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Plant production

Schärer H.J., Hasler T

Fire blight, a permanent threat

Fire blight is the most damaging disease of pipfruits. The situation has dramatically changed in Switzerland during the last few years, when the disease was found in several new regions (e.g. cantons of Zurich, Thurgau, St. Gall, Lucerne, etc.). A large number of host plants can be affected by fire blight during the season. There…
Plant production

Müller M.D., Poiger T., Buser H.-R.

Plant protection chemistry – at the service of applicators, consumers, the environment and the economy

Pesticides (plant protection products, PPP) are designed to defend plants against attacks of insects, fungi or other harmful organisms. They contain active ingredients with considerable biological activities which usually extend somewhat beyond the purpose they are intended for. Their registration process therefore takes into consideration both efficacy and side effects and evaluates them in a…
Food

Höhn E.

Fruit and vegetable quality from the field to the table

It is undebated that a sufficient consumption of fruit and vegetables decreases the risk of various diseases. In spite of this, Swiss consumption of fruit and vegetables remains relatively low. Campaigns are now planned in Switzerland to increase consumption of these food groups, with a view to contributing to the prevention of several diseases. Hindering…
Environment

Graf B., Höhn H., Holliger E., Siegfried W., Höpli H.-U.

Current state and future development of a decision support system for pests and diseases in perennial fruit crops

For more than forty years the Swiss Federal Research Station in Wädenswil (FAW) has operated a warning service for pests and diseases in perennial fruit crops in order to support the endeavours of growers towards a more ecological production. Designed as a decision support system, it is based on a close collaboration between FAW, the…
Plant production

Baumann D.T., Total R.

Cropping technique: the key to top quality vegetables

Vegetable production is without doubt the most diverse and demanding branch of Swiss Agriculture. Although neither crop husbandry nor the structures of cropping and farming systems differ significantly from that of other agricultural production areas, the crop diversity and the specific market requirements demand outstanding know-how and high organisational and economic capabilities from the producers.…
Other

Spiess E., Anken T., Heusser J., Weisskopf P., Högger C., Oberholzer H.-R.

Effects of soil tillage

Excessively high work intensities did not lead to better results, not even with regard to soil loosening. In terms of the stability of the loosened soil structure, however, there are differences between the various implements. The increase of nitrate concentration due to tillage can be reduced significantly by planting appropriate green covers. Against the expectations,…
Other

Spiess E., Anken T., Heusser J., Weisskopf P., Högger C., Oberholzer H.-R.

Soil tillage: energy input and seedbed structure

On soils requiring a high energy input for tillage, tillage methods show quite considerable differences with regard to work efficiency, energy requirements and efficiency. In all these respects, active (PTO driven) systems provide better results than passive implements. This is particularly true of the rotary tiller. Increasing the work intensity excessively has proved to be…
Agricultural economics

Radlinsky A., Theler C., Lehmann B.

Social sustainability in Swiss agriculture

Social aspects play a leading role in the sustainability concept. Therefore, the principal elements of social sustainability will be subjected to an analysis within the scope of a study of the social conditions prevailing in Swiss agriculture. The theoretical approach is based on the concept of quality of life. In Spring 2000, a postal survey…
Environment

Gulz P., Gupta S.-K.

Arsenic uptake by crops

Due to the lack of reliable data on arsenic in most environmental compartments in Switzerland a NSF funded project was carried out to investigate the ecotoxicological risks of arsenic. The aim is to acquire the scientific basis which is necessary to assess the arsenic risk for the plant-man, plant-animal-man pathway. Little is known about the…
Plant production

Jeangros B., Scehovic J., Troxler J., Bosset J.O.

Does the grass composition of highland pastures differ from those of lowland leys?

In this paper, we compare the botanical and chemical compositions of grazed grassland located at various altitudes between 600 and 2100 m a.s.l., as part of a study on the relationships between the characteristics of grass and those of Swiss hard cheese. The lowland leys are composed only of grasses and legumes and their botanical…
Animal production

Bühlmann G., Finessi-Draškovic S.

Total microbial counts of goat milk

Total microbial counts from 2400 samples of goat milk from the Bernese Oberland and Central Switzerland are not normally distributed. Arithmetic means of the number of colony forming units (cfu/ml) are higher than in cow milk whereas the medians are lower. From 1995 until 1997 the producers managed to increase steadily the ratio of class…
Agricultural economics

Anwander Phan-Huy S.

Ecological concerns in the Swiss agricultural policy

At the beginning of the 1970s, the Swiss public was shocked by reports in news media on the subject of ecological problems resulting from agricultural activities. Since then, measures to improve integration and promote environmental awareness have been implemented, hesitantly at first due to political opposition, and then more decisively with the agricultural policy reform…
Plant production

Krebs H., Dubois D., Külling C., Forrer H.-R., Streit B., Rieger S., Richner W

Effects of preceding crop and tillage on the incidence of Fusarium spp. and mycotoxin deoxynivalenol content in winter wheat grain

In two field experiments with mouldboard plough, cultivator and no-tillage, the harvested grains of winter wheat were analysed. We examined the degree of contamination with Fusarium and the content of deoxynivalenol (DON). Fusarium graminearum, F. avenaceum and Microdochium nivale were isolated from all samples. The highest incidence of disease (up to 42 % infection by…
Plant production

Jenny E., Hecker A., Kessler P., Külling C., Forrer H.-R.

Susceptibility of Swiss wheat cultivars to fusaria

In field trials with artificial infections, the susceptibility of 15 Swiss and 3 foreign wheat varieties to Fusarium culmorum and F. graminearum was examined. The resistance pattern for the two fusaria was equal and no species specific reactions were registered. The cultivars showed big differences in disease severity, yield losses and contamination with the mycotoxin…
Environment

Jäggi W., Weisskopf P., Oberholzer H.-R., Zihlmann U.

Microbial biomass in two arable soils

Over a two year period, changes in the microbiological properties of two arable soils were charted and compared with the site conditions. In the topsoil of a calcic cambisol, the content of microbial biomass was, on average, 42 % higher than in a gleyic cambisol. A higher pH and a looser strture favoured the development…

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