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Caution on wet soils: trafficking can cause persistent subsidences!
The revised Federal Act on Environment Protection prescribes soil protection from physical damage, such as compaction. However, practical implementation of physical soil protection provokes conflicts, particularly for agriculture where efficient, but heavy, machinery is used for the sake of economic management. Soil compaction is caused by irreversible compression and shearing, i.e. plastic deformation. This contribution…
New reference values regarding the intake of nutritive substances represent a chance for the agriculture and dairy industry
In the year 2000, new reference values for the intake of nutritive substances were published in the German speaking countries. These values differ from previous recommendations, for the German population, for example, in a higher intake of folic acid, vitamin C and calcium. In order to comply with these recommendations, the consumers should attach more…
The influence of three different farming systems on the earthworm populations at Burgrain
Between 1997 – 1999, earthworm populations were investigated in a six years’ crop rotation with three different farming systems at Burgrain. The biomass was mainly influenced by the crop specific cultivation method. Especially negative for anectic groups of species were ploughing in autumn before winter wheat and ploughing in spring before maize (periods of main…
Nutritive value of grassland plants: dry matter, crude protein and non-structural carbohydrates contents
Ten main grassland species were cultivated in pure stand in three experiments located at different altitude. During two years their chemical composition was regularly assessed from the beginning to the end of the growing period. The digestibility of the organic matter was also measured with different laboratory methods and in feeding trials with sheep. This…
Effects of dietary CLA (Conjugated Linoleic Acid) in pigs
Dietary conjugated linoleic acids (CLA) have been reported to profoundly affect lipid metabolism, to act as a repartitioning agent and to promote body weight gain. We resume in the present review experimental data assessed with pigs (sows, piglets, finishing pigs) fed either a CLA or sunflower oil fortified diet. The CLA source (59 g CLA/100g…
Effect of no-tillage on nutrient content and organic matter of the soi, Pratique du semis direct en grandes cultures: effets sur la structure du sol
In the long-term field trial “Oberacker” at Zollikofen (Switzerland) the content of organic matter and macro-nutrients in the soil was analysed to determine the effect of no-tillage without any soil disturbance and conventional tillage with mouldboard plough.The amount of nitrogen mineralised during the year was similar in both treatments. However, nitrogen mineralisation in spring was…
Economic efficiency of no-tillage
“In the long-term field trial “”Oberacker”” at Zollikofen (Switzerland) crop yields were measured to determine the effect of no-tillage without any soil disturbance and conventional tillage with mouldboard plough. A cost and profit analysis (full cost accounting) was carried out with the data in order to analyse farm economy of the changeover from a conventional…
Effect of no-tillage on yields (1995 – 1999)
“In the long-term field trial “”Oberacker”” at Zollikofen (Switzerland) crop yields were measured to determine the effect of no-tillage without any soil disturbance and conventional tillage with mouldboard plough. The collected data of the first five years of trial with the field crops winter wheat, winter barley, silage corn, sugarbeets, and potatoes were compared. Whereas…
Evaluation of ecological measures: phosphorus losses due to soil erosion
Within the scope of the evaluation of ecological measures, a case study was carried out in the region of Frienisberg in the canton of Berne in order to determine the relationship between ecological measures taken in agriculture and the phosphorus load in the waters stemming from soil erosion. According to model calculations, in the period…
Evaluation of ecological mesures: phosphorus losses by surface runoff
The effect of ecological measures in agriculture on the phosphorus contamination of waters caused in particular by surface runoff was investigated in the catchment area of the Lippenruti Brook in the canton of Lucerne. Within the scope of this investigation spanning 270 different fields, site, cultivation and dung spreading factors were examined and placed in…
Percolation and yield of different crop rotations
During seven years (April 1993 – March 2000), the effect of different crop rotations, grass-clover mixture, Miscanthus, and lay, on the amount of percolate and nitrate leaching to groundwater was investigated in lysimeters (1 m2 surface, 1.4 m depth) filled with a weakly humic, loamy sand (ortic luvisol). The experimental layout, and data for yield,…
Biodiversity: dynamic, precious, and worthy of conservation
Biodiversity, the diversity of life at all scales, is a characteristic feature of our planet and a precondition for human life. However, only during the last two decades biodiversity has become an important research topic. Scientific projects deal with the measurement of biodiversity, the factors that affect biodiversity and with effects biodiversity itself has on…
Field inspections 2000
The field inspections for seed certification of cereals, hybrid maize, grain legumes, red clover and forage grasses were carried out on 8‘945 ha in 2000. In cereals 92,5 % of the registered area was admitted during field inspection, 2,1 % was refused and 5,4 % was withdrawn from field inspection. Hail damage, presence of other…
Growth, fertility and culling reasons in dairy heifers and primiparous cows
On a group of 95 heifers of the Fleckvieh / Red Holstein and Brown Swiss breeds, growth, fertility and first lactation culling decisions werde studied. Calf rearing, feeding and housing were according to current practice in Switzerland. The heifers were first bred relatively late, at 20,3 months average. When subdivided by calving age, the growth…
Patents, Plant Breeders' Rights and Farmers' Rights
At present, Farmers’ Rights are, in contrast to patents and plant breeders’ rights, not an operational mechanism to protect genetic resources. One of the aims of the ongoing revision of the “International Undertaking on Plant Genetic Resources” (International Undertaking) of the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) of the United Nations is the further realisation of…
