District Administrator Allgaier Praises the Region’s Innovative Spirit
District Administrator Dietmar Allgaier, Chairman of the Ludwigsburg District Landscape Conservation Association (Landschaftserhaltungsverband Landkreis Ludwigsburg e.V.), emphasizes the special importance of innovation: “In municipal green space maintenance in particular, traffic safety, a clean mowing result, and robust technology are top priorities. The fact that a solution has now been developed in Ludwigsburg County that meets these requirements while also making an effective contribution to preserving insect diversity demonstrates our region’s innovative spirit and is an important step toward greater biodiversity in municipalities and agriculture.”
Innovative Technology Protects Insects During Mowing
Every year in Germany, hundreds of billions of insects are unintentionally injured or killed during the mowing of meadows and the maintenance of roadside and rail-side greenery. At the same time, regular mowing is essential—both for forage and biomass production, as well as for traffic safety and the preservation of species-rich meadows, including the FFH hay meadows protected throughout Europe.
This product offers a practical solution that significantly improves insect protection. The pneumatic “insect scarer” is mounted in front of the mower and drives insects out of the danger zone even before the actual mowing process begins. Research conducted by the University of Hohenheim in 2025 shows that insect losses can be reduced by 46 to 64 percent, depending on the species group.
Big Impact Through Simple Application
In his laudatory speech, Andreas Fallert, managing director of the Ludwigsburg District Landscape Conservation Association (Landschaftserhaltungsverband Landkreis Ludwigsburg e.V.) and co-author of the VDI guideline on biodiversity-friendly mowing techniques for roadside green spaces, particularly highlighted the technology’s high practicality: “As a low-threshold innovation with a major impact, the insect-friendly mowing head sends an important signal. The technology is widely accepted by farmers, public works employees, and highway maintenance departments alike and therefore has great potential—far beyond Germany’s borders.”
Background
The German Landscape Conservation Award has been presented annually since 2005 by the German Association for Landscape Conservation (DVL). As the umbrella organization for approximately 200 landscape conservation organizations—including landscape conservation and preservation associations, local initiatives, and biological stations—the DVL honors outstanding projects as well as the exceptional commitment of individuals, organizations, and companies to the preservation of the cultural landscape and biodiversity.
The LEV Ludwigsburg is one of over 200 landscape conservation organizations that have joined together at the federal level to form the DVL. Its members work closely with approximately 15,000 farms—including nearly 2,000 sheep farms—to promote nature conservation. The associations united within the DVL are legally independent groups of representatives from agriculture, nature conservation, and local governments who work together to support rural areas and the preservation of species-rich cultural landscapes. The various groups collaborate within the DVL and its associations on an equal footing and on a voluntary basis. For more information, visit: www.dvl.org and www.lev-ludwigsburg.de
