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4th NFTN Conference 2026 – Coming Up

We look forward to welcoming you to the 4th Nordic Field Trial Network (NFTN) Conference in January 2026. The conference will gather Nordic researchers and practitioners working with field trials, focusing on new methods, field visits, networking and sessions on current challenges and solutions in agriculture.

Dates: January 21–23, 2026

Location: 
Agro Food Park / Skejby, Denmark
Agro Food Park 15
8200 Aarhus N, Denmark

Travel & Practical Information

To help with your planning:

Arrival by plane

We recommend flights to Billund Airport (BLL) on Wednesday 21 January.

  • A conference bus will depart from Billund Airport at 11:00.
  • We aim to coordinate with morning arrivals, including:
    • Direct flights from Oslo and Stockholm
    • Connections from eg. Vilnius, Reykjavik, Helsinki via Copenhagen

Arrival by train

For participants travelling by train to Aarhus, we plan to arrange a pick‑up at a regional train station on the route between Billund and Aarhus, so you can join the Day 1 field tour with the group. Please make a comment about it on the "Participating practical form" and we get back to you. Please also notice train lines is under construction. May impact your travel schedule. 

Arrival by car and parking at Agro Food Park

At the Conference venue there are large parking areas at Agro Food Park.

Parking is free, but you must register your license plate number at the reception when you arrive.

For those arriving by car, the conference venue address is Agro Food Park 15, 8200 Aarhus N; addresses for the field visits on 21 January will be announced later.

Return transport

Departure from Aarhus to Billund Airport:

  • Friday 23 January at 12:55

Expected arrival at Billund Airport:

  • Around 15:00

These times are suitable for booking afternoon and evening flights.

Daily start times

To support your travel planning, please note:

  • Thursday 22 January: Programme at Agro Food Park starts at 09:00
  • Friday 23 January: Morning programme starts at 09:00

More detailed scheduling of individual talks and sessions will be shared later, but these start times and the bus times are firm and can be used for booking travel.

Accommodation

We recommend booking hotels in Aarhus city centre.

Please book via common booking platforms (e.g. booking.com, hotels.com) to secure your preferred option. Below are a few examples of hotels used frequently by visitors. These are not official conference hotels, but practical suggestions:

Budget options (approx. 150 € for two nights):

Comfort hotels ((approx. 300 € for two nights):

All of the above city hotels are located near where we plan to have the conference dinners.

Participants staying in Aarhus city centre will need transport between the city and Agro Food Park on the conference days. We will offer a bus connection from Aarhus City to/back Agro Food Park. More practical later.

Hotel in Agro Food Park:

Staying here means you are on site for the conference and can sleep a little longer in the morning, but it is outside the city, so you will need transport back and forth if you wish to join evening activities and dinners in Aarhus city centre.

 

Programme

Day 1 – Wedensday 21 January 2026

Field Excursion

11:15 – Bus departure from Billund Airport

  • Joint transport for participants arriving by airport

Field visits:

  • Danespo (confirmed)
    Dyrskuevej 15, 7323 Give, Danmark

  • Nordic Seed (confirmed)
    Grindsnabevej 25, 8300 Odder

Late afternoon / evening

  • Arrival in Aarhus city and check-in at your hotel
    Bus stop: Thomas Jensens Allé 2, 8000 Aarhus

  • At 19:00 PM an informal dinner & networking at Aarhus Street Food for interested participants (paid with support from NKJ)
    Ny Banegårdsgade 46, 8000 Aarhus

Day 2 – Thursday 22 January 2026

Main Conference – Agro Food Park

Venue: Agro Food Park 15, 8200 Aarhus N

08:15 – Bus from Aarhus city centre to Agro Food Park, Thomas Jensens Allé 2, 8000 Aarhus, Danmark

08:30–09:00 – Morning coffee & bread
Light breakfast and informal arrival at Agro Food Park.

09:00–09:10 – Welcome
Speakers: Maxie Skalshøi, SEGES Innovation; Nicolai Fog Hansen, Danish Technological Institute (DTI)
Short welcome to NFTN 2026, practical information and an overview of the conference themes.

