Wolfgang Merbach

Wolfgang Merbach

Wolfgang Merbach (born July 17, 1939 in Ranis ) is a German agricultural chemist in the fields of plant nutrition , rhizosphere research and fertilization . He worked at the Friedrich Schiller University Jena and the Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg as well as at the Research Center for Soil Fertility (today Leibniz Center for Agricultural Landscape Research ) Müncheberg . His main areas of work were symbiotic nitrogen fixation, the ecophysiology of the rhizosphere, trace gas emissions in fens and nitrogen turnover in agro-ecosystems.

Stations of his life

Wolfgang Merbach, son of a pastor's family, obtained his secondary school leaving certificate in 1955 , passed his Abitur in 1957 in Triptis ( Thuringia ) and then completed an agricultural internship at the state-owned estate (VEG) Apolda . In 1958 he began to study agriculture at the University of Jena , which he completed in 1964 with the examination to become a certified farmer . Since he was initially not admitted to the doctorate, he worked for over a year as a production assistant and production organizer in the Agricultural Production Cooperative (LPG) Krausnick (Brandenburg).

In 1965, Merbach began to study chemistry at the University of Jena. From 1966 to 1969 he was a scientific aspirant at the Agricultural-Chemical Institute of this university. During this time he worked under the aegis of Günther Schilling on a dissertation on the mechanism of action of herbicides , with which he received his doctorate in 1970 at the University of Jena.

After the agricultural faculty of the University of Jena was dissolved in the same year, Merbach followed his teacher Günther Schilling to the Martin Luther University of Halle-Wittenberg . From 1970 to 1986 he worked here as a scientific assistant at the Department of Physiology and Nutrition of Cultivated Plants in the Plant Production Section. In 1982, with a PhD B on nitrogen turnover and symbiotic nitrogen fixation in grain legumes, he acquired a teaching qualification in the field of plant nutrition .

However, Merbach was denied entry into the regular career of a university professor. Therefore, in 1986 he took over the management of the isotope laboratory in the research center for soil fertility at the Academy of Agricultural Sciences (AdL) in Müncheberg (Brandenburg). After the political change in the GDR, he was appointed professor at the Academy of Agricultural Sciences in Berlin in 1990. In the same year he took over the management of the department "Soil Biotechnology and Ecophysiology" at the Research Center for Soil Fertility in Müncheberg.

With the establishment of the Center for Agricultural Landscape and Land Use Research ( ZALF ) in Müncheberg, Merbach took over the management of new research areas in this institution: from 1992 he headed the Institute for Ecophysiology of Primary Production and from 1995 the Institute for Rhizosphere Research and Plant Nutrition. From 1992 to 1995 he was also Deputy Director of the ZALF in Müncheberg.

In 1998 Merbach followed the call of the Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg and took over the chair for "Physiology and Nutrition of Plants" at the Faculty of Agriculture. During his tenure as a university professor, the members of this faculty elected him vice dean (1998–2000) and dean (2000–2003). After reaching the legal age limit, Merbach officially resigned from university in 2006. However, he continues to work scientifically with great commitment.

Research and Teaching

In his first research work, Merbach dealt with the mechanisms of action of herbicides , growth regulators and phytohormones and their importance for the growth and development of agricultural crops. In his experiments he always used the latest scientific methods. For him, the use of stable and radioactive isotopes was an indispensable prerequisite for researching the physiological and biochemical basis of plant growth.

His main focus of work also included investigations into symbiotic nitrogen fixation . In a series of tests lasting several years, he primarily examined the effectiveness and control of the fixation process. He found out that the binding of atmospheric nitrogen in some legume species is not only controlled by the nitrogen supply in the soil, but to a large extent by the (energy) replenishment in the form of carbon compounds to the rhizobia .

With this research work, Merbach opened up as a new field of work, the microecology of plant-soil relationships, from the mid-1980s . For him it was the beginning of the exploration of the rhizosphere . The focus was on the characterization and quantification of root excretions and their effects on the nutrient appropriation of the plant roots and the microbial colonization. His attempts brought new insights into taking more account of micro-ecological principles in the methods of determining fertilizer requirements .

