Roland Hoffmann-Bahnsen

Roland Hoffmann-Bahnsen serves as Professor of Field and Plant Production in Organic Farming at Eberswalde University of Sustainable Development since 2009, where he also directs the Research and Experimental Station for this field. Previously, he held professorships at Martin-Luther-University Halle (2006-2008) and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin (1998-2004), and served as Vice Dean of the Faculty of Landscape Utilization and Nature Conservation (2011-2013).

He earned his PhD magna cum laude from Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin in 1995 with research on water stress sensitivity in tropical grain legumes, later initiating habilitation work on forgotten genetic resources like proso millet. His academic journey includes leadership of the Master's program in Organic Agricultural Management (2010-2020) and practical environmental consulting in Berlin's waste composting sector during the 1990s.

Hoffmann-Bahnsen's research centers on drought stress physiology in organic farming systems, pioneering the "water-saver" and "water-spender" framework for understanding crop adaptation strategies. His work extensively explores proso millet's potential as a climate-resilient summer crop and investigates nitrogen dynamics in organic cereal production, with significant contributions to grain legume physiology and genetic resource utilization.

His 15 most recent publications (2000-2006) reveal consistent focus on drought adaptation mechanisms, particularly in millets and legumes, with increasing emphasis on practical organic farming applications. International collaborations with Cuba, Russia, and Turkey feature prominently, addressing urban agriculture, saline soil reclamation, and comparative variety trials for forgotten crops.

As Program Director for the Master's in Organic Agricultural Management, he supervised numerous students and developed strong industry connections through the "Studienpartner Ökobetrieb" network of practical farm partners. His research receives support from German state agricultural agencies including Landesforschungsanstalt Mecklenburg-Vorpommern and Landesamt für Ländliche Entwicklung Brandenburg.

He leads the Research and Experimental Station for Field and Plant Production in Organic Farming while maintaining active roles in international networks such as the Global Grain Legumes Drought Research Network and European Association for Grain Legume Research, facilitating knowledge exchange across Europe, the Americas, and Asia.