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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…
Plant production

Eggenschwiler L., Jacot K.

Influence of mowing and seed mixture composition on the vegetation of wildflower strips and rotational fallows

Wildflower strips and rotational fallows are areas planted with indigenous wildflowers and are intended for ecological enrichment of cultivated areas. They promote diversity of plant and animal species. Within the scope of a long term experiment in the vicinity of Frauenfeld (Switzerland), we examined the influence of six seed mixtures differing in species composition on…
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…
Plant production

Jeangros B., Scehovic J., Schubiger F.X., Lehmann J., Daccord R., Arrigo Y.

Nutritive value of grassland plants. Phenolic compounds

Ten main grassland species were cultivated in pure stand in 3 experiments located at different altitude. During two years their chemical composition was regularly assessed the end of the growing period. This paper presents the content and the biological activity of phenolic compounds in the different species and their evolution when the plants grow older.…
Plant production

Daccord R., Arrigo Y., Kessler J., Jeangros B., Scehovic J., Schubiger F.X., Lehmann J.

Nutritive value of grassland plants: Contents of calcium, phosphorus, magnesium and potassium

The content of calcium (Ca), phosphorus (P), magnesium (Mg) and potassium (K) was analysed in 10 important species of grassland plants. The analyses of more than 500 samples give a better knowledge the influence of species, age and stage of development. The Ca content is clearly higher in the groups of legumes (15,1 ± 2,5…
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…
Plant production

Boller B., Schubiger F.X., Tanner P.

Larus, a new, tetraploid red clover cultivar of the persistent «Mattenklee» type

“The cultivar LARUS is listed in Switzerland since 1998, in Germany since 2000 and in France since 2001. It has been developped from breeding material similar to the one from which TEMARA had been selected, obtained by treating Swiss “”Mattenklee”” (a local, persistent form of cultivated red clover) with colchicine. LARUS provides high, stable yields…
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.…
Plant production

Schmid K., Höhn H., Graf B., Höpli H.

Phenological growth stages of raspberry (Rubus idaeus L.)

“An exact description of the developmental stages of agricultural crops is of major importance for both science and practice. It simplifies the communication and the definition of time periods for crop management, monitoring and pest control measures.<br>The phenological growth stages of raspberry were described and coded within the frame of the EU-project “”RACER”” (Reduced Application…
Animal production

Hadorn R., Gloor A., Wiedmer H.

Effects of vaccination against coccidiosis in comparison to the use of dietary coccidiostats on the development and the performance of growing pullets and laying hens

2000 one-day old and non beak-trimmed chicks of H&N hybrid (white) were kept in an aviary system (Natura 400 AZ-187) which was divided into four groups of 500 animals each. Two groups were vaccinated with Paracox-8® on day 8 whereas the others were given a coccidiostat in the diet up to week 12. At the…
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…
Plant production

Bohren Ch., Scherrer C., Ballmer Th., Dubois D., Spiess E.

Weed control and tuber quality of potatoes after direct mulch planting

Intensive soil tillage in conventional potato cropping increases the risk of erosion and leaching of nitrate. Direct mulch planting of potatoes was developed to reduce this risk. Ridges and covercrops are established in August after harvest of the preceding cereal crop. In the following spring potatoes are plated without any soil tillage. The results of…
Food

Bachmann H.-P., Bobst C., Bütikofer U., Casey M.G., Dalla Torre M., Fürst M., Wyder M.Th.

Cultures for reducing the stickiness of smeared cheese surfaces

“Numerous traditional Swiss cheese varieties are smear-ripened e.g. Gruyère, Raclette, Appenzeller and Tilsiter. The smear is a very complex ecosystem composed of moulds, yeasts and bacteria. It contributes to the typical flavour of these cheese varieties. In recent years, the occurence of a defect, the so-called stickiness of the smear, has increased. The smear became…
Animal production

Tschümperlin K., Erdin D., Leuenberger H., Künzi N.

Production parameters in a suckler cow system with Simmental and Angus cows on alpine pastures

In Switzerland +Natura Beef® + is the brand name for suckler cow calves which will be slaughtered at weaning at the age of 10 months. The goal of this investigation was to compare production efficiency of medium sized dual purpose Simmental cows and small sized and strong by muscled Angus cows. The whole herd was…
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…
Plant production

Jeangros B., Bertola C.

Effects of irrigation on the vegetation of permanent grassland in a mountain region of Switzerland

In a dry region of Oberwallis (Martisberg) changes in the vegetation of permanent grassland were observed during eight years following the introduction of spray irrigation. Botanical records on eleven plots of 25 m2 show that no fundamental changes occurred from 1988 to 1996. On the most fertile and freshest meadows the number of species slightly…
Plant production

Daccord R., Arrigo Y., Jeangros B., Scehovic J., Schubiger F.X., Lehmann J.

Nutritive value of grassland plants: contents of cell wall constituents

“The main constituents of the cell wall, e.g. crude fiber, ADF, NDF and lignin, were analysed in 10 important varieties of grassland plants. The results of 555 analysed samples give a better knowledge of  the changes with regard to the content of cell wall constituents during the growing season. Within the same plant variety and…