We have investigated effects of single soil tillage or cutting regime on the quality of wildflower strips including a control treatment without any regime. The treatments were performed at three different dates at the 2nd (autumn) and 3rd (spring and autumn) year. A randomized plot-trial was set up during 1996-2001 with four replicates, where the…
The aim of the present survey was to evaluate the investments for fattening pig barns in Switzerland based on realized objects. The investments were analyzed on 24 objects built between 1997 und 2004 with an average capacity of 372 fattening pigs (FP) (200 to 800 FP). The capital cost was evaluated based on the construction…
Actually the FAT database of standard times in horticulture is revised. In general standard times are measured in grape, appel, cherry and berry cultures and some single vegetable cultures.The application of the standard time methods is described by using different examples of horticultures. The focus is on the difference between standard times on the one…
Since the separation of price and income policies, the economic costs on the supply side of Swiss agriculture have decreased considerably. They amount to about half a billion Swiss francs, which corresponds to 0,15 % of the Swiss net social product in 2002. Compared to the overall costs in Swiss agriculture, the loss of social…
In 2004, we tested the efficacy of the silage additive EM to promote the main fermentation. The trials were carried out in small-scale silos with a mixture of lucerne and cocksfoot. Forage of the first and also of the second cut was ensiled at two different dry matter levels (about 20 and 30 % dry…
Cities and conurbations are usually located in places that are favourable for agriculture. However, in urban regions there are very few people working in the agricultural sector. Although most people use the landscape adjacent to residential areas for recreation, they still expect an agrarian look of this landscape. An investigation of agricultural structures of municipalities…
Between 2002 and 2004, Agroscope FAL Reckenholz and RAC Changins tested four varieties of tall oat-grass (Arrhenatherum elatius L) and four varieties of golden oat-grass (Trisetum flavescens L.) at five and seven experimental sites respectively. The varieties were compared for yield, juvenile development, vigour, disease resistance, winter hardiness and competitive ability. With golden oat-grass the…
Settlement can no longer be assured by agriculture alone. An integrated, regional approach is essential if decentralised settlement is to be maintained. This paper investigates the future prospects of endangered boroughs and the impact of development strategies designed to stabilise employment and population. A dynamic simulation model serves as the basis for this study. The…
The purpose of this paper is to analyse the manner in which agriculture fulfils the obligations relating to its contribution to decentralised settlement and the respective measures implemented by the Federation. In the first stage, we investigate the role of agriculture in the situation threatening decentralised settlement and come to the conclusion that the sector…
The Swiss federal milk and meat market policy is due to undergo reform over the next few years. This article investigates the consequences of various policy scenarios on the basis of model calculations. The results clearly show that reducing milk-market support without modifying the direct payment system would lead to a decrease in dairy-cow livestock,…
On the supply side, there is a very close relationship between the milk and meat markets. This means that changes in basic conditions on the milk market have an impact on both the milk and the meat market. A change in supply interacts with consumer demand to generate new market balances and prices, whereby any…
The possibility to trade milk quotas changed the operational structures of Swiss Dairy farms since 1999 more than in the twenty years before. Due to the simultaneous price erosion, farmers try to adapt the operational structures. These adjustments are analyzed for the years 1999 – 2002 on the basis of 131 defined farm types. These…
The application of asulam-based herbicides on grassland could explain the finding of sulfanilamide in some Swiss honeys. In fact, this antibiotic belonging to the sulfonamides is produced during the breakdown of asulam. To assess the risks related to the use of these herbicides, a permanent meadow with a high proportion of dandelions was sprayed before…
Between 2002 and 2004, Agroscope FAL Reckenholz and RAC Changins tested 35 varieties of Italian ryegrass and 20 varieties of hybrid ryegrass at six and seven experimental sites respectively. The varieties were compared for yield, juvenile development, vigour, persistence, disease resistance, winter hardiness and competitive ability. An index value was calculated from the data, allowing…
Farm buildings account for a considerable part of the farm’s structural costs. Low-cost farm buildings are therefore required to ensure cost-effective production. As a space allocation plan can be realised in various manners, comparing different building options can help to find the �best solution’ with regard to functionality, investment demands and annual costs. The FAT…
In a three-month trial involving two groups of 15 dairy cows each, Agroscope FAT Tänikon investigated whether mixing the feed components of the basic ration or distributing a non-mixed ration had an impact on feed intake and milk yield. In the mixed-ration system, the basic ration, consisting of various silages and ventilated hay, was distributed…
In two experiments using a total of 220 weaner pigs the hypothesis was tested that apple pomace alleviates the negative effects of Fusarium toxins in pigs. The two experiments had the same two-factor design: Fusarium contaminated vs. uncontaminated wheat, and 8% apple pomace vs. no pomace in the diet. Both trials yielded similar results and…
Tetraploid Italian ryegrass Lolium multiflorum ssp. italicum is distinguished by a high yield potential and a good forage quality. Here, we present two new, tetraploid cultivars of Italian ryegrass bred by Agroscope FAL Reckenholz, the Swiss Federal Research Station for Agroecology and Agriculture. The cultivar Alces was derived from our diploid cultivar Axis by colchicine…
Extension is a way of planning, implementing and controlling applied agricultural research, which is new for Switzerland. The extension’s slogan is “know-how – created for application “. Extension projects are planed for one year, with the possibility to be continued if needed. Clients, i.e. grower’s, cantonal extensionists and the post-harvest sector, are organised in forums,…
The acceptance of agri-environmental programs is a crucial condition for achieving the ecological targets of Swiss agriculture. Applying descriptive and econometric analysis, it can be shown that compatibility with respect to the farm’s production technology is the most important factor for their acceptance. The fact that the farmers’ education plays only a minor role indicates…
Over the last ten years, conventional plow tillage has been compared to no-tillage on six crop rotation plots in the long-term field trial Oberacker at the Inforama Ruetti in Zollikofen. The deep cambisol of the trial plots contains 15% clay and 3% organic matter.The absence of tillage operations in no-tillage makes a more complex strategy…
Multivariate statistical methods were used to investigate the decisive factors responsible for the change of agricultural structures in Switzerland. For this purpose, the relative development of a) all farms, b) full-time farms, c) part-time farms and d) part-time workers in agriculture in the period from 1985 to 2000 was examined. 32 socio-economic and agricultural variables…