To this day, rhizosphere research is one of Merbach's main areas of interest. The " Borkheider Seminar on the Ecophysiology of the Root Space ", which has been held annually since 1990 under his authoritative aegis, is now one of the most important scientific conferences in this field. The aim of these interdisciplinary seminars was and is to elucidate the physiological, microbiological, (bio) chemical and genetic interactions in the micro-area of ​​the plant-root-soil contact area and to gain new insights into their dependencies on natural and anthropogenic environmental factors through current research contributions. As the lead editor, Merbach has published the lectures of all annual conferences in (so far 21) individual volumes.

Another research focus of Merbach was investigations of anthropogenic influences on the carbon and nitrogen turnover in agro-ecosystems. He paid particular attention to the question of how changes in management measures in long-term agricultural tests affect the dynamics of substances in the soil-plant system. Together with its employees Merbach has faculty of the University of Halle-Wittenberg on the trial of Agriculture to 1878 by Julius Kühn -scale, now 130 year old endurance test "Eternal Rye" and in 1949 by Karl Schmalfuß justified term fertilization experiments scientifically monitored and quantified the long-term effects of different fertilization regimes. Above all, he was able to expand the level of knowledge about the ability to supply nutrients and the development of nutrients through the plant roots. At conferences and in publications he has repeatedly pointed out that such field tests are not museum relics, but rather experimental areas that are worth preserving, both for basic agricultural research and for subsequent assessments of current and future land use strategies.

The list of publications Merbachs includes more than 350 scientific papers, many of which have been published in international journals. He is the editor of over thirty books, papers and conference proceedings . The close interlinking of his teaching and research area with other disciplines also characterized his lectures, seminars and practical exercises at the University of Halle. By inviting guest lecturers, he sustainably promoted the internationality of the courses. He himself gave guest lectures at the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences in Vienna, at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich , at the Agricultural University of Hisar (India) and at the Technical University of Cottbus . He led more than 20 doctoral students to doctorate. He opened the way to habilitation for several of his students.

Activities outside the university

In the two decades after 1989, in addition to his main tasks as a researcher and university professor, Merbach also performed numerous voluntary activities in academic, science-political and social institutions. From 1997 to 2001 he was first chairman of the German Society for Plant Nutrition and at the same time chairman of the "Soil Fertility and Plant Nutrition" commission of the German Soil Science Society. From 1997 to 2004 he was a member of the Scientific Council of the International Center of Ecology of the Polish Academy of Sciences in Warsaw and from 1996 to 2005 Chairman of the International Council of the Society of Sustainable Agriculture and Resource Management in Dehlin (India). Since 2009 he has been Joint Secretary of the International Foundation of Sustainable Development in Africa and Asia.

Merbach was and is a member of the editorial boards of several scientific journals. These include the "Zentralblatt für Mikrobiologie, Abt. 2" (1984–1991), the "Journal of Plant Nutrition and Soil Science" (formerly the journal for plant nutrition and soil science) (since 1992), the journal "Biology and Fertility of Soils" (1996 to 2007), the journal "Archives of Agronomy an Soil Sciences" (since 2005) and the "Journal of Applied Botany and Food Quality" (since 2009).

During the fall of 1989/90, Merbach was involved in discussions about renewing the East German scientific landscape. He was co-chair of the "Ecological Conversion" working group and a voting member of the Central Round Table of the GDR in Berlin . After 1991 he participated as a representative of the new federal states in the evaluation of the agricultural sciences by the Science Council . From 2001 to 2005 he was chairman of the advisory board of the State Institute for Agriculture and Horticulture Saxony-Anhalt and from 2003 to 2005 chairman of the Society of Friends of the Agricultural Faculty of the Martin Luther University Halle Wittenberg. Since 2005 he has been chairman of the "Julius Kühn" Agricultural Science Center Foundation and since 2006 chairman of the Society for Agricultural Sciences.

