Wilhelm Opitz von Boberfeld

Wilhelm Opitz von Boberfeld (2014)

Wilhelm Konstantin Opitz von Boberfeld (born March 7, 1941 in Posen , † August 12, 2015 in Buseck ) was a German agricultural scientist . His teaching and research focus were grassland studies and field forage cultivation including forage preservation from 1978 to 1984 at the University of Bonn , from 1984 to 1985 at the University of Göttingen and from 1985 to 2006 at the University of Gießen .

Life path

Wilhelm Opitz von Boberfeld, son of a landowner, grew up on the Lower Rhine, was married to the doctor Ursula Opitz von Boberfeld and had a daughter, Carola Opitz von Boberfeld, who is also a doctor. After an apprenticeship on a root crops and grain farm in Westphalia , a fodder farm in the Rhineland and a six-month internship on a grain farm in Västergötland / Sweden and attending the State Agricultural School in Wilhelmshaven and the Rhenish Higher Agricultural School in Brühl , he studied agriculture at the University of Bonn , graduating with a diploma -Farmer. In 1971, under the aegis of Peter Boeker, he was promoted to Dr. agr. with the thesis "The prevailing plant communities and the earnings power of the permanent pasture in rechtsrheinischen height region of Nordrhein-Westfalen" doctorate . This was followed by assistant / senior assistant time at the Institute for Crop Production at the University of Bonn until 1984. In 1978 he completed his habilitation with the award of the Venia Legendi for "arable and crop production". The topic of the habilitation thesis was "Possibilities for the serial determination of variety and species-specific root weights in various media". In 1983 he was appointed adjunct professor.

After rejection of calls (1981) to the Technical University of Berlin , Chair of "Forage Production and Grassland Use", and (1983) to the University of Kassel , Professorship "Plant Production", the professorship "Forage Production and Grassland Management" at the University of Göttingen followed in 1984 In 1985 he was appointed to the chair of "Grassland Management and Forage Production" at the University of Giessen. After retiring, he worked for several semesters as a visiting professor at the University of Brno / Brno , Czech Republic. Under his aegis, 43 doctorates and two habilitations were awarded.

Research and Teaching

The main research areas were: Analysis and optimization of forage cultivation systems related to feed quality - including their evaluation methods - and nutrient balances . Furthermore, studies on the competitive and substitution behavior of mixture components including herbs with regard to yield proportions, feed quality and preservation properties. Furthermore, the quantification of the relationships between floristic diversity and agronomic characteristics of perennial stands depending on management and location. Towards the end of his active time, he initiated, coordinated and carried out plant cultivation-oriented studies on the year-round outdoor rearing of beef cattle as a land use option for marginal yield locations with a certain unique selling proposition in Central Europe within the framework of a special research area in Germany and Eastern European countries. Studies on ley farming and range management with direct practical relevance were carried out in North and South Africa. Comparative botanical studies, analyzes and additions to the continuation of the sweet grass and herbal flora created by Ernst Klapp , which were issued in a total of 10 editions, represented another area of ​​work. This ensured the continued existence of these works, which were important for the subject in research and teaching. Opitz von Boberfeld's list of publications includes 29 monographs, 134 peer-reviewed and approx. 178 non-reviewed publications; two books were published in Russian.

The teaching over 60 semesters covered the areas of grassland teaching and field forage cultivation systems with the relevance to the location, grazing animals, forage evaluation procedures and forage conservation as well as public greenery with reference to the use and maintenance of non-agricultural green areas.

Functions in university committees and non-university activities

Opitz von Boberfeld was, among other things, Dean of the Faculty of Agricultural Sciences and Environmental Protection and at the same time a member of the Senate of the University of Giessen (1988–1989). He also had a seat in the budget committee of the entire university (1990–1992) and in the convention (1990–2000). He was acting head of the professorship for organic farming (1994–1997) and deputy spokesman for the Collaborative Research Center “Land Use Concepts for Peripheral Regions” (1997–2005).

