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Baseline sensitivity of septoria leaf blotch to SDHI fungicides
Since recently, a new class of fungicides is available to control Septoria leaf blotch of wheat, the so-called carboxamides or SDHI. The risk of resistance development in Mycosphaerella graminicola to SDHI fungicides is estimated to be medium to high. Therefore the implementation of an anti-resistance strategy is necessary to preserve the efficacy of these fungicides.…
Symbionts and arthropods – potential implications for biological control
Most arthropod species live in association with numerous bacteria. Their interactions can have different outcomes. While some bacteria are crucial for their host’s survival, others are facultative and their presence can have a negative, positive or neutral effect on the nutrition, reproduction or survival of their host. Some endosymbionts (such as Wolbachia for example) are…
DOC trial: nutrient supply in winter wheat – where is the deficit?
The nutrient supply of winter wheat was one of the topics investigated by the DOC long-term system comparison from 1978 to 2003. The aim of this trial is to provide evidence of nutrient-related yield limitations in organic farming systems. Substantial differences in yield between «organic» and «conventional» farming systems and different fertilisation intensities were primarily…
Rabbit breeding and excretions of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium
The aim of this study was to evaluate, by means of a survey, the forage intake and nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P) and potassium (K) excretions in breeding and fattening rabbit farms. The does produced an average of 6,4 litters a year and kittens were weaned between 24 and 35 days. In the fattening units, 5,2…
The CULTAN system in a screening test for Swiss arable farming
The CULTAN (Controlled Uptake Long Term Ammonium Nutrition) system was tested on farmers fields in the Swiss Midlands from 2008 to 2010. In plot trials with winter wheat and grain maize, liquid ammonium sulphate was applied in a single dose according to the CULTAN system and compared with ammonium nitrate and ammonium sulphate, which were…
Western corn rootworm control in Switzerland, yet a successful story
Since 2000 Switzerland belongs to the 22 European countries where the quarantine pest Diabrotica virgifera virgifera LeConte, Western corn rootworm, has been detected. It’s reported to be the most important maize pest worldwide with an economical damage up to 1,5 Billion $. In Switzerland, it’s constantly present in the southern part of the Alps, while…
N-Efficacy in fattening pigs
In regions with high density of animal production, Import/Export-balances (IMPEX) are used to monitor the use of diets with reduced P- and N- concentrations. Based on the IMPEX data, the farms can claim a reduction in waste nutrients. The aim of the presentment study was to analyze 1665 IMPEX-balances from pig farms in the state…
Bacterial wilt – a puzzling disease of forage grasses
Bacterial wilt of forage grasses is caused by the bacterium Xanthomonas translucens pv. graminis (Xtg) and leads to major damage in meadows and pastures. To support the breeding of resistant cultivars, we are studying the genetic bases of the interaction between bacteria and plants. In doing so, we have learnt that this interaction exhibits a…
Fruit genetic resources: diversity for the future
Since 1999, the Federal Office of Agriculture (BLW) supports the collection, conservation and description of old fruit varieties within the framework of the National Plan of Action (NAP) for the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (PGRFA). In the course of the nationwide fruit inventory in the years 2000…
Effect of grazing system on fattening performance and meat quality of lambs grazing alpine summer pastures
In Switzerland, the level of subsidy provided for summer grazing of sheep differs between grazing systems. They are higher for rotational grazing than for permanent pasture systems. In this controlled alpine grazing experiment, fattening performance and meat quality were compared between these two grazing systems. Fifty-five castrated male lambs (36.2±4.2 kg live weight, 27±3 weeks…
A close look at the butyric acid bacterial spores in silages and moist hay
The guidelines of different traditional Swiss semi hard and hard cheeses prohibit to feed conserved forage containing more than 18 % water to dairy cows. In two trials, the butyric acid bacterial content of the forage, faeces and milk of cattle fed with moist hay and silages was investigated. In the first trial, silages with…
Grain sorghum – an arable crop with attractive properties, as yet unknown in Switzerland
With 40.5 million hectares under cultivation, Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench is the world’s fifth-most important arable crop. Although primarily cultivated in warmer regions, the area devoted to this crop in Europe has increased over the past few years – among other things because sorghum produces attractive yields even when little water is available. In order…
How secure is food security?
After the positive experience of expanding domestic production to the maximum in order to safeguard the food supply in the Second World War, greater importance has been attached to crop planning and storage for crisis situations in Switzerland than in neighbouring countries. The emergence of operational research meant that systems for the sole purpose of…
