Werner Borchmann

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Werner Borchmann

Werner Borchmann (born February 22, 1928 in Markau, Treuburg district ( East Prussia ), † May 8, 2005 in Rostock ) was a German agricultural chemist in the field of plant nutrition.

Life path

Werner Borchmann was born as the son of the farmer Hans Borchmann and his wife Ida, geb. Golinski was born in Markau, Treuburg district ( East Prussia ). After graduating from elementary school in Markau, he completed an agricultural apprenticeship from 1942 to 1944. Initially in his parents' teaching company and then from 1943 in the farm teaching company of R. Bartels, Heinrichstal, Treuburg district. It was here that he passed the agricultural labor assistant test before he was expelled from East Prussia in 1945. After the end of the war, Werner Borchmann worked from 1945 to 1946 as a farm worker for Büdner W. Harloff, Rastow-Achterfeld, Schwerin district. From 1946 to 1947 he attended the Schwerin Agricultural School and graduated with the agricultural assistant examination. This was followed by a visit to the “Thünen-Institut” technical college for agriculture in Rostock with the qualification of a state-certified farmer as a prerequisite for university studies. From 1948 to 1952 Borchmann studied agriculture at the Agricultural Faculty of the University of Rostock . He wrote his diploma thesis at the chair of agricultural chemistry and soil science with Kurt Nehring . This is also where his professional activity began. In 1953 Borchmann became a scientific department head at the Agricultural Research Station in Rostock. The doctorate under the aegis of Kurt Nehring took place in 1957. In 1959 he returned to the University of Rostock as a perception lecturer and head of the plant nutrition department at the Institute for Agricultural Chemistry and Soil Science . This was followed by his habilitation in 1964 and an appointment as a lecturer at the Agricultural Faculty of the University of Rostock. In 1966 Werner Borchmann was appointed professor with a teaching assignment and in 1969 he was appointed full professor to the chair for plant nutrition at the University of Rostock. After the reorganization of the Institute for Agricultural Chemistry and Soil Science, Werner Borchmann was appointed director of the newly established Institute for Plant Nutrition at the Faculty of Agriculture in 1964. He held this position until his early retirement for health reasons in 1990.

Teaching and Research

Borchmann was active in academic teaching for over four decades. During his official activity at the Chair of Plant Nutrition and Fertilization, 173 diploma theses were written and 23 doctorates and 6 habilitations were personally supervised by him. In his teaching activities, he did not limit himself to the GDR , because some of his diploma and doctoral students were based in Poland , Cuba , Syria and Vietnam . Borchmann himself was also involved in teaching for a certain time at the University of Santa Clara in Cuba. The focus of his research was on micronutrients . The results are documented in 73 unpublished reports. The results achieved over many years of work are to be valued highly nationally and internationally. Borchmann was also very active in scientific practice. For example, he set up an agricultural chemistry laboratory at the University of Santa Clara (Cuba) and enabled the employees there to determine micronutrients in plants and in the soil. Through his research activities in the field of micronutrient nutrition and fertilization, essential services for the soil-plant ecosystem in Germany could be provided. They have been published in 135 articles in scientific compilations, handbooks, scientific and popular science journals. The latter was also of economic importance for the practicing farmers.

Research achievements to be highlighted

  • Micronutrient content in forage plants and their influence by exogenous factors.
  • Diagnosis of nutrient deficiency and excess in agricultural and horticultural crops.
  • Basics for determining the need for micronutrient fertilizers in soils and plants.
  • Crop and crop specific fertilization recommendations for micronutrients.
  • Measures to reduce the micronutrient consumption per unit area.

honors and awards

Major works (excerpt)

  • The influence of different water supplies on the mineral content of green forage. Dissertation. Rostock University 1957
  • Investigations into the manganese, copper and cobalt content of agricultural fodder crops and their influence by exogenous factors. Habilitation thesis. University of Rostock 1964

Literature about Werner Borchmann

  • Gerhard Fischer: Werner Borchmann. In: "East Prussian women and men in the service of agriculture" WAGE-Verlag 1st edition 2000
  • Theophil Gerber: Werner Borchmann. In: “Personalities in agriculture, forestry, horticulture and veterinary medicine. Bibliographical Lexicon. ”3rd edition. Nora publishing house, 2008
  • Detloff Köppen: Laudatory speech on Professor Borchmann's 70th birthday. In: Honorary colloquium for the 70th birthday of Prof. Dr. agr. habil. Dr. hc Werner Borchmann. Ed .: University of Rostock, Agricultural Science. Faculty, Fachber. Agroecology. Rostock 1998. - 66 pp.

Web links

personal data
SURNAME Borchmann, Werner
BRIEF DESCRIPTION German crop scientist
DATE OF BIRTH February 22, 1928
PLACE OF BIRTH Markau, Treuburg district
DATE OF DEATH May 8, 2005
Place of death Rostock