Swiss Farms: Ever-Increasing Size and Specialisation
The number of farms with a minimum area of 30 ha is growing, and specialisation – particularly in animal production – is on the increase. Even so, structural change is proceeding at a slower pace in Switzerland than in neighbouring countries.
Fighting Antiobiotic Resistance: a Plant to Reduce Diarrhoea in Piglets
Alternatives to antibiotics must be found to combat antibiotic resistance in animal production. The plant sainfoin reduces postweaning diarrhoea in piglets, thus reducing the need for antibiotic treatment.
Estimating Herbage Mass to Make Optimal Use of Pastures
Grazing dairy cows is a characteristic feature of Swiss agriculture. In order to use pasture efficiently, the estimation of herbage mass is recommended. Agroscope compared two methods and developed estimation formulas for implementation in practice.
Swiss Farms: Ever-Increasing Size and Specialisation
The number of farms with a minimum area of 30 ha is growing, and specialisation – particularly in animal production – is on the increase. Even so, structural change is proceeding at a slower pace in Switzerland than in neighbouring countries.
An article by Agroscope
Fighting Antiobiotic Resistance: a Plant to Reduce Diarrhoea in Piglets
Alternatives to antibiotics must be found to combat antibiotic resistance in animal production. The plant sainfoin reduces postweaning diarrhoea in piglets, thus reducing the need for antibiotic treatment.
An article by Agroscope
Project partner
Newsletter
Register now for our free Newsletter and receive regular information on the latest articles.
Quick access
Estimating Herbage Mass to Make Optimal Use of Pastures
Grazing dairy cows is a characteristic feature of Swiss agriculture. In order to use pasture efficiently, the estimation of herbage mass is recommended. Agroscope compared two methods and developed estimation formulas for implementation in practice.
An article by Agroscope
There is a Market for Agrobiodiversity
The term ‘agrobiodiversity’ refers to the variety of plant cultivars and species that feature in the human diet. A study in four European countries shows that consumers are interested in this diversity. The genetic diversity of food-crop varieties and species is archived in state gene banks, and continues to serve as a starting point for…
An article by FiBL
Companion Planting in Oilseed Rape to Control Adult Flea Beetle
Sowing oilseed rape with other plants reduces damage caused by adult flea beetle, according to a study conducted at Agroscope. This intercropping approach could limit reliance on insecticides and the emergence of resistant pests.
An article by Agroscope
Higher Yielding, More Resistant Cultivars of Main Swiss Forage Grass
Adapted, productive grass cultivars are crucial for Swiss forage production. Over the past 30 years, the most important grass species – perennial ryegrass – has been substantially improved by breeding.
An article by Agroscope
Manure: How Much Nutrients Excreted by Beef Cattle?
Farms operate with a balanced nutrient cycle. Agroscope has adjusted beef-cattle reference values to the latest advances in animal production. The said values can be used for fertilisation planning and are to be used for the assessment of the farm- based nutrient cycle.
An article by Agroscope
Counterfeiting now also Detectable in Extra-Hard Cheeses
To protect Swiss cheeses from counterfeiting, Agroscope has developed marker cultures from lactic acid bacteria that allow the origins of the cheese to be determined. Proof-of-origin cultures for extra-hard cheeses are now also available.
An article by Agroscope
A closer look at red clover: results of the 2016–2018 variety testing
From 2016 to 2018 inclusive, Agroscope tested 54 varieties of red clover (Trifolium pratense L.) at six locations. Of these, 25 were new varieties and 29 were already-recommended varieties that were being retested. Yield, vigour, juvenile development, resistance to leaf diseases and anthracnose, winter-hardiness and persistence were all evaluated. For the persistent “mattenklee” type, the…
Solid feed intake and weight development of suckler calves
As part of a farm survey, data on the solid feed intake and liveweight development of suckler calves from birth to the age of 305 days were collected and analysed. The data were used to derive estimation formula on weight development and solid feed intake of suckler calves in Switzerland. The analysis showed that weight…
Greenhouse gas emissions from coupled dairy-beef production in Switzerland
Coupled dairy-beef systems are of major significance in Switzerland’s cattle sector. Using Swiss reference data, the present study modelled greenhouse gas emissions per cow and year for a range of different milk and meat yield levels. The study also determined the impact on greenhouse gas emissions of using a combination of sexed semen and beef…
Diversity of beetles in oilseed rape in Changins (VD)
In order to understand the diversity of insects colonizing oilseed rape, a survey focusing on beetles was conducted in a plot of winter rape in Agroscope Changins (Prangins VD). Beetles were captured with yellow water bowls over the whole cultivation period from August 2017 to June 2018. In total, 11,856 individuals were caught from exactly…
Farmers, beekeepers and researchers unite to safeguard pollinators
Recent studies show a decline in the abundance and diversity of wild pollinators, as well as an increase in honeybee mortality. These pollinators are an integral part of biodiversity and play an essential role in the growing of certain crops and in wild plant reproduction. In the Swiss cantons of Vaud and Jura, and in…
Plastic waste flows in Swiss agriculture and their risk potential for soils
Plastic products are omnipresent in our everyday lives and are so versatile and efficient that it is difficult to imagine modern agriculture without them. However, in combination with littering and as foreign materials in digestate and compost fertilisers, they are also the main source of plastic inputs on agricultural land. Using material flow analysis, this…
Filippo Lechthaler: Vielseitiger Volkswirtschaftler mit Auslanderfahrung
Für Filippo Lechthaler ist es wichtig, dass seine Forschung
auch einen Praxisbezug hat. «Daten direkt im
Feld erheben und Berechnungen machen, die das Leben
von Menschen verbessern können – das motiviert mich»,
sagt der 37-Jährige.
Befragung zum digitalen Wissenstransfer: zwischen Google und persönlichem Netzwerk
Die Digitalisierung betrifft inzwischen alle Lebensbereiche
und wird häufig als Megatrend bezeichnet. Auch der Wissenstransfer
im LIWIS1 läuft vermehrt digital ab. Die von der
AGRIDEA durchgeführte Online-Befragung gibt einen Einblick
in die Art und Weise der Benutzung verschiedener Medien und
zeigt Unterschiede zwischen Akteursgruppen.