In non-university committees he was, among other things, an elected member of the grassland and forage production committee of the German Agricultural Society (1984-2008), and was appointed to the objection committee for variety approval issues of forage, oil and fiber plants at the Federal Office of Varieties by the Federal Minister for Food, Agriculture and Forests (1986 –2002), elected expert reviewer for crop production and plant breeding of the German Research Foundation (1988–1996), chairman of the grassland and fodder production group of the Society for Plant Production Sciences (1990–1996), President of the Society for Plant Production Sciences (1996–1999), editor of the magazine Plant Production Sciences / German Journal of Agronomy (2001–2005), member of the editorial board of the journal Grassland Science in Poland (since 2004) and of the journal Infrastructure and Ecology of Rural Areas (since 2011).

Books (selection)

• Grassland use . In: Forage production . Edited by J. Nösberger and W. Opitz v. Boberfeld, 1986, pp. 65-118, ISBN 3-489-72010-5 . 1988 License edition in Russian, ISBN 5-10-001266-8 .
• Grass identification key for the most common grassland and lawn grasses , by E. Klapp, revision and addition of the 3rd edition, 1988, Verlag Paul Parey, Berlin and Hamburg, 80 pages, ISBN 3-489-61610-3 , the 4th edition, 1995, Verlag Blackwell, Berlin and Vienna, 84 pages, ISBN 3-8263-3083-8 , 5th edition, 2004, Verlag Eugen Ulmer, Stuttgart, 84 pages, ISBN 3-8001-4498-0 and 6th edition 4th edition, 2011, Verlag Eugen Ulmer, Stuttgart, 85 pages, ISBN 978-3-8001-7606-9 .
• Herb identification key for the most common grassland and lawn herbs , by E. Klapp, revision and addition of the 2nd edition, 1988, Verlag Paul Parey, Berlin and Hamburg, 127 pages, ISBN 3-489-72610-3 , the 3rd edition, 1995, Verlag Blackwell, Berlin and Vienna, 127 pages, ISBN 3-8263-3052-8 and the 4th edition, 2004, Verlag Eugen Ulmer, Stuttgart, 127 pages, ISBN 3-8001-4497-2 .
• Taschenbuch der Gräser , by E. Klapp, revision and supplement of the 12th edition, 1990, Verlag Paul Parey, Berlin and Hamburg, 282 pages, ISBN 3-489-72710-X , the 13th edition, 2006, Verlag Eugen Ulmer , Stuttgart, 264 pages, ISBN 3-8001-4775-0 and the 14th edition, 2013, Verlag Eugen Ulmer, Stuttgart, 264 pages, ISBN 978-3-8001-7984-8 .
• Grassland theory - biological and ecological basics . UTB Taschenbuch 1770, 1994, Verlag Eugen Ulmer, Stuttgart, 336 pages, ISBN 3-8252-1770-1 .
• Year-round free-range rearing of suckler cows, outdoor winter rearing - location and feed aspects . Editor and publisher Kuratorium für Technik und Bauwesen in der Landwirtschaft, Darmstadt, KTBL-Schrift 481, 2010, pp. 31–80, ISBN 978-3-941583-39-9 .

Articles in specialist journals (selection)

• Influence of cutting and growth height on dry matter yield and ingredients of forage in pasture experiments . In: Das Wirtschaftseigene Futter, Vol. 18, 1972, pp. 237–245.
• Influence of temperature and precipitation on the pasture yield in low mountain areas with differentiated N fertilization (with H. Jacob and P. Boeker). In: Journal Agronomy & Crop Science Vol. 144, 1977, pp. 245-158.
• Reseeding on pastures depending on the method and the nature of the grain (with H. Scherhag). In: Journal Agronomy & Crop Science Vol. 149, 1980, pp. 137-147.
• Direct sowing on grassland areas depending on the methodology . In: Journal Agronomy & Crop Science Vol. 151, 1982, pp. 62-74.
• On the technique of applying ammonium-nitrate-urea solutions under varied conditions . In: Austrian Journal Agricultural Research Vol. 35, 1984, pp. 197-205.
• On the effect of fertilizer suspensions on mixed crops - analysis of nutrient availability and lime effect depending on the lime component (with M. Anger). In: Archives Agronomy & Soil Science Vol. 35, 1991, pp. 17-22.
• Phenotype and forage quality including preservation properties in grasses . In: Journal Agronomy & Crop Science Vol. 172, 1994, pp. 289-304.
• Quality changes including mycotoxin problems of primary growths in a smooth oat meadow (Arrhenatherion elatioris) . In: Agribiological Research Vol. 49, 1996, pp. 52-62.
• On the effect of lactobacteria additives in grass silage . In: German Journal Agronomy Vol. 2, 1998, pp. 135-140.
• Germination strategies of species of different grassland plant communities (with C. Knödler and C. Ziron). In: German Journal Agronomy Vol. 5, 2001, pp. 87-95.
• Prediction of digestibility and energy concentration of winter pasture forage and herbage of low-input grassland - a comparison of methods (with PC Theobald and H. Laser). In: Archives Animal Nutrition Vol. 57, 2003, pp. 167-176.
• Accumulations of N, P and K in soil in different systems of outdoor keeping during winter with cattle (with M. Sterzenbach and H. Laser). In: Austrian Journal Agricultural Research Vol. 56, 2005, pp. 53-60.
• The effects of sward management on mineral content of winter grazed herbage (with K. Banzhaf). In: Journal Agronomy & Crop Science Vol. 192, 2006, pp. 1-9.
• Qualitative properties of selected field pen catch crops - cell wall proportion and cell wall properties (with M. Neff). In: Austrian Journal Agricultural Research Vol. 57, 2006, pp. 75-86.
• Long-term effects of all-year beef cattle grazing on characteristics of soil chemistry and vegetation (with J. Simon, K. Elsebach-Stoll and H. Laser). In: Grassland Science Europe Vol. 17, 2012, pp. 255-257.

