NUGA
EIP-Agri
European Innovation Partnership (EIP-Agri)
The European Innovation Partnership for Agricultural Productivity and Sustainability (EIP-Agri) is an EU funding instrument. Its goal is to strengthen innovation in the agricultural sector. It supports practice-oriented projects that make agriculture and food production more productive while also more sustainable.
Our NUGA project is financially supported under EIP-Agri by the European Union and the Free State of Bavaria and has a duration of 24 months.
Project Goal
The goal of the NUGA project is the development of an innovative tractor-mounted implement that enables mechanical—and therefore herbicide-free—control of dock and ragwort in grassland, thereby improving feed quality.
Why dock and ragwort are a problem
Dock is considered a space competitor: it displaces valuable forage plants, develops deep taproots, and produces a large number of long-lasting seeds. Mechanical removal is difficult.
Ragwort is toxic to animals, especially cattle and horses. Its toxicity remains even in hay.
In organic farming, chemical agents are not allowed—leaving manual removal as the only option. This takes about one minute per plant—an immense time effort that is hardly manageable in times of labor shortages.
Current Results
A digital twin of the implement has been created.
Various methods for optimizing deployment planning have been tested.
The risk analysis has been successfully completed.
The physical implementation of the implement is now beginning—a crucial step toward practical application.
