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Environment

Dubois D.

Reflection on research for a sustainable agriculture

The concept of a sustainable development of agriculture tends to meet the needs of the present generation without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. It consists of a model for the balanced management of a system with five capital assets: financial capital, human capital, physical man-made capital, social capital and…
Environment

Hofer G., Herzog F., Spiess M., Birrer S.

Ecological measures: Vegetation and breeding birds

In 1993, an agro-environmental programme was incorporated into the Swiss Agricultural legislation. One of the goals of this legislation was to conserve the natural biodiversity of Switzerland as well as to promote and encourage the spread of endangered species. Within the project «Evaluation of the Ecological Measures – Section Biodiversity» we check whether these goals…
Environment

Jacot K., Eggenschwiler L., Studer S.

Wild flower strips and rotational fallow: experiences from the practice

Farmers from different cantons in Switzerland have been interviewed to obtain insight into their experiences made with wild flower strips and rotational fallow fields. Additionally, their fallow fields have been surveyed with respect to selected spontaneous and sown species. The interviews showed that most of the farmers estimate the management effort for fallow to be…
Environment

Dreier S., Hofer G., Herzog F.

Botanical quality of extensively managed meadows

The plant composition of extensively managed hay meadows was investigated in a sample which is representative for the Swiss plateau. In 1401 relevés 511 species were recorded. 17 species figure in the national red list and 70 species have regional red list status. 25 % of meadows contain a minimum set of characteristic plants of…
Environment

Ulrich Ch., Jeanneret Ph., Schüpbach B., Lips A., Fried P.

Factors influencing the vegetation of extensively managed meadows

The territories of species breeding in hedges or in wet habitats were more often than expected close to sites for ecological compensation. By contrast, species breeding in open farmland were more distant from them than expected. The territories of species breeding in bushes or trees were preferentially in hedges or close to extensively farmed meadows…
Environment

Nievergelt J.

Nitrate leaching in a crop rotation from 1981 to 2000

Using 12 lysimeters nitrate leaching was determined for the following crop rotation: Potato – winter wheat – sugar beet – spring wheat – corn – spring wheat – rape – winter wheat – gras-clover mixture (green manure before potato, corn and sugar beet). Under the climatic conditions of Zurich-Reckenholz (1000 mm annual precipitation, 400 mm…
Environment

Peter B., Walter Th.

Grasshopers need ecological compensation areas

To examine the effectiveness on biodiversity of the direct payments for ecological compensation areas we rely on grasshoppers both as indicators for landscape change and as a small and singing element of biodiversity, however threatened from extinction. To compare the situation before and after the introduction of the ecological compensation areas (ECA) a repeated survey…
Environment

Weisskopf P., Zihlmann U., Walther U.

Influences of soil management on nitrogen dynamics in the soil solution

“Time course of mineral nitrogen content in soil is very dynamic: The combination of several processes leads to quickly succeeding situations of surplusses and shortages for plants and soil organisms. By means of so called “”mineral nitrogen-profiles”” it is possible to identify the course of events and to get a rough idea of the interdependencies…
Environment

Nievergelt J.

Sulfate leaching in a crop rotation – lysimeter results from 1991 to 2000

Sulfate leaching was determined with following crops: winter wheat, spring wheat, winter oak, rape, corn, potato, sugar beet and grass-clover mixture. Under the conditions of the lysimeter experiment at Zurich-Reckenholz (1000 mm annual precipitation, 400 mm from October to March), green manure before potato, corn and sugar beet – mineral sulphur fertilization and the crop…
Environment

Tagmann H.U., Oberson A., Oehl F., Frossard E., Dubois D., Mäder P.

DOC-trial: Phosphorus budget and availability over 21 years

The aim of this work was to assess the long term effect of organic and conventional farming on concentrations of total and available phosphorus (P) in cropped soils. Soil samples were taken from a field trial comparing a non-fertilised control (N), two organically cultivated treatments (D2, O2) and two conventionally cultivated treatments (M2, K2). Samples…
Environment

Keller S., Schweizer Ch.

Is the wireworm problem a fungus problem?

Wireworms, the larvae of elaterid beetles, cause increasing problems in arable crops, especially in potatos. A possible cause for this situation is an insufficient natural control. To check this hypothesis and in regard of a possible biological control with entomopathogenic soil fungi, we sampled and tested soils from arable land and adjacent meadows at eight…
Environment

Bosshard A., Kuster D.

