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Agricultural economics

Gaillard G., Irla E.

Life cycle assessment of weed control in field crops

An environmental life cycle assessment of mechanical and mechanical-chemical weed control methods was established for ware potatoes, grain maize, winter rape and winter wheat, and compared to that of chemical techniques. Given the assumptions defined, the following conclusions can be drawn: The factors (fuel consumption, mechanisation, herbicide production, emissions, etc.) influencing the environmental impacts strongly…
Environment

Zihlmann U., Weisskopf P., Dubois D., Tschachtli R.

Soil structure of an integrated, a conventional and a low input farming system

The objective of the long-term project of Burgrain, on a mixed farm near Lucerne (Switzerand), is to compare integrated, conventional and low input farming systems taking agronomical, economical and ecological characteristics into consideration. Since 1992 soil tilth has been characterized every year by spade diagnostics and measurements of aggregate stability. The quality of the soil…
Environment

Ballmer T., Hebeisen T., Winiger F.A.

Control of seed-borne snow mould (Gerlachia nivalis) of winter wheat with warm wate Use of oil for reducing virus Y infection in seed potatoes

In 3-year plot and field experiments, the effect of Telmion, a canola oil, on the PVY-transmission by aphids was investigated. Telmion applications all 10 days reduced PVY infections between 30 and 60 %, independent of aphid density and weather conditions. The oil-treated plants of seed potatoes showed a slight yield reduction of 3 to 10…
Plant production

Wyss U., Vogel R.

Ensilability of some herbs of intensively used meadows

The ensilability and the silage quality of some common herbs of permanent meadows were investigated. The following herbs were tested: Taraxacum officinale, Anthriscus sylvestris, Heracleum sphondylium, Ranunculus acer and Ranunculus repens. Plant material of the first and third cut was ensiled in laboratory silos. For comparison, the two grasses Lolium perenne and Dactylis glomerata as…
Plant production

Mosimann E., Troxler J.

Estimation of herbage yield based on sward height

Sward height measurements were made on a variety of Swiss grassland plots in 1997-98. Between values measured with a French and a New Zealand rising plate meter (RPM), very good correlation was found whereas it was less strong with ruler measurements. For two different grassland types, regression analysis was applied to estimate dry matter (DM)…
Food

Dufey P.-A.

Meat is a valuable dietary source of CLA

The conjugated linoleic acids (CLA) represent a group of natural isomers which are derived from linoleic acid. Because of their unique characteristics they exert chemical and physiological effects on the organism which differ from those of linoleic acid. In animal models as well as in in vitro models using tumour cells of human origin, they…
Agricultural economics

Tobias S., Weisskopf P., Schaub D., Marty P.

Chances of soil conserving tillage practices in Switzerland

The 7th report about agriculture of the Swiss Federal Council laid the foundations for a new ecological direction of Swiss agriculture. Additionally, the revision of the federal act on environment protection extended the legal measures of soil protection. Henceforth, physical and mechanical impacts that cause persistent damage of soil fertility must be avoided. In agriculture,…
Environment

Rüegg K., Lüscher A., Hartwig U.A., Nösberger J., Rüegger A.

Elevated atmospheric CO2 affects seed production of grassland species

Seed yield and quality of pure stands of five perennial grassland species were tested at elevated atmospheric CO2 (60 Pa) in a three year field experiment. Four species showed a trend to increased seed production, while Plantago lanceolata L. produced a reduced number of seeds. Tests on seed quality revealed that the germination rate was…
Environment

Candinas T., Chassot G.M., Besson J.-M.

Swiss sewage sludge quality has improved

The sewage sludge quality is intensively monitored since 20 years in Switzerland. The nutrient content did not change much. However, nutrient loads increased with increasing sewage sludge production. The content of heavy metals decreased considerably. For most metals the load decreased too. The knowledge about content and loads of organic pollutants is still inadequate.
Plant production

Schubiger F.X., Bosshard H.-R., Briner H., Lehmann J.

Effect of management on nutritive value of meadows

The effects of management intensity on the content of net energy for lactation and crude protein of grass-clover mixtures, cocksfoot ( Dactylis glomerata L.), perennial ryegrass ( Lolium perenne L.), white clover ( Trifolium repens L.) were investigated. Increasing cutting frequency from four to five times per year resulted in a higher content of net…
Food

Bachmann H.-P.

Influence of manufacturing process on butyric acid fermentation in hard cheeses

In Switzerland the amount of hard cheeses spoilt by butyric acid fermentation increased in the last years distinctly. Two main reasons are discussed: higher counts of spores of Clostridium tyrobutyricum in milk or better conditions for germination and growth in cheese. Cheese-making trials allowed to show, that high cooking temperatures in the manufacturing process can…
Environment

Bienz U., Menzi H., Frossard E.

Production and composition of horse manure

The production and composition of horse manure was studied with on farm experiments as well as balance calculations. The results should provide the basis of the revision of the corresponding guide values. Balance calculations were done for riding horses, mares and colts of different age. Animal weight, amount of straw used for litter and hours…
Animal production

Wyss U.

Testing of silage additives 1998

The efficacy of the silage additive All-Sil Granular, an inoculant to promote the main fermentation was tested. The trials were carried out in small-scale silos with a mixture of lucerne and cocksfoot. Forage of the first and second cut was ensiled at two different dry matter levels (about 20 and 30 % dry matter). A…
Animal production

Kessler J., Vogel R., Thomet P., Hadorn M.

Mineral content of continuous short grass pastures

In a field survey of the Swiss College for Agriculture and a complementary trial at the Swiss Federal Research Station for Animal Production (RAP), the mineral content of grass from continuous short grass pastures and rotational pastures was analyzed. The order of magnitude of the mineral content of investigated continuous short grass pastures and rotational…
Agricultural economics

Forni D., Gujer H.U., Nyffenegger L., Vogel S., Gantner U.

Evaluation of environmental and ethological measures in agriculture

La valutazione dei provvedimenti ecologicie dei programmi inerenti alla detenzione degli animali é svolta dall’Ufficio federale dell’agricoltura in collaborazione con diversientie stazioni federali di ricerca in base all’ordinanza del 7 dicembre 1998 concernente l’analisi dell’agricolturadal profilodellasostenibilità.La valutazione verte sull’analisi della partecipazione ai singoli provvedimenti o programmi, dei loro effetti e ripercussioni come pure sullo studio…
Environment

Schubiger F.X., Bosshard H.-R., Briner H., Lehmann J.

Recovery of slurry mitrogen in grass-clover mixtures

The percentage recovery of fertilizer nitrogen (cattle slurry and ammonium nitrate) in the harvested herbage of grass-clover mixtures, cocksfoot (Dactylis glomerata L.), perennial rye-grass (Lolium perenne L.)and white clover (Trifolium repens L.) were investigated. The mean amount of N in the yield of grass-clover mixtures (five cuts per year), which were fertilized with 150 kg…
Environment

Dubois D., Gunst L., Fried P.M., Stauffer W., Spiess E., Mäder P., Alföldi T., Fliessbach A., Frei R., Niggli U.

DOC-trial: yields and energy use efficiency

Between 1978 and 1998 a bio-dynamic, a bio-organic and a conventional farming system were compared in the DOC-field-trial on a luvisol on Loess at Therwil, Switzerland. Nutrient input (N, P, K) in organic systems was about 50 % lower than in the conventional system. Yields of marketable potatoes showed the strongest reduction after conversion to…

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