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Interest in drought-adapted alternative forage plants is growing. What is their potential as catch crops? A study by Agroscope highlights the advantages and limitations of a selection of these crops.

A recent study shows that the risk of exposure during activities involving seeds treated with plant protection products is not always properly understood. Information provided to agricultural professionals should be improved.

An Agroscope study shows that breeding cultivar mixtures is an effective strategy for mitigating the effects of changing abiotic conditions and maintaining stable wheat quality.

White clover and smooth-stalked meadow grass make a significant contribution to persistence and grazeability in high-yielding fodder-production mixtures. Based on the 2022 to 2024 variety trials, Agroscope can now recommend two new varieties for each of these species.

The use of vegetable fibre can reduce plant-protection product residues by up to 80% in white musts, with a more limited effect in red musts.. The method can be applied in cellar, as a complement to the responsible use of products in the vineyard.

The 451 wines analysed on the VITISWISS national platform for monitoring plant-protection product residues show that Swiss wines possess a high level of quality, with only two cases of non-compliance.

A survey conducted in the Canton of Vaud on Chasselas reveals frequent nitrogen deficiencies in the vineyard for the 2022-2023 vintage, despite the application of soil supplements. Only a third of those surveyed measure yeast-assimilable nitrogen (YAN) in the must.

Autumn-sown annual or perennial flower strips support antagonists of aphids, which are vectors of virus yellows, a severe disease in sugar beet. The effectiveness of these strips is influenced by floral composition, sowing time point and surrounding landscape elements.

Faced with climate change that undermines the stability of forage production, the introduction of more-drought-tolerant catch crops represents an adaptive strategy with a high likelihood of success in safeguarding livestock feed supplies.

Cocksfoot is a productive, robust and drought-tolerant forage grass often used in Swiss grass leys. The most recent variety testing by Agroscope has led to the recommendation of several new top-performing cultivars.

A trial conducted at Changins compared the impact of different tillage practices on wheat yields and soil fertility. It showed that minimum tillage provides agronomic and environmental advantages.

Agroscope researchers have assessed the potential impact of the Japanese beetle for Swiss agriculture and outlined integrated, multi-crop control measures for different sectors of production.

Oilseed rape (OSR) requires multiple plant-protection treatments. Growing this crop with companion plants is a promising approach for sustainable pest control.

With its positive contribution to aroma, Metschnikowia pulcherrima is emerging as a valuable yeast in winemaking. The trial conducted suggests that bioprospection is an effective strategy for leveraging local microbial biodiversity.

Many fruit and vegetable crops are dependent on managed pollinators such as honeybees or bumblebees for pollination. Diversification of these pollinators is essential, since they are not always the best choice for specific crop plants, especially during cold, wet weather.

Although there is enormous microbial diversity in blueberry substrate, there is no strong correlation between diversity and yield, according to a new Agroscope study examining the interaction of soil biology and cropping system.

Agroscope researchers tested three natural antagonists of the tomato leafminer on six tomato genotypes. Of the three genotypes displaying a degree of resistance, two were found to be compatible with the natural enemies of the pest.

A study led by Agroscope has deepened our understanding of the genetic mechanisms responsible for grape skin colour. New findings have led to a revision of the genealogy of the Rouge du Pays cultivar (Cornalin du Valais) and contributed to a better understanding of the genetic diversity of the grapevine.

A study on Chasselas grapevines shows that yield regulation by cluster thinning after foliar fertilisation does not increase grape nitrogen concentration but does encourage N accumulation in the perennial parts of the vine.

An Agroscope study shows that pre-flowering removal of the main leaves instead of the lateral shoots appears to be a viable practice with a moderate effect on both yield potential and must composition.

Foliar fertilisation around veraison improves grape nitrogen levels without affecting vigour. A trial shows that the fertilisers ‘Safe N 300’ and ‘Folur’ effectively increase assimilable nitrogen in the grape must; however, their degree of effectiveness depends on climatic conditions.

Summer droughts reduce grassland yields and forage quality. More drought-resistant than herbaceous species, certain trees can provide supplementary forage of good nutritional value in summer. Increasingly intense summer droughts have led to a sharp decline in the yields and nutritional value of grassland forages. Producing sufficient supplies of quality forage has therefore become a genuine…

The stem nematode Ditylenchus dipsaci causes damage to field crops. The pest attacks many different host plants. We examined these plants’ susceptibility to D. dispaci and, based on our findings, recommend crop rotation.

An eight-year project is helping farmers in the canton of Solothurn to maintain and increase the fertility of their arable land by building up humus.

A study conducted on Chasselas vines in Switzerland shows the effects of yield regulation practices on grape ripening and nitrogen composition and suggests a two-year approach for optimising quality and sustainability.

The combination of competition by forage plants and herbivory by native root-boring moth larvae can significantly reduce the growth of small broad-leaved dock plants in permanent grasslands.

A formidable disease of grapevine, flavescence dorée continues to spread in Switzerland. The most recent knowledge acquired in Ticino allows us to better understand the role played in the risk of infection by gone-wild grapevines in woodlands around vineyards.

A survey conducted by the Experimental Station for Viticulture and Oenology has furthered our understanding of nitrogen nutrition management practices in the vineyard and wine cellar for the Chasselas and Petite Arvine grape varieties in the Valais, highlighting potential avenues for improvement. In 2023, a questionnaire was sent to the producers of the Vitival network…