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2023

20.12.2023

Soil Atlas Depicts the Distribution of Chemical Elements in Swiss Soils
Agroscope and the Federal Office for the Environment have published the first Geochemical Soil Atlas of Switzerland. It provides an overview of the large-scale distribution of 20 naturally occurring chemical elements in Swiss soils. The soil atlas will help assess soil pollution levels and take action where necessary.

19.12.2023

Various Factors Limit Soil Carbon Storage Potential
Net zero emission targets can only be achieved by removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. Agroscope has modelled soil carbon storage, food production and agricultural greenhouse gas emission trends for Switzerland.

08.12.2023

MOSH/MOAH in Dairy Products – Identifying and Taking Measures to Avoid Input Sources
For some time now, mineral oil hydrocarbons in foods have been the subject of intense discussion. In this factsheet, we give an overview of input sources and benchmarks for different dairy products as well as an introduction to the interpretation of laboratory data.

04.12.2023

Impoverished Soil Life Reduces Nutrient Efficiency and Increases Environmental Pollution
Nutrient losses in agricultural production are a global problem. A lysimeter test now shows that soil organisms can make a major contribution to increasing nutrient use efficiency in arable farming and reducing nutrient losses.

01.12.2023

How Can We Assess the Agroecological Status of Swiss Farms?
Agroscope researchers tested the FAO method for assessing the agroecological status of farms in Switzerland for the first time, demonstrating the advantages of a holistic evaluation as well as the limits of the tool.

29.11.2023

Extending the Productive Life of Dairy Cows: Who Has a Say?
Which stakeholders in the dairy sector have an influence on the productive life of dairy cows? Research results from FiBL and Agroscope suggest that broad-based cooperation is needed to create structures for a longer productive life.

28.11.2023

The Challenge of Nutrient Losses – Agroscope Supports Agricultural Practitioners
Over the next few years, nitrogen and phosphorus losses from agriculture must be substantially reduced. With a new series of factsheets, Agroscope is helping farmers improve nutrient efficiency and thereby reduce nutrient losses to the maximum extent possible.

24.11.2023

Community rather than Individual Goals for Climate Change Mitigation
Policies to reduce agricultural greenhouse gas emissions are more effective and more efficient if they are set at the regional level and not at the level of individual farms. This can help achieve climate targets.

23.11.2023

Dairy Farming: Feed, Wind and Temperature Influence Ammonia and Nitrous Oxide Emissions
Agriculture is aiming to reduce greenhouse gas and ammonia emissions. Agroscope showed that for dairy cattle housing, feed composition plays a role in these emissions as well as wind and temperature.

22.11.2023

Recycling Wood Residues for Sustainable Agricultural Systems
This project aims to store soil organic matter, restore the fertility of agricultural soils and control weeds by recycling wood residues. The residues are incorporated or spread on the surface in a field trial. The effects of wood residues on soils, oilseed rape, wheat crops as well as on weeds are studied

16.11.2023

Controlling Root Knot Nematodes: a New Screening Test Identifies Bacterial Antagonists
The root knot nematode (RKN) Meloidogyne incognita causes damage in field and greenhouse crops. Agroscope researchers have developed a new screening test to identify bacteria that antagonise this agricultural pest.

09.11.2023

Exploring the World of Raw-Milk Products
What experience do artisan farms and businesses have in the manufacture of raw-milk products? In association with the Centre of Excellence for Raw-Milk Products, Agroscope researcher Hans-Peter Bachmann visits farms all over Switzerland. The third trip takes us to a cheese dairy on the Alp La Duchatte.

08.11.2023

How often do you consume fermented foods?
Fill out the first European Fermented Food Frequency Questionnaire. It was developed by researchers from Agroscope and 30 other European countries and is part of a study that aims to produce a cartography of fermented food consumption in European regions.

02.11.2023

Is a Significant Reduction in Pesticides in Wheat and Oilseed Rape Crops Cost-Efficient?
In wheat crops, pesticides can be used more sparingly without sacrificing cost-efficiency. With oilseed rape the situation is more difficult, since the reduced yields are not offset by higher revenues. These are the findings of the analysis of the first two harvest years of the PestiRed project.

26.10.2023

SRF’s ‘Einstein’ Programme on Apple Breeding
On Thursday evening, 26 October 2023, Swiss broadcaster SRF’s ‘Einstein’ programme was all about how new apple varieties arise and what role new breeding methods could play here. The programme will highlight the close cooperation in this field between Agroscope and ETH Zurich.

18.10.2023

European Cheese Producers’ Congress in Grangeneuve a Resounding Success
Organised for the first time in Switzerland, the FACEnetwork European artisan cheese producers’ congress brought together over 200 participants from 15 countries, from 11 to 13 October in Grangeneuve. The theme of this 13th congress: raw milk and raw-milk products.

17.10.2023

Awards for the best Swiss spirits
Nine distilleries were awarded the title “Distillery of the Year 2023” at an awards ceremony on 13 October 2023, with 167 products receiving a gold medal and 415 a silver medal.

12.10.2023

What Effect Do Tannin-Containing Feeds Have on Methane Emissions from Dairy Cows?
Tannin-containing feedstuffs like Acacia mearnsii and sainfoin (Onobrychis viciifolia) have a measurable impact in reducing methane emissions from dairy cows. However, since these feedstuffs in some cases lead to productivity losses, careful consideration must be given to their use.

09.10.2023

Measuring Soil Fertility Directly in the Field
Soil samples can be measured directly in the field by means of spectroscopy. Agroscope researchers have tested mobile devices and shown how to make the best use of them.

06.10.2023

Mild autumn weather is enticing apple trees to bloom
Matthias Schmid, head of the Experimental Station for Fruit Growing in Wädenswil, explains what’s happening and answers frequently asked questions.

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