Federal Agricultural Research Centre, Research institute in Brunswick, Germany

The Federal Agricultural Research Centre (Bundesforschungsanstalt für Landwirtschaft) was headquartered in the Völkenrode district of northwestern Braunschweig. In 2007 it operated twelve institutes across Lower Saxony and Schleswig-Holstein, grouped into four research areas: soil/plant, animal, technology and agricultural economics. Its last president was Hans-Joachim Weigel, with Axel Munack as vice-president.

The origins lie in the Landwirtschaftliche Forschungsanstalt, decided by the Wirtschaftsrat in December 1947 and begun on 1 November 1947 in Braunschweig. From 1 September 1949 it operated as the Forschungsanstalt für Landwirtschaft under Lower Saxony, passed to federal responsibility on 1 July 1966, and took the name Bundesforschungsanstalt für Landwirtschaft on 1 January 1977. It was dissolved on 1 January 2008 into the Thünen, Julius Kühn and Friedrich Loeffler Institutes.

The centre's president was elected every two years from among the institute directors; Hans-Joachim Weigel held the post in 2007, with Axel Munack as vice-president. Its twelve institutes were grouped into four areas: soil and plant, animal, technology, and agricultural economics. An Institute of Organic Farming sat at Trenthorst in Schleswig-Holstein, separate from the four areas.

The centre was headquartered in the Völkenrode district in the north-west of Braunschweig, with twelve institutes at three further sites in Lower Saxony and Schleswig-Holstein by 2007. The institutes were spread across Braunschweig, Celle, Mariensee, Grub near Munich and Trenthorst in Schleswig-Holstein, so check which site you want before travelling.

The facility was known for specialized laboratory equipment where soil samples were analyzed, plant characteristics were examined, and disease resistance patterns were tested. These specialized resources enabled researchers to study complex agricultural problems under controlled conditions.