Publications (selection)

Academic qualification theses

• Studies on the mechanism of action and selectivity of some herbicidal active ingredients for a physiological rapid method for the selection of new compounds as chemical weed control agents . Diss. Math.-nat.-techn. Fac. Univ. Jena 1970. Typescript.
• Investigations into nitrogen turnover and symbiotic N2 fixation (N fixation) in grain legumes . Diss. B (habilitation thesis). Univ. Hall 1982.

Books and conference proceedings

• Borkheid seminar on the ecophysiology of the root area . Vol. 1 to 21, 1990 to 2011. Edited by Wolfgang Merbach, Jürgen Augustin, Lutz Wittenmayer and others; Research Center for Soil Fertility Müncheberg, since 1994 publishing house Teubner Stuttgart and Leipzig, since 2011 publishing house Dr. Köster, Berlin.
• Mitteilungen Agrarwissenschaften , Vol. 1 to 22, 1998 to 2012. Edited by Wolfgang Merbach, Annette Deubel, Friedhelm Herbst and others; Volumes 1 to 15 were published as contributions from Halle's plant nutrition research , namely Vol. 1 in the University Printing House Halle, Volumes 2 and 13 in Verlag Teubner Leipzig, Stuttgart, Wiesbaden, Volumes 3 to 12 and 14 to 17 in Verlag Grauer, Beuren and Stuttgart and volumes 18 to 22 in Verlag Dr. Köster Berlin.
• The continuous fertilization trials in Halle (Saale) . Contributions from plant nutrition research in Halle. An overview on the occasion of the anniversaries "120 years of eternal rye cultivation" and "50 years of continuous fertilization attempts". Edited by Wolfgang Merbach, Lutz Wittenmayer and Lothar Schmidt. Publishing house Teubner Stuttgart and Leipzig 1999.
• Wetlands in Central Europe. Soil Organisms, Soil Ecological Processes and Trace Gas Emissions . Edited by Gabriele Broll, Wolfgang Merbach and Eva-Maria Pfeiffer. Springer-Verlag Berlin and Heidelberg 2002.
• Wolfgang Merbach and Annette Deubel: The Long-Term Trials in Halle (Saale), Germany. A Tool for Sustainable Environmentally Compatible Land Management . Teubner Research, Deutscher Universitätsverlag / GWV - Fachverlage Wiesbaden 2008.
• Crop Science and Land Use for Food and Bioenergy . Edited by Rishi Kumar Behl, Wolfgang Merbach, Hans Meliczek and Christoph Kätsch. Agrobios International Jodhpur (India) 2010.
• Crop Science and Technology for Food Security, Bioenergy and Sustainability . Edited by RK Behl, L. Bona, J. Pauck, W. Merbach and A. Veha. Agrobios (International) Jodhpur (India) 2012, pp. 501, ISBN 978-93-81191-00-2 .
• Together with Eberhard Schulze : Sustainable agriculture with technological progress. Why conventional and organic farming must become more efficient and sustainable , Verlag Dr Köster, Berlin 2018, ISBN 978-3-89574-942-1 .

