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What she is showing and explaining to the public at the three DLG Field Days in Bernburg is the result of more than 20 years of work with native wild plants—that is, species that are indigenous to the respective natural area and have been found there for centuries. She has also been able to convince farmers of this. Plant communities featuring meadow knapweed, meadow daisy, small meadow saxifrage, and bellflower are now growing once again on fields that had long been intensively farmed and lacked important ecological structures. This has had positive effects on the agricultural landscape.

For a long time, wildflower strips in Saxony-Anhalt and other federal states were seeded with so-called cultivated plant mixtures. While these cultivated varieties often produce colorful blooms, many native animals have not evolved to adapt to these species. The hoped-for effects failed to materialize.

Native wild plants have a different scope of impact. They are adapted to local soils and climatic conditions. Wild bees, hoverflies, butterflies, and many other animal groups find food and habitat here that meet their biological needs.

Starting in 2010, Sandra Mann and the team from Anhalt University of Applied Sciences set up the first pilot sites in Saxony-Anhalt, in close cooperation with the State Institute for Agriculture and Horticulture (LLG). Since 2015, the state’s wildflower strip program has mandated the use of locally sourced seed mixtures. Currently, there are over 5,700 hectares of wildflower strips in Saxony-Anhalt that have been planted with these mixtures; since then, applications have already been submitted for over 8,000 hectares under this 5-year funding program.

“Several federal states have since adopted the program using native wild plants, with adjustments to their respective site conditions,” explains Sandra Mann. The measures are being continuously refined. In Saxony-Anhalt, funding is provided through the state’s agri-environmental programs. 

The seed mixtures are tailored to their intended use. Flower strips for agri-environmental measures on farmland contain about 30 species: meadow knapweed, meadow daisy, plantain, small meadow knapweed, common oregano, meadow pippau, and bellflower are among them. Mixtures for extensive, species-rich new meadow plantings or restoration projects can include over 60 species. These can also be used to develop FFH habitat types. FFH stands for the European Fauna-Flora-Habitat Directive, which provides special protection for certain habitats and species. The nutrient-poor lowland hay meadow is one example.

In addition to cropland and extensive grasslands, the university also focuses on wildflower mixtures for vineyards, species-rich roadside verges, and solar farms/agri-PV areas, which were also on display at the DLG Field Days. 

A diverse plant community results in an equally diverse root system. The various types of roots anchor the soil at different depths—a mechanism that slows erosion. These mixtures are therefore also very good for riparian zones and slopes.

Studies on the impact on wildlife show very positive results for birds, wild bees, hoverflies, and butterflies.*

A common concern in practice: Could species from the wildflower strips spread to adjacent farmland? However, monitoring and surveys of farmers show no negative effects. “We deliberately avoid problem species such as grasses,” explains Sandra Mann.  These are primarily meadow and field-edge species that do not interfere with farming operations.

For the flower strips and areas, there are recommendations for extensive management, which is implemented through selective mowing at a height of approximately 20 cm. This extends the flowering periods and prevents the spread of unwanted species. Since the entire area is never mowed down—at least not after the second year—there are always food sources and refuge areas available for the animals. 

Farmers who are planning to establish new grassland or upgrade existing grassland as part of compensation and replacement measures, or who wish to develop their grassland to be more species-rich—so that they can, for example, also submit applications under Eco-Regulation 5—will find a tried-and-true foundation in the mixtures presented here. Information on new grassland establishment and improvement can also be found on the websites www.offenlandinfo.de and www.spenderflaechenkataster.de. For information on Eco-Regulation 5, which promotes results-oriented, extensive management of permanent grassland and requires evidence of regionally characteristic species, please refer to this document from the State Institute for Agriculture and Horticulture: https://llg.sachsen-anhalt.de/fileadmin/Bibliothek/Policy_and_Administration/MLU/LLFG/Documents/04_Topics/Forage_Production_Pasture/Recommendations_Guidelines/LLG_Publication_Series_2-2023_Indicator_Species.pdf

For more information on Sandra Mann and the entire research group led by Prof. Dr. Sabine Tischew and Prof. Dr. Anita Kirmer at Anhalt University of Applied Sciences: https://offenlandinfo.de/

* Publication: Perennial Wildflower Strips in Saxony-Anhalt: An effective measure for increasing biodiversity in intensively farmed agricultural landscapes / Kirmer, Anita et al. Included in: Biodiversity in the Agricultural Landscape (2021), pp. 101–116.

Other topics at Anhalt University of Applied Sciences’ 2026 DLG Field Days included:

Regional protein supply: What peas and soybeans from Saxony-Anhalt could contribute

Agri-photovoltaics: Solar power from farmland and what it takes to make it happen