The significance of restored flower-rich hay meadows on set-aside land for butterflies and grasshoppers

“We analysed the faunistic significance of newly restored, flower-rich hay meadows (Arrhenatheretum, type of compensation area “”species rich grassland on arable set-aside land””) on behalf of the indicator species butterflies and grasshoppers. Altogether in 11 study areas, 27 butterfly species were found, 15 species being typical to extensively managed meadow habitats. Our results indicate butterfly…
Environment

Zihlmann U., Weisskopf P., Walther U., Brack E., Dubois D.

Soil nitrogen dynamics in different potato cropping systems

The dynamic of soil nitrogen in potato cropping systems was compared between traditional planting after moldboard plough (TP) and direct mulch planting (DMP) in cover crop stands on two loamy soils in the Swiss midlands. Differences between cropping systems were most pronounced before planting and after planting up to a plant height of 10 cm.…
Environment

Defila C.

Phenological retrospective for the year 2000

L’anno 2000 è risultato da caldo a molto caldo. Temperature simili si verificarono solo nel 1947 e nel 1990, mentre che nel 1994 furono persino superiori. In Engadina, a sud delle Alpi e nel Goms fu decisamente troppo bagnato. Nel resto della Svizzera le quantità di precipitazione furono normali. Un soleggiamento nettamente sopra la media…
Environment

Schmid K., Kesper C., Caloz G.

Ecology at Swiss vegetables farms

The ecological compensatory areas were investigated at 14 Swiss farms with field grown vegetables in the frame work of the EU-project VEGINECO. From 1997 to 2000 the percentage of these areas were ca. 17% at organic farms and ca. 7% at integrated farms. According to the opinion of organic farmers the main advantage of ecological…
Environment

Winter W., Bänziger I., Rüegger A., Schachermayr G., Krebs H., Frei P., Gindrat D.

Skim milk powder and yellow mustard-meal treatment: Alternatives to the chemical seed-dressing for the control of common bunt in wheat

In 5-year field trials, the incidence of common bunt (Tilletia caries) in winter wheat was strongly reduced by a seed treatment with skim milk powder: on the average untreated seeds had 52 and treated seeds 3 diseased ears per m2. In 2-year field trials Tillecur (84.8 % yellow mustard-powder) was a very effectiv means of…
Environment

Tobias S.

Caution on wet soils: trafficking can cause persistent subsidences!

The revised Federal Act on Environment Protection prescribes soil protection from physical damage, such as compaction. However, practical implementation of physical soil protection provokes conflicts, particularly for agriculture where efficient, but heavy, machinery is used for the sake of economic management. Soil compaction is caused by irreversible compression and shearing, i.e. plastic deformation. This contribution…
Environment

Jossi W., Valenta A., Zihlmann U., Dubois D., Tschachtli R., Pfiffner L.

The influence of three different farming systems on the earthworm populations at Burgrain

Between 1997 – 1999, earthworm populations were investigated in a six years’ crop rotation with three different farming systems at Burgrain. The biomass was mainly influenced by the crop specific cultivation method. Especially negative for anectic groups of species were ploughing in autumn before winter wheat and ploughing in spring before maize (periods of main…
Environment

Braun M., Aschwanden N., Wüthrich-Steiner C.

Evaluation of ecological mesures: phosphorus losses by surface runoff

The effect of ecological measures in agriculture on the phosphorus contamination of waters caused in particular by surface runoff was investigated in the catchment area of the Lippenruti Brook in the canton of Lucerne. Within the scope of this investigation spanning 270 different fields, site, cultivation and dung spreading factors were examined and placed in…
Environment

Stauffer W

Percolation and yield of different crop rotations

During seven years (April 1993 – March 2000), the effect of different crop rotations, grass-clover mixture, Miscanthus, and lay, on the amount of percolate and nitrate leaching to groundwater was investigated in lysimeters (1 m2 surface, 1.4 m depth) filled with a weakly humic, loamy sand (ortic luvisol). The experimental layout, and data for yield,…
Environment

Zehnder H.-J., Kopp P., Riesen T.

Influence of potassium supply on the release radiocesium from the roots of vine plants

The foliar uptake of radioactive cesium (134Cs) by selected leaves of grape vine plants and the subsequent redistribution within the plants was examined under controlled conditions in a greenhouse. The radionuclide was applied as chloride. The plants were grown in glass containers with nutrient solution. Samples of plants and nutrient media were analyzed throughout the…

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