Articles in professional journals

• Wolfgang Merbach and Günther Schilling: About the influence of some herbicidal active ingredients on photosynthesis and some of their subsections in Sinapis alba L. In: Biochemie und Physiologie der Pflanzen Vol. 171, 1977, pp. 171-186.
• Wolfgang Merbach and Günther Schilling: Effectiveness of symbiotic N2 fixation depending on rhizobia inoculation, substrate, N fertilization and 14C sucrose delivery . In: Zentralblatt für Bakteriologie, Parasitenkunde, Infektionskrankheiten, Hygiene, 2nd Division, Vol. 135, 1980, pp. 99-118.
• Jürgen Augustin, Wolfgang Merbach, Wilhelm Schmidt and Eva Reining: Effect of changing temperature and water table on trace gas emission from Minerotrophic mires . In: Angewandte Botanik Vol. 70, 1996, pp. 45-51.
• Wolfgang Merbach, Edith Mirus, Günter Knof, Rainer, Remus, Silke Ruppel, Rolf Russow, Andreas Gransee and Joachim Schulze: Release of carbon and nitrogen compounds by plant roots and their possible ecological relevance . In: Journal of Plant Nutrition and Soil Science Vol. 165, 1999, pp. 373-383.
• Birgit Hütsch, Jürgen Augustin and Wolfgang Merbach: Plant rhizodeposition - an important source for carbon turnover in soils . In: Journal of Plant Nutrition and Soil Science Vol. 165, 2002, pp. 397-407.
• Wolfgang Merbach, Dietmar Lüttschwager, Katja Hüve and Rainer Remus: Water and nutrient transport in higher plants. About xylem transport and nutrient distribution in leaves . In: Scientia halensis Vol. 11, 2003, pp. 23-24.
• Sanna Saarnio, Lutz Wittenmayer and Wolfgang Merbach: Rhizospheric exudation of Eriophorum vaginum L. - Potential link to methanogenesis . In: Plant and Soil Vol. 267, 2004, pp. 343-355.
• Ulrike Rückauf, Jürgen Augustin, Rolf Russow and Wolfgang Merbach: Nitrate removal from draines and reflooted fen soils affected by soil N transformation processes and plant uptake . In: Soil Biology and Biochemistry Vol. 36, 2004, pp. 77-90.
• Lutz Wittenmayer and Wolfgang Merbach: Plant responses to drought and phosphorus deficiency. Contribution of phytohormones in root related processes . In: Journal of Plant Nutrition and Soil Science Vol. 168, 2005, pp. 531-540.
• Wolfgang Merbach and Annette Deubel: Long-term field experiments. Museum relicts or scientific challenge? . In: Plant, Soil and Environment Vol. 54, 2008, pp. 219-226.
• Joachim Schulze and Wolfgang Merbach: Nitrogen rhizodeposition of young wheat plants under elevated CO2 and drought stress . In: Biology and Fertility of Soils Vol. 44, 2008, pp. 417-423.
• Anna Muratova, Sergey Golubev, Lutz Wittenmayer, Tatyana Dmitreva, Anastasia Bondarenkova, Frank Hirche, Wolfgang Merbach and Olga Turkovskaya: Effect of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon phenantrene on root exudation of Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench. In: Environmental and Experimental Botany Vol. 66, 2009, pp. 514-521.
• Wolfgang Merbach, Annette Deubel, Andreas Gransee, Silke Ruppel and Anne-Kathrin Klamroth: Phosphorus solubilization in the rhizosphere and its possible importance to determine plant availability in soil. A review with main emphasis on German results . In: Archives of Agronomy and Soil Science Vol. 56, 2010, pp. 119-138.
• SN Golubev, A. Yu Muratova, L. Wittenmayer, AD Bondarenkova, F. Hirche, L. Yu Matora, W. Merbach and OV Turkowskaya: Rhizosphere indole - 3 - acid as a mediator in the Sorghum bicolor - phenanthrene - Sinorhizobium meliloti interactions . In: Plant Physiol. Biochemistry Vol. 49, 2011, pp. 600-608.

literature

• J. Augustin, W. Gans, EA Kirkby, P. Pickel and S. Schubert: Tribute to Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Merbach on his 65th birthday - laudation. Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Merbach on the occasion of his 65th birthday (separate contributions in English and German). In: Journal of Plant Nutrition and Soil Science (journal for plant nutrition and soil science) Vol. 167, 2004, pp. 665-668 (with picture).

• Prof. Dr. agr. habil. Wolfgang Merbach . In: Kürschner's German Scholars Calendar 2009. Bio-bibliographical directory of contemporary German-speaking scientists. KG Saur Verlag Munich, 22nd edition, Vol. III, pp. 2697–2698.

Web links

• Literature by and about Wolfgang Merbach in the catalog of the German National Library