Grassland Switzerland

Internet-Dossier_Grasland_Gabriela_Braendle

Switzerland is a grassland country: its climate and soil provide ideal conditions for producing meadow fodder. Fresh grass, hay and silage for our cattle, horses, sheep and goats all fall into this category. Meadow fodder is the most important source of energy and protein for Swiss dairy cattle, accounting for 76 per cent of their ration (Lüscher et al., 2019). Agroscope researches for multifunctional, efficient and sustainable grassland use.

Trends in der Grasland-Forschung: Resultate des EGT-EUCARPIA-Symposiums vom Juni 2019 in Zürich

The European Grassland Federation (EGF) and the European Association for Research on Plant Breeding (Eucarpia) – umbrella organisations for European research into grass plant production and breeding – met for a joint symposium at the ETH Zurich in late June.

Portraits

Agroscope_GabrielaBraendle_Portrait_Andreas Lüscher_20190514_DSC0651

Andreas Lüscher: Passionate about Grassland Research

Andreas Lüscher represents the EGF and Agroscope on the organising committee of the EGF-Eucarpia Symposium 2019.

Agroscope_GabrielaBraendle_Portrait_Roland Kölliker_20190517_DSC0695

Roland Kölliker: A Passion for Breeding Research

Roland Kölliker represents the ETH Zurich on the organising committee of the EGF- Eucarpia Symposium 2019.

Research on Grassland Switzerland

Research on fodder production, grassland use and grazing systems

General information on fodder production, grassland use and grazing systems

We support the ecological use of meadows and pastures and the development of sustainable grassland and upland farming systems.

Research project: Developing High-Quality Seed Mixtures for Forage Production and Biodiversity

Temporary leys provide large amounts of valuable forage, and are therefore essen-tial in agricultural crop rotations. The aim of this research project is to utilise world-wide progress in breeding to develop seed mixtures for forage production that are optimally tailored to the needs of the Swiss agricultural sector.

Research project: Ecosystem Services of Grassland in the Mountain Area

Meadows and pastures in the mountain area provide important services to society – including high-quality feed or valuable biodiversity. Despite direct payments from the federal government, these services are under threat from ongoing structural and climate change. Our research project aims to use improved process knowledge to develop innovative and efficient management strategies for promoting grassland ecosystem services in the mountain area.

Research project: Optimum Use of Grassland and Forage

As a function of their management, their botanical composition and the climate, our grasslands supply various benefits and services such as the production of food and feed – not just for livestock, but also for pollinating insects. An attempt to optimise just one of these services runs the risk of jeopardising anoth-er. The aim of this project is therefore to develop decision-support tools capable of encompassing the varied nature of these services. For this, the tools must take ac-count of productivity, quality, conservation and utilisation of the herbage, as well as the preservation of the environment.

Research project: Grazing Systems

We develop grazing techniques geared to the livestock species and farm type in question, paying particular attention to the ever-more-frequent dry spells.

Posieux ruminants black and white in a pasture

Research project: Sustainable Dairy and Beef Production

Milk and beef are two of the most important production branches of Swiss agriculture. Agroscope helps to ensure that ruminants are fed in accordance with their requirements and that Swiss natural resources are utilised efficiently.

Research on Sward and Nutrient Management

Sward and Nutrient Management

Agronomically valuable and stable plant populations are only possible if usage and fertilisation intensity are in harmony with the site. The prevention of serious weed problems is thus based above all on appropriate management.

Research on Seed Mixtures, Variety Testing

Seed Mixtures, Variety Testing, Variety Lists

When numerous different organisms co-exist in an ecosystem (biodiversity), the ecosystem services of benefit to humans are often improved. This occurs because the different living creatures are mutually complementary in their functions.

Research on Roughage

A Harrowing Experience for Meadows

Even a meadow needs looked after, since without tending, a lush pasture can soon turn into a barren steppe. To stop things from coming to such a pass, Agroscope is testing various upkeep methods.

Research on Alpine Farming, marginal sites

Alpine Farming, marginal sites

Alpine farming is an integral component of Swiss mountain agriculture. It produces high-quality foodstuffs and maintains an attractive landscape, valuable habitats and vibrant traditions. Many alpine pastures are marginal agricultural sites that must be managed with great care in order to maintain valuable forage ressources for grazing animals and preserve biodiversity.

Research on Adaptation to Dry Spells

Adaptation to Dry Spells

Current changes in climate are increasing the risk of drought stress in Switzerland. The deliberate use of certain traits of various grassland plants is a potential adaptive strategy for mitigating the negative effects of these changes. We are investigating which combinations of grassland plants perform well under drought stress, in order to deduce options for the adaptation of permanent and temporary leys to climate change.

Research on Multifunctional Animal Production

Futterbau Multifunktionale Tierproduktion Bergwiese

Multifunctional Animal Production

Meadows and pastures provide a variety of services that benefit people –so-called ‘ecosystem services'. How well they provide these services depends to a large extent on their botanical composition. Our aim is to achieve an improvement in the different performances of agriculturally used grassland by deliberately influencing plant composition.