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Silage additives and aerobic stability – test results 1999
The efficacy of two silage additives on aerobic stability was investigated in maize silage in comparison to a treatment without additive and a treatment with propionic acid. The maize was harvested at two different dry matter levels (31 and 37 % dry matter) and ensiled in 1.5 litre laboratory scale silos. 7 days before the…
Does the grass composition of highland pastures differ from those of lowland leys?
In this paper, we compare the botanical and chemical compositions of grazed grassland located at various altitudes between 600 and 2100 m a.s.l., as part of a study on the relationships between the characteristics of grass and those of Swiss hard cheese. The lowland leys are composed only of grasses and legumes and their botanical…
New biotests to measure the biological qualities of composts
To measure the biological qualities of composts, a new set of biotests was developed and evaluated by different institutions using the same compost materials. Per institution the same eight tests with different plants were carried out. As reference a defined standard substrate was used enabling to produce comparable results even under different conditions and with…
Total microbial counts of goat milk
Total microbial counts from 2400 samples of goat milk from the Bernese Oberland and Central Switzerland are not normally distributed. Arithmetic means of the number of colony forming units (cfu/ml) are higher than in cow milk whereas the medians are lower. From 1995 until 1997 the producers managed to increase steadily the ratio of class…
Ecological concerns in the Swiss agricultural policy
At the beginning of the 1970s, the Swiss public was shocked by reports in news media on the subject of ecological problems resulting from agricultural activities. Since then, measures to improve integration and promote environmental awareness have been implemented, hesitantly at first due to political opposition, and then more decisively with the agricultural policy reform…
Effects of preceding crop and tillage on the incidence of Fusarium spp. and mycotoxin deoxynivalenol content in winter wheat grain
In two field experiments with mouldboard plough, cultivator and no-tillage, the harvested grains of winter wheat were analysed. We examined the degree of contamination with Fusarium and the content of deoxynivalenol (DON). Fusarium graminearum, F. avenaceum and Microdochium nivale were isolated from all samples. The highest incidence of disease (up to 42 % infection by…
Susceptibility of Swiss wheat cultivars to fusaria
In field trials with artificial infections, the susceptibility of 15 Swiss and 3 foreign wheat varieties to Fusarium culmorum and F. graminearum was examined. The resistance pattern for the two fusaria was equal and no species specific reactions were registered. The cultivars showed big differences in disease severity, yield losses and contamination with the mycotoxin…
Microbial biomass in two arable soils
Over a two year period, changes in the microbiological properties of two arable soils were charted and compared with the site conditions. In the topsoil of a calcic cambisol, the content of microbial biomass was, on average, 42 % higher than in a gleyic cambisol. A higher pH and a looser strture favoured the development…
Effect of fungicides on fusaria of wheat
In 1998 and 1999 the influence of azole and strobilurine fungicides on wheat head blight was investigated. Artificial infections with Fusarium culmorum applied in growth stage (GS) 63-65 on wheat, assured the head blight infections. In 1998 the fungicides were applied on three different cultivars in GS 57 and GS 67. Applications with azole fungicides…
Development of grass/white clover swards under rotational and continuous grazing with steers
Dynamics of botanical composition of four grass/white clover seed mixtures either grazed rotationally or continuously with steers were measured during four year The grazing system had little effect on the botanical composition of the swards. Perennial ryegrass was the main grass with 60 – 70 %. Arion, the first Swiss perennial ryegrass cultivar proved to…
Effects of different field margins on carabid beetles in two different landscapes
In a national evaluation program, the effects of different field margins on the carabid fauna were investigated by using funnel pitfall traps. 109 cultivated and non-cultivated (51 field margins) sites were chosen for a biodiversity evaluation, in which carabids were used as indicators. The data of the first investigation year shows that the abundance and…
Growth parameters of potatoes are influenced by the source of seed
We investigated growth parameters from 28 varieties of potatoes, the seeds of which originated from different altitudes. It is known that different climatic conditions influence the physiological age of seed tubers. We hypothesised that seed originating from higher altitudes is physiologically younger due to a shorter growing period and lower temperatures. Therefore the number of…
Roughage to concentrate ratio and salt supply in ruminants
In two balance trials with 15 and 16 lactating Saanen goats (model animal for cows), the effects of different sodium cloride (NaCl) supplies and roughage to concentrate ratios on performance and metabolism were investigated. The NaCl supply levels ranged from 100 to 200 and 300 % of Swiss recommendations (RAP, 1999). The tested roughage to…
Ecological compensatory areas in the mosaic of agricultural landscape
In three case studies, the spectrum of plant species was evaluated in ecological compensatory areas (extensively and less intensively cultivated meadows, flower strips, hedgerows), in the dominant cultures (winter wheat, intensively cultivated meadows, meadows in orchards) and in the edges of the forests. Habitat specificity, calculated on the base of plant composition in different types…
Structural effects of the new agricultural policy
The central thesis of this paper states that the new agricultural policy (since 1993)has initiated a structural change in Swiss agriculture that appears to be quite different from the past.This is due to the shift in income support from production quantity to factor input.It is characterised by the following structural change paradox:While the decrease in…
Proteinase-positive cultures lead to better melting properties of Raclette cheese
Proteolysis has a strong influence on the melting properties of Raclette cheese. In a multifactoriel cheesemaking trial the influences of the proteinase-activity of the lactococci-culture (proteinase-positive / proteinase-negative) and the type of ripening (smear ripening / foil ripening) on the melting properties of Raclette cheese were investigated. The trial showed that the proteinase-activity of the…
Influence of pre-wilting degree on conservation of grass
In the years 1996 to 1998 we investigated the influence of the dry matter content on fermentation and on aerobic stability in grass silage. Therefore, we ensiled forage of the same plots with two different dry matter contents in tower silos in 1996 and in square bales in 1997 and 1998. In some cases we…
