Archive

2,595 posts

Animal production

Wyss U., Mauer J., Frey H., Reinhard T., Bernet A., Hofstetter P.

System comparison milk production Hohenrain: milk quality and seasonal milk production

In the years 2008 to 2010, in the project «System comparison milk production Hohenrain», two different milk production systems were compared: a pasture based system versus an indoor feeding system with a mix ration of grass and maize silage. In the present paper the results of milk quality and seasonal milk production were investigated. The…
Environment

Sanvido O., Romeis J., Bigler F.

Facilitating the evaluation of possible environmental harm from genetic engineering

The debate on the possible impact of genetically modified (GM) crops on biodiversity shows that so far there is no consensus on generally accepted assessment criteria for environmental harm. This debate stems primarily not from a shortage of data, but rather from the absence of criteria for assessing the effects of GM plants on biodiversity.…
Animal production

Hofstetter P., Frey H., Petermann R., Gut W., Herzog L., Kunz P.

Comparison of dairy farming systems: barn-keeping v pasture-based keeping – Feed, performance and efficiency

The aim of this study was to compare barn-keeping (BK) to pasture-based-keeping (PK) systems in dairy farming. We established two herds which were kept under the same conditions and with an equal agricultural area (AA) on the same experimental farm from 2008 to 2010. The BK herd consisted of 12 Swiss Holstein-Friesian and 12 Brown…
Plant production

Frick R., Mosimann E., Suter D., Hirschi H.

Sainfoin and birdsfoot trefoil variety trials (2008 – 2010)

From 2008 through 2010, Agroscope Reckenholz-Tänikon ART and Agroscope Changins-Wädenswil ACW research stations tested three varieties of sainfoin and five varieties of birdsfoot trefoil. The parameters assessed were forage yield, juvenile development, vigour, competitive ability, persistence, resistance to leaf diseases and winter conditions and the ability for cultivation at higher altitudes. For each variety, an…
Environment

Spiess E., Prasuhn V., Stauffer W.

Influence of organic and mineral fertilizers on nutrient leaching

Between 2002 and 2009 the influence of fertilizer type on drainage water formation and nutrient leaching was investigated in one crop rotation at the Bern- Liebefeld lysimeter station. Slightly higher crop yields were obtained with purely organic fertilizer than with pure mineral or organic-mineral fertilizers. One of the reasons for this may be that optimum…
Agricultural economics

Gazzarin Ch., Piccand V.

Which cow for pasture-based production systems?: Economic evaluation

Which cow for pasture-based production systems?: Economic evaluation The objective of the study was to compare, within pasture-based seasonal-calving systems, the economic performance of different types of cows. A herd simulation based on the results of the project «Which cow for pasture-based production systems?» was undertaken. There were no clear advantages of one cow type…
Other

Widmer S., Wydler H., Christ Y.

Development potential in the Care Farming sector

In order to gain a better understanding of Care Farming (the provision of social services in farming) and to make better use of existing potential, Agroscope Reckenholz-Tänikon ART Research Station and the Zurich University of Applied Sciences (ZHAW) conducted three workshops with experts from a wide variety of professional fields in 2010. The workshop participants…
Plant production

Naef A., Mouron P., Höhn H.

Sustainability rating of crop protection strategies in apple production

Future plant protection strategies should be efficacious, economic and environmentally acceptable. TheSustainOS methodology has been developed to assess the sustainability of crop protection strategies in apple orchards. The methodology consists of a system description structure, an assessment step for subcriteria of sustainability and an aggregation of these subcriteria to an overall sustainability. The method has…
Plant production

Bravin E., Blunschi M., Leumann M., Straub U., Hirrle T., Hanhart J., Hollenstein R., Steinemann B.

Action research: Fruit growers search for solutions

The objective of the Interreg project «Fruit management» is to improve the management competences of fruit growers in the lake Constance region. 90 Swiss and German fruit growers identified their future challenges. By using the action research, fruit growers identified theses challenges and searched for solutions in working groups. These informations will be collected and…
Plant production

Suter D., Frick R., Hirschi H.-U.

Results of red fescue and crested dogstail variety trials

From 2008 to 2010, the Agroscope Reckenholz-Tänikon ART and Agroscope Changins-Wädenswil ACW research stations tested new breeds and recommended varieties of red fescue and crested dogstail. The evaluation of the varieties was based on systematic observations of yield, vigour, juvenile development, competitive ability, winter hardiness, resistance to leaf diseases and the ability for cultivation at…
Plant production

Zanetti S., Hebeisen T.

