projects
commect
COMMECT - Bridging the digital divide and addressing the need of Rural Communities with Cost-effective and Environmental-Friendly Connectivity Solutions

COMMECT aims to bridge this gap by providing quality, reliability and security in terms of digital access for rural areas. The goal of expanding broadband connectivity in remote areas is achieved by integrating non-terrestrial networks with terrestrial XG mobile networks and low-cost Internet of Things (IoT). Artificial intelligence, edge and network automation will reduce energy consumption at both the connectivity and compute levels.
A participatory approach with end users and IT experts working together on development challenges will be key to digitizing the sector. In doing so, COMMECT will build intensive exchange of best practices and technical knowledge among agroforestry value chain actors.
Five Living Labs (model regions) will be established inside and outside Europe, where "problems" and (connectivity) "benefits" will be derived from different perspectives for end users.
The Living Lab Luxembourg, which is also the focus of IBLA's work, deals with the digitalization of Luxembourg's viticulture. At the beginning, the needs of the stakeholders (winegrowers) for digital area information for the management in the areas of irrigation, fertilization and plant protection, among others, are determined in workshops. On this basis, relevant data will be made available to the winegrowers for their cultivation decisions, as well as decision-support systems will be made usable. Demonstration events will be held to improve awareness and acceptance of digital technologies in viticulture.
monesca
Development of a semi-automatic, high-resolution monitoring of ESCA and other dieback symptoms in viticulture

The main objective of the MonESCA I project is to monitor and understand the occurrence of disease, and in the continuation MonESCA2 a special emphasis is placed on knowledge transfer into viticultural practice. Therefore, the IBLA organizes several workshops for winegrowers on management practices for ESCA prophylaxis and control (gentle pruning, reset method, vine surgery). The second task of the IBLA in the MonESCA2 project is the development of a decision support system, which generates ESCA-effective measures for the winegrowers at different infestation intensities.
water protection
Methods of organic farming for the benefit of drinking water protection
alter weizen
Aufbau einer Wertschöpfungskette vom Anbau von alten Weizensorten im biologischen Anbau bis hin zum Bio-Brot
Im Oktober 2022 wurde auf insgesamt 12 Hektar Rotweizen ausgesät, der nach der Ernte im Sommer 2023 verarbeitet werden kann.
fact sheets
Preparation of fact sheets for organic farming
To ensure that the target group of Luxembourg agriculture can be informed in a way that is as tailored as possible to their needs, the IBLA has been drafting relevant technical literature specifically adapted to Luxembourg as a location since 2021. The advantage of such an approach lies in the fact that the knowledge communicated on the basis of existing international technical brochures is both brought together and supplemented by experience gained in-house.
In addition to preparing and publishing leaflets, IBLA is now also working on variety information sheets containing the results of variety trials in organic farming. These are a supplement to the national list of varieties and contain more detailed information on plant development, which covers the special information needs of organic farms.
gypsum-lime power
As this is a demonstration trial, a further objective is the communication of the results as well as the exchange within the network of consultants, scientists and practitioners.
luxembourg in transition
Spatial vision for the zero-carbon and resilient future of the Luxembourg functional region
Spatial vision for the zero-carbon and resilient future of the Luxembourg functional region
In the "Luxembourg in Transition" competition launched by the Spatial Planning Department of the Ministry of Energy and Spatial Planning, we developed together with LIST, the University of Luxembourg, the Center for Ecological Learning Luxembourg (CELL) and OLM paysagistes & urbanistes, how Luxembourg has to change spatially by 2050 in order to become climate-neutral, sustainable and resilient.
Not only aspects of spatial planning, mobility or the modeling of greenhouse gas emissions, but also the way of life of the Luxembourgers, their diet and their consumption, as well as questions of governance are part of the dossiers submitted. Of course, agriculture also plays an important role in these considerations. IBLA supports the elaboration of how Luxembourg´s agriculture could develop spatially and in terms of farm management in order to achieve a sustainable, resilient and less CO2-intensive system. In three competition phases, a metric is developed in the first phase, which serves as the basis for evaluating the change. In the second phase, the necessary transformation steps for the CO2-free and sustainable future are worked out on the scale of the cross-border functional region, whereas in the third phase the remaining project teams show the transformation, the necessary steps towards the zero carbon and resilient future using different case studies.
© The pictures are part of the report “LUXEMBOURG 2050: PROSPECTS FOR A REGENERATIVE CITY-LANDSCAPE”, Phase II: https://luxembourgintransition.lu/en/teams/
soya made in luxembourg
Optimization of the value chain from the soybean to the egg in Luxembourg and further development of soybean cultivation in Luxembourg
The support of the soybean growers by IBLA includes the site selection, the soil preparation, the accompaniment before and during the sowing, the mechanical weed control as well as the harvest and the organization of the delivery to the feed producer SCAR scrl in Belgium, which takes over the further processing in the feed rations for the BIO-OVO laying hens. For the mechanical weed control, the agricultural machinery dealer Wolff-Weyland S.A. supports the farmers by providing the necessary sowing and hoeing equipment.
The aim of the project is to further develop and economically optimize soybean cultivation and the soybean value chain by providing cost-effective but competent advice for the farmer from sowing to harvesting, which will bear fruit in independent cultivation in the long term. In addition, the process of further processing of soybeans is optimized logistically and economically to promote national soybean production and increase protein self-sufficiency.
fabulous farmers

méi weed
Pasture optimization by adapting pasture management to pedoclimatic conditions

In this project, a prediction model of daily grass increment is adapted to Luxembourg pedoclimatic conditions. The forecasts will allow for predictive pasture planning and will help in the future with regular adjustments of grazing areas, feeding of roughage and/or concentrates to grazing animals, etc.
Five pasture-based dairy farms are participating in the project. These pilot farms are located in different pedoclimatic zones throughout Luxembourg. The pilot farms will be intensively accompanied in their pasture management for the whole duration of the project. In this way, the practical benefits of the grass growth model will be implemented on the farms.
In parallel, a survey of consumers will be conducted to determine their added value in pasture management and its influence on their purchasing behavior. Furthermore, a sustainability analysis with the SMART (Sustainability Monitoring and Assessment RouTine)- Farm Tool will be carried out on the pilot farms at the beginning and end of the project in order to develop farm-specific improvement approaches and recommendations and to monitor the development of the farms.
simba
Simulating economic and environmental impacts of dairy cattle management using Agent Based Models
i2connect
Connecting advisors to boost interactive innovation in agriculture & forestry

To enhance and profile the role of advisors in interactive innovation processes, at different scales: by a better understanding of the AKIS at country level, by identifying providers of advisory services across Europe, by creating an enabling environment within advisory services, by better connecting and embedding advisory services within the AKIS and by appropriate public policies.
To create a social support network and a networking culture among advisors facilitating innovative innovation processes. In particular emphasis will be given to ensure that advisors in Central and Eastern European countries make use of the opportunities being created in the project.
2000 m² for our food
Project to promote a sustainable agricultural and food culture

susteatable
Integrated analysis of dietary patterns and agricultural practices for sustainable food systems in Luxembourg
variety trials
in organic agriculture in Luxembourg
• Summer cereal variety trials in 2014-2016, and again since 2019
• Soybean variety trials in 2014, and again since 2018
• Clover grass mixture variety trials in 2013-2015 and again since 2020
• Pea and faba bean variety trials since 2016
• Potato variety trials since 2016
• Maize variety trials since 2020