honors and awards

• 1990 Medal of Merit from the University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine Ion Ionescu de la Brad Iassy / Iași , Romania.
• 1995 Honorary doctorate (Dr. sc. Agr. Et silv. Hc) from the Mendel University in Brünn / Brno, Czech Republic.
• 1998 Honorary diploma from the University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine Ion Ionescu de la Brad Iassy / Iasi, Romania.
• 2002 Medal of Merit of the Agricultural Academy in Breslau / Wrocław, Poland.
• 2006 Diploma from the Mendel University in Brno, Czech Republic.
• 2006 Festschrift "Multifunctional Land Use and Perspectives for Extensive Pasture Systems" for the 65th birthday. Published by H. Laser, Verlag Köhler Gießen, 141 p. (With picture), ISBN 3-935713-97-5 .
• 2011 Plaque from the Hessian Farmers' Association, Friedrichsdorf / Taunus.

literature

• Bonn literature calendar 1980, Bonn scholars and their works . Bouvier Verlag Herbert Grundmann, Bonn 1979, p. 113, ISBN 3-416-01535-5 .
• In 1985, the jubilee followed the call to the Giessen University. Wilhelm Opitz von Boberfeld is celebrating his 60th birthday today . Gießener Anzeiger 2001, edition March 7, 2001, p. 35 (with picture).
• T. Gerber: Personalities from agriculture, forestry, horticulture and veterinary medicine. Biographical Lexicon . Nora Verlag Dyck and Westerheide, Berlin 2004, Vol. 2, pp. 541-542, ISBN 978-3-936735-67-3 .
• Prof. Wilhelm Opitz von Boberfeld turns 65 . Gießener Allgemeine 2006, edition March 7, 2006, p. 26 (with picture).
• Work is recognized worldwide. Agricultural scientist Wilhelm Opitz von Boberfeld turns 65 - era ends in April . Gießener Anzeiger 2006, edition March 7, 2006, p. 18 (with picture).
• Absolutely reliable partner. Institute for Grassland Management and Forage Production honors Prof. Wilhelm Opitz von Boberfeld's 65th birthday with a festive colloquium . Gießener Anzeiger 2006, edition March 11, 2006, p. 18 (with picture).
• Wilhelm Opitz von Boberfeld . DLG-Mitteilungen 2006, issue 4, p. 94.
• H. Knittel: W. Opitz von Boberfeld . In: Society for Crop Science 1956–2006. Festschrift for the 50th anniversary . Published on behalf of the board by H. Knittel. Manufactured by Englram & Partner, Haßloch 2007, pp. 58–59 (with picture), ISBN 978-3-926775-51-1 .
• Kürschner's German Scholars Calendar 2013. Bio-bibliographical directory of contemporary German-speaking scientists. 25th edition, Verlag Walter de Gruyter, Berlin 2013, vol. 3, p. 2921, ISBN 978-3-11-027787-6 .

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Obituary notice
2. ↑ Curriculum vitae  ( page no longer available , search in web archives )  Info: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.