Greening of railway rights-of-way

The SBB (Swiss Federal Railways) has ordered a feasibility study (2nd semester of 2018) on the greening of railway rights-of-way. An expert panel concluded that a greening of rights-of-way could be successful.

Flea Beetle Control in Oilseed Rape through Companion Planting

Sowing oilseed rape with other plants reduces damage caused by flea beetle. This intercropping approach could limit reliance on insecticides and the emergence of resistant pests. 

Eleven new Maize Varieties for 2020

Of the 27 maize varieties examined in 2019 in the second year of testing, 11 varieties were recommended after conclusion of the testing. Nine varieties were struck off the list.

Agroscope Life-Cycle Assessment Platform

Agriculture generates large quantities of data which allow us to calculate life-cycle assessments and environmental indicators. The conference at November 26 highlights the opportunities and risks of this aspect of digitisation and automation.

Agroscope Life-Cycle Assessment Platform on Nov 26

Agriculture generates large quantities of data which allow us to calculate life-cycle assessments and environmental indicators. The conference will highlight the opportunities and risks of this aspect of digitisation and automation. Registration is possible up to 15 November 2019.

Climate protection thanks to agroforestry

Agroforestry on 9 % of Europe's agricultural land could mitigate up to 43 % of agricultural greenhouse gas emissions.

Press Release September 10 2019

Successful Cooperation with Cuba

On the occasion of its fiftieth anniversary, CENSA (The National Center for Animal and Plant Health, Cuba) expressed its gratitude to Agroscope for the many years of successful collaboration between the two institutions.

Symposium Biofumigation 7 - Plants for Soil Health

March 30th to April 3rd in Crans-Montana, Switzerland

Submit your abstracts and register !

Cows Contribute to Plant Composition of their Pastures

Not all cows are the same when it comes to their forage preferences: research carried out by Agroscope and the Universities of Heidelberg and Göttingen shows that cattle breed influences the botanical composition of pasture. For instance, the species diversity on pastures grazed by Highland cattle is higher than that on pastures grazed by production-oriented cattle breeds.

Press Release August 19 2019 

Monitoring fruit growth online

Internet connected sensors measure fruit growth in real time. These data will be used to optimise the management of orchards and greenhouses.

ICPPR – International Symposium for the Protection of Bees

Together with the International Commission for Plant-Pollinator Relationships (ICPPR), Agroscope is organising an international symposium in Bern, which will take place from 23-25 October 2019 and focus on the topic of bee protection. Register now, or submit your abstract by 15 August 2019!

Blockchain meets agriculture: Hacking for the Farming Sector

The first Swiss Blockchain Hack-Marathon – Hackathon for short – took place on the weekend of 21 June.

Cacao Cultivation: Great Potential for Improvement

Inspired by the cultivation technique used in apple production, Agroscope has collaborated with Brazilian farms to further develop cacao-growing techniques. Thanks to digital technologies, cacao plants have even been successfully grown in a semi-arid climate.

Improved Prevention of Mycotoxins in Wheat, Barley and Maize

Mycotoxins are a worldwide threat to human and animal health. As a partner in the EU MycoKey project, Agroscope will be hosting an international conference in Zurich from 18–19 June 2019.

Agroscope Conference I EU MycoKey Project 

Kick-off Workshop on Pesticide Residues in Cuban Soils

As part of a two-day workshop, the Cuban-Swiss team informed the various local stakeholders about the SNSF-r4d project PERECUSO.