Pesticides in Beeswax: How Toxic Are They to Honey Bee Larvae?
Pesticides accumulate in beeswax and pose a risk to the development of bee larvae. In an in vitro study, Agroscope evaluated the toxicity of pesticides in beeswax
Archive
2,432 posts
Better Milk Price and Low Basic Ration Costs Make Grass-Fed Milk Cost-Efficient
Grass-fed milk production meets a customer need, and is linked to specific feed and animal-welfare requirements. An Agroscope study sought to determine the circumstances in which grass-fed milk production is worthwhile.
Heat Stress in Fattening Pigs: Which Indicators Can Reveal Reduced Welfare?
Fattening pigs suffer when it is hot. Timely provision of cooling measures increases both animal welfare and success in pig fattening. Researchers at Agroscope examined which indicators reliably indicate heat stress in fattening pigs.
How Much More Water Will Swiss Crops Need in Future?
Model calculations show how climate change will affect the water requirement for different crops grown on the Swiss Central Plateau. This will allow us to proactively plan for crop irrigation and adaptation to the changing climate.
Biocontrol of Wireworms in Cover Crops
Wireworms cause significant crop losses in potatoes. This study investigated the efficacy of a fungus in decimating wireworm populations in the winter cover crop. The strategy was partially successful, but must be further optimised for use in practice.
Soil Carbon Sequestration – Offsetting Greenhouse Gases
Together with project partners, Agroscope investigated soil carbon sequestration potentials for 24 European countries. Carbon sequestration could offset 0.1% to 27% of greenhouse-gas emissions from agriculture per annum.
Agroscope, Walloon Agricultural Research Centre, BIOS Science Austria, Prešov University, Norwegian Institute of Bioeconomy Research, Flanders Research Institute for Agriculture, CREA – Council for Agricultural Research and Economics, Lithuanian Research Centre for Agriculture and Forestry, Agri-Food and Biosciences Institute, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, ATK – Centre for Agricultural Research, Teagasc, Environment, Soils and Land-Use Research, Thünen-Institute of Climate-Smart Agriculture
Optimising Protein Feeding with the Help of Milk Urea Content
Excess nitrogen is excreted in the urine and leads to higher ammonia emissions. Nitrogen in the urine of dairy cows can be estimated based on the urea content of their milk. This information can be used to optimise protein feeding.
Adaptation of the Method for Detecting Bacterial Diseases of Potato
Bacterial diseases can have a huge impact on potato production yields.
The method for detecting these diseases used in Switzerland to date does not allow the growing demand for tests to be met. Agroscope is implementing new solutions.
Variety Testing in Forage Production: Two Interesting New Hybrid Ryegrass Cultivars
Hybrid ryegrass is a high-yielding, versatile forage grass used in many clover-grass mixtures. Out of a total of 23 tested varieties, two new varieties performed particularly impressively in terms of yield and resistance to bacterial wilt.
What Quantity of Heavy Metals Ends Up in Agricultural Soils?
Calculations carried out by the Swiss Soil Monitoring Network (NABO) over more than 30 years reveal that fertiliser applications and plant-protection products can lead to excess heavy metals in agricultural soils.
Should Antibiotic Use Be Reduced through Incentives?
Antibiotic use could be curtailed through incentives that improve animal health. Most farmers are open to direct payments in support of this.
More Cherries and Bigger Apples from Optimal Pollination
Certain crops in Switzerland can benefit from more-species-and-individual-rich wild-bee communities. An Agroscope report shows how this could be achieved.
Risk Maps for Plant-Protection Product Input into Surface Waters
What are the possible routes of entry of plant-protection products into surface waters? Agroscope shows the potential input risks in terms of tile drainage, runoff and agricultural point sources for over 20 000 catchment areas.
Crop-Variety Mixtures for Greater Yields and Robustness
Crop variety mixtures can have various benefits, including greater resistance to pathogens as well as yield stability and increased yields.
