Short CV
Christoph Hoffmann works as a scientist at the Julius Kühn-Institut (JKI), Federal Research Centre for Cultivated Plants, Institute for Plant Protection in Fruit Crops and Viticulture in Siebeldingen/Germany, where he is heading the laboratory of “Zoology and integrated production in viticulture”. Christoph received his Diploma in Biology and his Dr. rer. nat. at the Karlsruhe University (now: KIT) in Germany. The title of his diploma thesis was: “The Fauna of Tropical Glasshouses with regard to Biological Control”, with part of the practical work accomplished at the State Viticultural Institute in Freiburg/Breisgau between 1998 and 2002 (“Scale Insects in viticulture and their natural enemies”). During his post-doc time in Freiburg, he worked with holistic approach on a more sustainable growing system for viticulture by using mildew resistent cultivars. In 2004 he moved to the BBA (now: JKI)-Institute for Plant Protection in Fruit Crops and Viticulture located in Bernkastel-Kues/Moselle. Since 2009 the institute is located in the palatinate winegrowing region of Siebeldingen.
Christoph´s job is to cover all actual aspects of pest related plant protection and functional biodiversity in vineyards both in research and governmental consulting. He is also involved in the registration process for pesticides for viticulture in the European central zone. His research is problem-oriented with a distinct multi-method approach. Together with his team and in collaboration with colleagues he actually focuses on the development and establishment of tools for the integrated- and organic protection in viticulture that finally might lead to a more sustainable viticulture.
He joined the IOBC in 2004 in the Working Group of Integrated Protection in Viticulture. Since then he has become an active member of the IOBC in all the meetings and activities of this group. Since 2015 he is deputy convenor of this working group. Due to the resignation of the Convenor of the working group, he succeeded as such in 2021.