Seed certification in Switzerland (2005-2010)

An annual average of over 50,000 tons of seed and propagation material was produced in Switzerland between 2005 and 2010. Seed certification and the seed testing laboratory at Agroscope Reckenholz- Tänikon ART Research Station help ensure that the quality of the seed produced in Switzerland is flawless and that variety-specific characteristics are retained throughout the…
Plant production

Oehl F., Jansa J., Ineichen K., Mäder P., van der Heijden M.

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi as bio-indicators in Swiss agricultural soils

The majority of agricultural crops as well as wild plants form a symbiotic relationship with a special group of soil fungi, the arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AM fungi). AM fungi perform important functions in all ecological systems colonised by plants. They form a dense network of fungal hyphal mycelia in the soil and transmit vital nutrients…
Other

Steffen P.

Problemorientierte Systemforschung – ein Blick auf Agroscope

Hinter abstrakten Namen von Forschungsprojekten wie AgriMontana, AlpFUTUR, Fusaprog, ProfiLait, Agrar- Umwelt-Monitoring stehen ganz konkrete Beispiele der aktuellen landwirtschaftlichen Forschung von Agroscope. Sie zeigen im Einzelnen, dass der Ansatz der problemorientierten Systemforschung von Agroscope einen Mehrwert für Forschung, Gesellschaft, Politik, Verwaltung und die landwirtschaftliche Praxis schafft.
Other

Rossier R., Helfenberger R.

Forschung und Beratung für Frauen in der Landwirtschaft

Frauen in der Landwirtschaft – Aktuelle Debatten aus Wissenschaft und Praxis: Zu diesem Thema fand vom 27. bis 29. Januar 2011 eine internationale Tagung am Geografischen Institut der Universität Bern statt. 150 Frauen aus dem deutschsprachigen Raum (CH, D, A und Südtirol) nahmen daran teil. Interessante Beiträge zu geschlechtsspezifischen, arbeitswirtschaftlichen, gesundheitlichen und wirtschaftlichen Aspekten wurden…
Plant production

Egger S., Höhn H.

Tree fruit extension in close cooperation with stakeholders

The description of extension activities for fruit-growing at ACW Research Station since 2004 shows how stakeholders needs have been systematically integrated in applied research by implementing a well structured annua process, both in priority-setting and evaluation of projects. Extension is expected to cover the whole range of topics arising in practice, be it varieties and…
Plant production

Charles R., Cholley E., Frei P., Mascher F.

Crop rotation, soil tillage, variety and fungicide protection in cereal production

Within the framework of long-term experiment devoted to cereal production, the factors variety and fungicide protection were added during three years (2006, 2008 and 2010) to the factors crop rotation and soil tillage already studied since 1967. This complement aimed at evaluating the influence of the cropping system on the development of diseases on winter…
Animal production

Piccand V., Cutullic E., Schori F., Weilenmann S., Thomet P.

Which cow for pasture-based production systems?: Production, reproduction and health

The objective of the study was to compare, within pasture-based seasonal-calving systems, the production and reproduction performances of Swiss Holstein-Friesian (CH HF), Fleckvieh (CH FV) and Brown Swiss (CH BS) dairy cows with New Zealand Holstein-Friesian (NZ HF) dairy cows, taken as reference for such systems. From 2007 to 2009, NZ HF cows were paired…
Environment

Wiedemar M., Felder D.

Klimastrategie Landwirtschaft

Mit dem Ziel eine Gesamtsicht über die Beziehungen zwischen Klima und Landwirtschaft zu gewinnen, kommende Herausforderungen und Chancen durch den Klimawandel frühzeitig zu erkennen und daraus entsprechende Schritte ableiten zu können, wurde vom Bundesamt für Landwirtschaft (BLW) unter breiter Mitwirkung eine Klimastrategie erarbeitet..
Plant production

Suter D., Frick R., Hirschi H.U.

Meadow fescue variety trials: testing the performance of old and new

From 2008 to 2010, Agroscope Reckenholz- Tänikon ART and Agroscope Changins-Wädenswil ACW Research Stations tested altogether 18 varieties of meadow fescue, including 13 new cultivars, in comparative variety trials at seven locations. The varieties were assessed on the basis of systematically recorded yield, plant stock quality, early growth, competitiveness, persistence, winter hardiness, resistance to leaf…
Animal production

Bracher A., Spring P.

Protein content in compound feed for pigs: survey of 2008

As most European countries, Switzerland has signed the Gothenburg Protocol to abate acidification, eutrophication and ground-level ozone. The protocol puts pressure on Swiss livestock producers to implement measures to reduce their ammonia emissions. Dietary modifications (optimization of crude protein concentration) will affect, as a begin-of-pipe measure, all emission stages from barn to field. The aim…