What is Typical Spelt and How Do We Distinguish it From Modern Wheat-Spelt Intercrosses in Switzerland?
Spelt (Triticum aestivum ssp. spelta) is in increasing demand from consumers and bakeries. Linking phenotypic traits to the underlying genetic information of each variety helps us to better categorise the spelt varieties in Switzerland.
It’s Not All About Cheese: Cows and Hikers are Not the Only Ones to Benefit from Alpine Pastures
Alpine pastures provide forage for cattle, storage for CO2, food for pollinators, a habitat for countless plants, and fascinate us with their beauty. The extent to which these services are provided depends on location, climate – and cows.
Lower Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Drained Peatlands – Is It Possible?
A mineral soil cover combined with a rise in the water table can mitigate the loss of organic carbon in cultivated peatlands. At the same time, it would allow agricultural productivity to be maintained.
What is Typical Spelt and How Do We Distinguish it From Modern Wheat-Spelt Intercrosses in Switzerland?
Spelt (Triticum aestivum ssp. spelta) is in increasing demand from consumers and bakeries. Linking phenotypic traits to the underlying genetic information of each variety helps us to better categorise the spelt varieties in Switzerland.
It’s Not All About Cheese: Cows and Hikers are Not the Only Ones to Benefit from Alpine Pastures
Alpine pastures provide forage for cattle, storage for CO2, food for pollinators, a habitat for countless plants, and fascinate us with their beauty. The extent to which these services are provided depends on location, climate – and cows.
Project partner
Newsletter
Register now for our free Newsletter and receive regular information on the latest articles.
Quick access
Lower Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Drained Peatlands – Is It Possible?
A mineral soil cover combined with a rise in the water table can mitigate the loss of organic carbon in cultivated peatlands. At the same time, it would allow agricultural productivity to be maintained.
Paratuberculosis in Cattle: International Evolution and Situation in Switzerland
A current overview of paratuberculosis describes this chronic disease of cattle, shows how it is being controlled internationally and in Switzerland, and explains why this is important.
Three New Berseem and Persian Clover Cultivars
Berseem and Persian clover are grown mainly as a catch crop in Switzerland. Three new cultivars from the latest Agroscope trials are to be added to the List of Recommended Varieties of Forage Crops.
Swiss versus EU Dairy Farms: Who Can Cover their Costs?
Milk production is the most important production branch of Swiss agriculture. The liberalised cheese trade with the EU requires competitive dairy farms. Despite this, Swiss farms produce milk in a less economically viable way than comparable EU farms.
Product and Quality Differentiation in the Swiss Cheese Market Enhances Raw Milk Prices
Product and quality differentiation in Swiss cheese markets enables higher and more stable raw milk prices. Protected Geographical Indications (GIs) such as the Swiss AOP (Appellation d’Origine Protégée), could further enhance milk prices, although their effectiveness depends on the strength of the GI label.
Reducing Pesticides can be Advantageous, Depending on the Crop
Does pesticide reduction reduce profitability and increase working time? Quite the reverse – Agroscope researchers showed that going pesticide-free can be an attractive proposition.
What Effect Does Sorghum-based Feeding Have on Cheese Quality?
Climate change is compelling producers to find alternatives to the usual fodders. Sorghum is one alternative. When used in dairy-cattle feed, how does it affect the quality of hard cheeses?
Alternative Products for Meat and Dairy: Better for Health and the Environment?
In recent years, plant-based foods have come on the market as alternatives to products of animal origin. Their aim: to positively influence sustainability and health. However, do they really do this? A study conducted by Agroscope and the University of Bern examined the issue.
Do Permanent Grasslands Contribute to Climate Protection?
Do soils under meadows and pastures in Switzerland take up more carbon than they release, thus contributing to climate protection? According to a new study from Agroscope, they currently do not. Measures to promote carbon storage do, however, exist.
Development Opportunities for Swiss Sparkling Wines
Global wine sales have been falling for several years and the Swiss market has not been bucking this trend. Nevertheless, the growing consumption of sparkling wines in Switzerland and the interest in local products are creating new prospects for leveraging wine production.
Understanding Alpine Farming for Targeted Policymaking
The heterogeneity of summer farms in the Swiss Alps must be take into account in order to develop effective policy measures. This should lead to improved conservation of the ecological and economic functions of alpine meadows.
Using 3D Imaging to Optimise the Diet of Growing Cattle
Fast and safe three-dimensional (3D) imaging technology gives good in vivo estimates of body and carcass chemical composition in growing beef cattle.
Root Exudates: A Means of Communication and Interaction between Plants
Plants release root exudates – compounds that influence the growth of their neighbours – into the soil. Understanding this mechanism allows us to devise new approaches for biological weed control.
Agroforestry’s Contribution to a Sustainable Agricultural Policy in Switzerland
Future agricultural policy will aim at innovative and sustainable production systems. Using the example of agroforestry, an assessment method based on an expert survey and the literature has now been tested. The results show that agroforestry can support the transformation into a more sustainable agricultural sector.
