Public photo competition 'Pflanzen und ihr Mikrokosmos'

Closing date

Closing date for submissions was August 1, 2024. Submissions are no longer possible. Many thanks to all participants for the great photos. The winning pictures were exhibited in the Botanical Garden Munich-Nymphenburg from October 30, 2024 to December 11, 2024.

Winning pictures

Here are the five award-winning photographs, each offering a unique perspective on PlantMicrobe interactions.

Bean nodules - Photo competition: 1st place in the category ‘Symbiosis’ - The photograph shows small nodules on a bean root. Legumes can form a symbiotic relationship with nitrogen-fixing bacteria (rhizobia). The plants form root nodules to accommodate the bacteria and provide them with optimal conditions for nitrogen fixation. The picture was taken during a guided photography tour in the Botanical Garden Munich-Nymphenburg.

Double-creature - Photo competition: 2nd place in the category ‘Symbiosis’ - Various types of lichen (Xanthoria parietina and Lecanora chlarotera) colourfully cover a branch. Lichens are the result of a fascinating symbiosis of two partners that provide for each other: fungi and algae. The fungus provides the algae with water and nutrients, the algae supplies the fungi with carbohydrates.The picture was taken during a spontaneous afternoon walk by the photographer in the Freising experimental shrub gardens.

Fungus or caterpillar? - Photo competition: 1st place in the category ‘Pathogen’ - What at first glance appears to be an insect on a leaf is actually pear rust (Gymnosporangium sabinae), a pathogenic fungus. It is a host-switching rust fungus that requires juniper bushes as its main host year-round and pear trees as a secondary host in spring and summer. The fungus weakens pear trees significantly and has a negative impact on agriculture.

Fair-weather fungus - Photo competition: 2nd place in the category ‘Pathogen’ - Brown spots, dried leaves and a white coating reminiscent of mould – this plant looks sick. This is due to an infection with powdery mildew, a widespread fungal disease of crop and decorative plants. Powdery mildew (Erysiphaceae family) is also known as fair-weather fungus, as it develops in warm and dry conditions. Fittingly, the photo was taken at the end of July during a morning walk by the photographer.

Nasty rot - Photo competition: Special prize ‘saprotrophic organisms’ - In addition to other, undetermined infections, the picture shows fruit rot (Monilia fructigena) around the calyx of an apple that was left in the photographer’s garden for a few days. Fruit rot is caused by a pathogenic fungal infection on pome and stone fruit such as apples, pears, cherries and plums. Starting from an injury to the fruit skin as an entry point for fungal spores, e.g. through a hole drilled by insects, a brown, rotting spot first appears, which rapidly enlarges.

The motif

Microorganisms, also known as microbes, are microscopically small creatures such as bacteria, algae, and fungi. Although we cannot recognise them with the naked eye, they make themselves visible around and on plants.

On the one hand, microbes can cause plant diseases as pathogens, which show up as symptoms on leaves, shoots and roots. On the other hand, they form beneficial symbiotic relationships with plants. A well-known example is mycorrhiza, a symbiosis between fungi and plants in which both organisms benefit from the exchange of nutrients.

We are looking for photo motifs that show either such a beneficial or harmful interaction between plants and microorganisms.

Ideally, it should be a close-up or macro shot in nature.

Suitable photo motifs can be discovered at home in the garden, on the balcony, in meadows and fields, on a walk in the forest or on a hiking tour. Microorganisms are everywhere around plants and form relationships with them.

Evaluation

The pictures will be honoured in two age categories:

Age category I: 13-17 years (youth)
Age category II: 18 years and older (adults)

Our expert jury will honour the two best submissions in each age category. Winning does not mainly depend on professional equipment, but above all on creative motifs that provide an interesting perspective on the interaction between plants and microbes.

Important: Submissions from age category I "youth" can only be considered in combination with a signed declaration of consent (PDF, 45 KB) by a legal representative.

Submission of photos

Send us your favourite photos (up to three photos per participant) digitally to this e-mail address, considering our conditions of participation (PDF, 125 KB):

pflanzen-mikrokosmos@bio.lmu.de

Important: By submitting photographs, you agree to our conditions of participation (PDF, 125 KB).

Please state your full name and age category (I "Youth" or II "Adult") when submitting your picture and include the following information for each photograph:

Title of the photography
Date of photography
Location (e.g. city, region, biotope)
3 sentences short description of the motif (e.g. plant species, symbiosis partner, pathogen/plant disease, daytime, photo situation, motivation for the photograph)

Please ensure that the resolution of each image is sufficient. Ideally, you submit the photographs as JPEG files with a resolution of 2000 x 3000 pixels (16.9 x 25.4 cm at 300 dpi).

The picture(s) must be taken by yourself. The image rights and copyrights must be owned by the participants.

Submission deadline: August 1, 2024

The winners will be notified by e-mail approx. one month after the closing date and will be invited to the photo exhibition on plant-microbe interactions in the Botanical Garden Munich-Nymphenburg.

What the winners will receive

The four awarded photographs will be shown in this year's photo exhibition on plant-microbe interactions at the Botanical Garden Munich-Nymphenburg and will be published on its Instagram channel.
The winners will be invited to the opening of the plant-microbe exhibition in the Botanical Garden Munich-Nymphenburg, plus an accompanying person.
The winners will each receive a high-quality photography book matching the competition theme and a surprise gift with a total value of about €100.

The prizes cannot be paid out in cash. Legal recourse is excluded.

Information to download

Organiser

This photo competition is organised by the research network SFB TRR356 PlantMicrobe with kind support of the Botanical Garden Munich-Nymphenburg. The consortium researches plant-microbe interactions and is funded by the German Research Foundation (DFG).

Contact

If you have any questions about participating in the photo competition, you can contact us via e-mail: pflanzen-mikrokosmos@bio.lmu.de