History of The Agricultural Center Limburgerhof

With the introduction of ammonia synthesis, BASF lays the foundation for the industrial production of modern fertilizers. By concentrating on this new technology, the Agricultural Research Station Limburgerhof serves as an inspiration for the future direction of the entire company. The outbreak of the First World War soon grounds these high-flying plans but, at the same time, increases demand for yield-boosting fertilizers to ensure the supply of food for the country. With its professional advisory services and the new compound fertilizer Nitrophoska, the Agricultural Research Station provides the basic building blocks for forward-looking agriculture.

The findings at the Research Station Limburgerhof impressively demonstrate that yields can be increased with the use of mineral fertilizers. At the site, new technologies and facilities enable scientists to undertake research in plant breeding and initial studies with active ingredients for crop protection. With the increasing influence of the National Socialist dictatorship, Limburgerhof also begins preparing for a “production battle.” Even BASF, as part of I.G. Farben, cannot help achieve the “Autarkie” (self-sufficiency) in food production the regime is striving for. At zero hour after the war, the Research Station Limburgerhof faces an uncertain new beginning with new areas of research.

The success of U 46 serves as the basis for the growth of the Agricultural Research Station. Increasing mechanization has been changing agriculture fundamentally since the 1950s. With the end of the I.G. Farben era, Limburgerhof reaches a new level of prosperity under the umbrella of the “new” BASF. With the fungicide Polyram^® and the herbicide Pyramin^® , key milestones of crop protection come on the market. The continuous transformation of agricultural production and the internationalization of markets create challenges in all business areas for the researchers in Limburgerhof.

The internationalization of agricultural markets poses new challenges to research and work in Limburgerhof. In order to meet different climatic and agro-structural conditions, a global network of BASF research stations is created. International and interdisciplinary teams of researchers work together to develop new active ingredients. Three landmark products – Basagran^®, Basalin^® and Pix^® – come on the market, strengthening BASF’s position in the international crop protection market.

With “green biotechnology,” plant breeding research in Limburgerhof heads into new research fields. With the acquisition of American Cyanamid, BASF becomes one of the world’s top three crop protection manufacturers and a global supplier of crop protection products. The main site in Limburgerhof is thoroughly modernized and in 2004 is renamed the Agricultural Center Limburgerhof. The fertilizer business, which once represented the original core business, is sold in 2012. BASF takes a new approach to shaping the agriculture of the future.