09:10–09:20 – Agro Food Park and DTI
Speaker: Nicolai Fog Hansen, DTI
Introduction to Agro Food Park as an innovation community and to DTI’s role in field trials, technology development and collaboration with industry.

09:20–09:30 – SEGES Innovation and field trial activities
Speaker: Maxie Skalshøi, SEGES Innovation
Overview of SEGES Innovation’s national field trial activities, infrastructure and collaboration with farmers and advisors across Denmark.

09:30–09:50 – Digital assessment of straw yield components
Speaker: Signe Marie Jensen, University of Copenhagen
Straw is a valuable but often overlooked resource in cereal production. This talk presents practical digital tools based on drones and image analysis to describe crop growth and key straw‑yield‑related traits in the field, such as crop height, plant density and ear numbers.

09:50–10:10 – Nitrate Leaching Measurements using Suction Cups in Field Trials
Speaker: Dennis Konnerup, SEGES Innovation
Suction cups installed in the subsoil can be used to monitor nitrate leaching in agricultural fields. The method enables frequent measurements from the same location, making it suitable for year‑round, multiplot field experiments. The presentation explains how the method works and shares experiences and results from field trials conducted in Denmark.

10:10–10:30 – Biochar in Field Trials
Speaker: Rikke Lykke Eriksen, SEGES Innovation
Biochar is recognized as an effective climate mitigation strategy for long-term carbon storage in agricultural soils. International research also suggests that biochar may provide additional benefits, such as improving soil fertility and structure when incorporated into soils. Over the past decade, SEGES has carried out more than 30 field trials on the application of biochar to agricultural soils. In this presentation, I will share our current experiences and future considerations with biochar in field trials. 

10:30–11:00 – Coffee break

11:00–11:20 – SEM analysis of the effect of biostimulants on potato yield and nutrient use efficiency
Speaker: Philipp Trénel, DTI
A Structural Equation Model (SEM) was used to test hypotheses on claimed modes of action of five biostimulants: Acadian, CropSet, Humifirst, Proradix and Vesta. By combining data from two Danish potato field trials conducted by Aarhus University (Dept. of Food Science) within the BioGrowth GUDP project, treatment effects were evaluated on potato yield, yield quality, nutrient use efficiency (NUE) and soil enzyme activity. The talk presents key findings and discusses challenges in testing multi‑variable mode‑of‑action claims for biostimulants.

11:20–12:00 – “Meet Each Other” – networking session
Structured networking in smaller groups, designed to help participants from different countries and organisations connect and identify shared interests for collaboration.

12:00–13:00 – Lunch at Agro Food Park

13:00–14:30 – Visit to AU Food and DTI Field Trial Unit
Guided visits to AU Food facilities and DTI field trial activities near Agro Food Park, including selected field trial units, equipment and supporting laboratory facilities (weather permitting).

14:30–15:00 – Coffee break

15:00–15:20 – Row‑Column and t‑Latinized Alpha Designs
Speaker: Svend Vendelbo Nielsen, DTI
This talk explores advanced design types for field trials and when it is advantageous to use row‑column and t‑latinized alpha designs instead of standard block or alpha designs. Practical experiences from the Nordic Field Trial System (NFTS) are presented, along with general recommendations for optimal use in different trial situations.

15:20–15:40 – Large‑Scale On‑Farm Potato Trials
Speaker: Fredrik Boel Danielsen, KMC
KMC conducts several large‑scale field trials every year in collaboration with farmers, for example to test new products or planting distances in potatoes. The presentation shows how the trials are designed in the field, how data are collected and processed, and how results are used as advisory input. It also highlights typical challenges when conducting trials together with farmers under practical conditions.

15:40–16:00 – Drone assisted variety testing
Speaker: Preben Klarskov Hansen, TystofteFoundation
TystofteFoundation is responsible for Danish variety testing, including several large small‑plot DUS trials in agricultural crops. This talk demonstrates the use of drone‑based images in planning, establishing and assessing large trials and discusses how remote sensing can support efficient, robust variety testing.

16:00–16:20 – Nordic‑Baltic Field Trials Validating the New Dual‑Use Perennial Grain Crop Kernza (Viking)
Speaker: Valentin Picasso, SLU
Results from the NordForsk‑funded Viking project are presented, focusing on grain yield and forage production of the new perennial grain crop Kernza intermediate wheatgrass. The trials span Sweden, Norway, Finland, Estonia and Lithuania and provide a unique Nordic‑Baltic perspective on performance, management and potential uses of this dual‑use crop.