Increasing Food-Security Challenges Faced by Switzerland
Agroscope conducts an annual analysis of the risks to food supply on behalf of the Swiss Federal Office for Economic Supply FONES. In 2021, a power shortage, seed imports and climate change were addressed as particular risks.
Lower in-Kind Yields from Forgoing the Use of Plant-Protection Products in Arable Crops
A survey of 18 experts from the whole of Switzerland shows what effects a complete or partial avoidance of plant-protection products would have on in-kind yields in arable production.
Swiss Ley Farming: Italian Ryegrasses ‘Maggyl’ and ‘Oryttus’ Set New Standards
Italian ryegrass is a high-yielding meadow grass that is often used in clover-grass mixtures. Out of a total of 52 varieties tested by Agroscope, two new frontrunners scored top marks for nearly all traits.
More Soil Life in Organic Vegetable Production
Nematodes are important indicators for soil life. An Agroscope study shows that nematode numbers and species diversity are significantly higher in organic vegetable fields than in conventionally farmed fields.
How Dairy Farmers Improve Their Quality of Life
Dairy farmers have developed individual strategies designed to maintain or improve their quality of life. A project by BFH-HAFL collected and analysed a variety of those strategies.
Protecting the Climate with Biochar
An Agroscope study commissioned by the Federal Office for Agriculture shows that the use of biochar clearly has potential, yielding benefits for the climate and ecosystems.
Sustainable Weed Management: Towards New Tools
New tools are being developed to limit the use of herbicides in crops and improve the efficacy of alternative management methods. An update.
Beekeeping – A Mobile Application for Controlling the Varroa Mite
A simple smartphone could soon become an essential ally for beekeepers in their battle to control the varroa mite. A mobile application for identifying and counting these tiny parasites in the hive – the first of its kind in Switzerland – has just been developed.
Consumption of Raw Goat’s Milk: What Is the Risk of Infection with TBE Viruses?
Tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) pathogens can be transmitted to humans by the consumption of raw milk and raw-milk products from infected goats. The risk is judged to be low, and is most likely to come from on-farm consumption of the (unpasteurised) products.
Use of Iodised Salt in Cheesemaking Improves Iodine Sufficiency
Sections of the Swiss population are deficient in iodine. Agroscope and the Federal Food Safety and Veterinary Office (FSVO) examined how the use of iodised salt affects the iodine content of cheese.
Weeds? – Sown Wildflower Strips and Crop-Accompanying Flora Promote Beneficials in Cabbage Production
FiBL field trials demonstrate that sown wildflowers together with the spontaneous arable weed flora in cabbage fields can promote predatory beneficial insects and pollinators. This makes it possible to enhance the ecological value of production areas.
Creating a Coordination Centre for Swiss Aquaculture
Swiss aquaculture is enjoying strong growth. However, in order to develop sustainably, the sector needs to be better organised. This study analyses the current situation and proposes a concept for the development of a coordination centre.
Emergency Supplies Before, During and After the Swiss Confederation’s COVID-19 Measures
The older the respondents, the better they know and follow the emergency supply recommendations. Experience from the first lockdown can help ensure more stocking-up in future.
Characterisation of Raclette du Valais PDO
Agroscope has comprehensively characterised the cheese variety Raclette du Valais PDO (Protected Designation of Origin). With the reference values obtained, cheese-dairy advisory services will be able to identify cheese defects more easily in future.
Swiss Cheeses Are an Important Dietary Source of Vitamin K2
Vitamin K2 plays a key role in blood clotting as well as having a positive influence on bone and cardiovascular health. Cheese is an important dietary source of this microbially produced vitamin.
Swiss Wine of the Future – What Expectations do Consumers Have?
Consumer acceptance plays a key role in the introduction of new grape varieties. An Agridea consumer survey reveals a great openness to fungus-tolerant varieties that lend themselves to particularly environmentally friendly cultivation methods.
