strengthen the strategic alliance between the University of Bonn and the University of St Andrews. This innovative partnership initiative allows colleagues from both universities to spend 20 percent of their time over three years teaching and conducting research at the partner institution.