16:30–17:20 – Social break & informal networking at Agro Food Park
Coffee/soft drinks and time for informal discussions and follow‑up with speakers and participants.

17:30 Bus will take us to the 

  • Restaurant Mellemrum i skoven
    Ny Moesgaardvej 190 8270 Højbjerg

Dinner will start at 18:00 and ends? 

Day 3 – Friday 23 January 2026

08:15 – Bus from Aarhus city centre to Agro Food Park, Thomas Jensens Allé 2, 8000 Aarhus, Danmark

09:00–09:10 – Wrap‑up of Day 1 & practical information
Short summary of key points from Thursday’s programme and practical information for the final conference day.

09:10–09:30 – Late Sowing: Spring Crops Sown in Autumn
Speaker: Leif Hagelskjær, SEGES Innovation
On heavy soils it can be difficult to sow spring barley as early as desired because of wet winters and springs, often resulting in low yield and poor quality. Autumn sowing in late October or November has in Germany and France resulted in good yields and high quality, although there is a risk of winter losses. Based on two years of Danish field trials with autumn‑sown spring barley, this talk presents yield results, risks and practical recommendations.

09:30–09:50 – Biostimulants in NFTS: Past Experiments and Improved Designs
Speaker: Ferdinando Binacchi, SEGES Innovation
Biostimulants are substances or microorganisms that enhance plant growth, nutrient efficiency and stress tolerance by stimulating natural processes, not by acting as fertilisers or pesticides. Over the past 30 years, SEGES has carried out many field experiments with a wide range of biostimulants, all reported in NFTS.dk. This presentation highlights key lessons from reviewing this dataset and shows how improved experimental designs can lead to more robust evaluation of biostimulant performance.

09:50–10:10 – Manure and Organic Fertilizer Trials
Speaker: Martin Nørregaard Hansen, SEGES Innovation
Livestock manure is the most important fertiliser source in Denmark, and more than 60% of the total agricultural area receives livestock manure every year. Optimal utilisation is crucial to achieve high fertiliser effect while reducing environmental and climate impacts. SEGES conducts a wide range of national field trials each year under practical farm conditions, using experimental equipment adapted to the trial designs. The talk presents how different manure types, application strategies and treatments are tested and how results are used to advise farmers.

10:10–10:30 – Nitrous Oxide Measurements in Field Trials
Speaker: Franziska Petra Eller, SEGES Innovation
Since 2021, SEGES and collaborators have implemented a large initiative to measure nitrous oxide emissions in Danish national field trials. Data have been collected from more than 70 field trials across the country. This presentation explains the purpose of the initiative, the measurement methodology and key insights from the first years of work.

10:30–11:00 – Coffee break

11:00–11:20 – Farmer‑Driven Innovation: From On‑Farm Trials to Robust, Shareable Results
Speaker: Eva Marie Lange, Danish Technological Institute (DTI)
The Farmer‑Driven Innovation initiative supports farmers in turning their own ideas and on‑farm trials into documented, data‑based results. Through regional innovation networks, farmers receive support for experimental design, data collection and statistical analysis. The talk shows how simple on‑farm trials can be structured so results become robust and shareable, and how this connects to larger field trials and national networks.

11:20–11:40 – Root Methods in Field Trials
Speaker: Eusun Han, Aarhus University
Roots are inherently difficult to access under field conditions, which has long limited our understanding of plant–soil interactions. New field methods now make root research faster and more scalable, but each method comes with constraints that influence how results should be interpreted. This presentation gives an overview of selected root methods for field trials and discusses how they can be used as practical tools to study belowground function.

11:40–12:00 – Conference closing
Summary of key outcomes, reflections from the organisers and next steps for the Nordic Field Trial Network collaboration.

12:00–12:45 – Lunch at Agro Food Park

Bus to Billund Airport

  • Bus departure from Aarhus: Friday 23 January at 12:55
  • Expected arrival at Billund Airport: around 15:00

Participants can use these times to book afternoon or evening flights.